Presentation - fauna of the Far East. Animals of the Far East: rare individuals What animals are found only in the Far East

When thinking about Russia, few people imagine forests with lush vegetation, sandy beaches and emerald-colored water. However, the south Far East Russia has great biological diversity than any other region middle zone. About some rare, endangered and unique animals in the south of the Russian Far East - in the photo feed.

This is not the Siberia you think you know.

In fact, it's not Siberia at all: most of Russia's territory lying east of Lake Baikal, a body of freshwater in the heart of the country, is the Russian Far East, not Siberia. This vast region, almost twice the size of India, is filled with endless forests and crossing them crystal clean rivers, and very few people live here. Indeed, the population of the entire Russian Far East is a little more than six million people - about two million less than the population of New York.

The southern tip of this little-studied and rarely visited corner of the planet is a forest temperate zone, the most rich biological species in the world, this area contains some of the rarest animals and plants on Earth.

Here, animals of the northern and polar regions, such as brown bears, Eurasian lynx and red deer, are found along with animals of the subtropical zone - Amur tigers, Amur leopards, Himalayan bears. Nearly half of the approximately 700 bird species found in the former Soviet Union, lives in the south of the Russian Far East. This place is home to a hundred land species endangered animals. This means that 30% of all endangered species in Russia are concentrated in 1% of the country's vast territory. Up to 48% of these species (15% of all endangered species in Russia) are endemic, that is, they are not found anywhere else on the planet.

Thanks to the unique collection of natural communities and a large number rare and endangered species (many of them of global importance), this region plays a huge role in preserving the planet's biological diversity.

Here we will talk about some rare, endangered and unique animals in the south of the Russian Far East.

Home Sweet Home

Almost all of the 500 free-ranging Amur tigers live in the southern Russian Far East, with a small proportion in neighboring northeastern China.

Big feathered

The Far Eastern fish owl feeds mainly on salmon; the rivers of the southern part of the Russian Far East are rich in this fish. These large, endangered owls live in this region throughout the year, enduring both summer heat and cold winter when temperatures drop to -30 degrees and below.

On the verge of extinction

Amur leopards are the most rare view There are only 60 to 80 animals left in the forests of the southern Russian Far East and neighboring regions of China in the world.

Natural Architects

In the swampy lowlands of the Ussuri and Amur river basins, Far Eastern storks, an endangered species, build huge nests from branches in trees.

Cliff Dwellers

The largest population of eastern gorals in the world lives in the southern part of the Russian Far East, sheer cliffs along the coast Sea of ​​Japan These animals - there are between 700 and 900 of them left - serve as shelter from predators. Outwardly, gorals resemble goats, but they are more related to antelopes.

Unique creation

Raccoon dogs are widespread in the Russian Far East, but they have one uncharacteristic feature: they are the only members of the canine family that hibernate.

Big birds

Black vultures are huge, with a wingspan of 10 feet (3 meters) and a weight of up to 25 pounds (11.5 kilograms). These are the largest predator birds Old world, they live in Central Asia, Mongolia and China, and a small number (usually young animals) spend winters on the coast of the Sea of ​​Japan in the southern part of the Russian Far East.

Majestic flight

The Steller's sea eagle is the largest representative of the eagle subfamily. These birds breed their chicks in the northern Russian Far East, but many winter on the coast of the Sea of ​​Japan in the south of this region, where they feed on salmon that come here to spawn in the fall.

Relatives

Mandarin ducks, close relatives of the Carolina ducks North America, nest in hollows and feed on Mongolian oak acorns.

Moon bears

The Himalayan black bear, also known as the moon bear, lives throughout South-East Asia and only occasionally makes it to Russia, where he is often hunted by Amur tigers.

Local

The land helps many villagers in the south of the Russian Far East both increase their income and survive the long winters. Here, a fisherman hangs pieces of salted salmon on the wall of his hut to dry the fish in the winter sun.

Beauty

When thinking about Russia, few people imagine forests with lush vegetation, sandy beaches and emerald-colored water. However, the south of the Russian Far East has more biological diversity than any other region temperate climate in the world.

In the 1960s it almost became extinct, but state and public environmental organizations were able to restore its number to 500 individuals. Most of them (310−330 individuals) live in the Primorsky Territory, approximately 110 in the Khabarovsk Territory, four in the Jewish Autonomous Region and two in the Amur Region. Master Ussuri taiga has no enemies equal to itself in strength, but it is too sensitive to disturbance factors and the quality of its habitat. Despite all the strength, size and speed of a tiger (capable of reaching up to 80 km/h in the snow), it takes a lot of time to hunt, and only one out of ten attempts is successful. And also Amur tiger has a small heart, and therefore after a jerk reaching 20 m/s, he has to rest for a long time, otherwise he may die. The predator hunts at night, at this time of day it sees five times better than man. It approaches the victim by crawling, arching its back and resting its hind legs on the ground. He needs 9-10 kg of meat per day. Having killed, for example, a horse, a tiger is able to drag it along the ground for more than half a kilometer. By touching each other's muzzles, predators express friendliness, and they greet each other with snorting sounds.

Far Eastern leopardDespite the fact that the leopard is a predator, it is extremely peaceful and will never attack a person, except when the animal is driven into a corner. Born Far Eastern leopards blind with spotted coloring. Each has its own unique pattern, which is how scientists distinguish individuals. The Far Eastern is the only subspecies of leopard that has learned to live and hunt in the snow: other species live in tropical forests. The leopard usually goes hunting in the evening, a few hours before sunset. Hunts deer and roe deer, wild boars, dogs, badgers, raccoons and hares. This blue-eyed predator has a tail almost the same length as its body - 82-90 cm. There are only about 80 individuals of the Far Eastern leopard left in the world, and man is again to blame for this: he cuts down and burns forests, pollutes the air and water, and hunts. Now experts from the World Wildlife Fund WWF and specialists from other environmental organizations not only protect leopards from external factors, but also lead educational work with the population. In the summer of 2015, the Greenpeace fire fighting team came to Primorsky Krai to help inspectors national park"Land of the Leopard" protect animals from fire.

Polar Bears Polar bears are not actually white at all. Their skin is black, but they look white, since each hollow hair reflects sunlight, which helps them retain heat and allows them to live in the Arctic. Sometimes the fur becomes yellow or green in color - in the first case, this may be due to age or dirt, and the reason for the “greening” is algae that can grow in the fur in warm and humid conditions that are not typical for a polar bear. They spend most of their time in the water and are excellent swimmers (they can even swim continuously for several days in a row). Newborn cubs look smaller than human babies, they are the size of a rat, but within a year, if they eat normally, they grow into human size. Hunt seal, seal, sea ​​hare and a walrus polar bears accustomed to drifting ice floes or camouflaging in the snow. They have an incredible sense of smell, vision and hearing - they can see their prey from several kilometers away and smell it from 800 meters away. Polar bears do not need annual hibernation, but females who are pregnant and nursing newborns fall into sleep for 50–80 days. The number of polar bears in the Russian Arctic is estimated at 5-6 thousand individuals. Because glaciers are melting, scientists predict that by 2050, two-thirds of the current bear population could disappear.

Kamchatka bear One of the most large predators in the world. Few can dare to resist the might brown bear, especially since its Kamchatka subspecies is distinguished by its impressive size: Far Eastern males usually weigh 100 kg more than European ones. Only occasionally does a pack of wolves successfully hunt a young or weak bear. Despite its large mass, it runs fast, up to 60 km/h, swims well and can even climb a tree.

The brown bear lives on almost the entire Kamchatka Peninsula (95% of the territory, most often on the floodplains of rivers and lakes during mass migration and spawning salmon fish, as well as in birch forests during the season of cones and berries), with the exception of very wetlands and highlands.

WhalesWhales are believed to have evolved from land animals that returned to aquatic environment about 55 million years ago, even before the appearance of the first man. They have poor eyesight, no sense of smell, and whales hear through their throats. It is hearing that helps them navigate under water and get food. They communicate using sounds of very low frequency but high intensity and can hear each other one and a half kilometers away. Whales are divided into baleen whales, which feed on plankton, and toothed whales, which hunt fish and squid. Large individuals eat about a million calories per day, in summer - up to three tons of food per day. The rest of the year they can eat almost nothing and live off accumulated fat. Of the toothed animals, the waters of the Russian Far East are inhabited by beluga whales, bottlenose whales and killer whales. The latter feeds, among other things, on other whales, and in Spanish “killer whale” (“asesina ballenas”) sounds like “whale killer”. Gray and bowhead whales (baleen whales) make the longest seasonal migrations among mammals: they swim up to 19 thousand km per year. The Bering-Chukchi population of bowhead whales winters in the northern and eastern parts of the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska. Bowheads are the only baleen whales that spend their entire lives in polar waters. But in fact, they do not like to be among the ice: in the spring, whales migrate north, and in the fall, retreating from the ice, to the south. Whales breathe atmospheric air, so they are forced to float to the surface. But scientists still don't know why whales jump out of the water. Perhaps this is how they demonstrate their power and endurance in front of other whales. According to experts, about 250 thousand whales used to live in Antarctica alone, but as a result of intensive fishing total these mammals now account for less than 1% of this figure. Most countries have banned whale hunting, but their destruction continues to this day. Yes, because national traditions Chukchi in Chukotka are allowed to catch up to 126 whales per year.

Musk deer Musk deer are called differently - deer with fangs, deer-hare, and musk ram. But unlike deer, this artiodactyl does not have horns, and it is compared to a hare due to its ability to confuse its tracks when running away from a predator. In addition, like a hare, the musk deer moves in leaps due to its short front legs and, without slowing down, can change direction by 90°. The main value of musk deer is musk. This is a substance secreted by males, which is used in perfumery (can be found, for example, in Chanel, Givenchy or Guerlain). Such perfume products cost tens of times more than fragrances based on synthetic bases. Despite its terrifying fangs, the musk deer is a completely non-aggressive herbivore, feeding exclusively on plant foods. She lives in remote, hard-to-reach places; because of her caution, it is extremely difficult to photograph a musk deer.

Amur goral The eastern goral looks like a goat. It is known for the fact that, despite its slowness and leisurely movements, in case of danger it can jump long distances over rocks. In addition, in a desperate situation, a goral can jump from a height of 10 meters and land safely. Now the Amur goral is listed in the Red Book, but previously Chinese folk healers considered its flesh and blood medicinal. The exact number of gorals has not been determined, but between 600 and 750 individuals live in eastern Russia, and almost all are found in specially protected areas in the Lazovsky and Sikhote-Alinsky nature reserves.

Mandarin Duck Among the Far Eastern peoples, Mandarin duck symbolizes love. Once having chosen a partner, she remains faithful to him until the end of her life: mandarin ducks are so loyal that they even always fly in pairs. At Chinese weddings, rooms are often decorated with images of “tangerines.” Males stand out for their incredibly beautiful bright color and tuft on their heads. Another feature of “tangerines” is the sound they make. If ducks usually quack, then “mandarin ducks” squeak subtly or whistle quietly. Somewhere in mid-autumn, “mandarin ducks” nesting in Russia (Amur and Sakhalin regions, Khabarovsk and Primorsky territories) fly to China and Japan for the winter. Even though this water birds, they settle in tree hollows, often high - up to 6 meters in height.

Kharza Despite its diminutive size, the largest (body length 55-80 cm) and variegatedly colored marten Kharza is a real predator, excellent at climbing trees and jumping from tree to tree up to 9 meters in length. It may seem that its size allows it to hunt only grasshoppers, squirrels, mice and hares, but the harza is not limited to such small prey: it often attacks musk deer, wapiti and roe deer. True, she does not hunt alone, but in a group of several other individuals. The claws of it small predator can bend up to 180 ºC, which allows it to climb a vertical wall upside down, and running 20 km a day in search of food is not a test for the harza at all. Kharza lives in the Amur region, on the Sikhote-Alin in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk territories, in the Jewish and Amur regions, but it is rare: one individual per 50-100 km².

CranesIn the Far East live 5 out of 7 Russian cranes - black, gray, white-naped, Japanese and Siberian cranes (white). These birds are the size of a person - their height can reach 175 cm. In captivity, cranes can live up to 80 years, but in wildlife- usually up to 20 years. Sticking to monogamous relationships, they build a family for life. But if the male or female dies, the bird finds a new mate. In Yakutia there is a belief that destroying a nest or killing a crane, even through negligence, brings misfortune. In China and Japan, the crane is a symbol of wisdom, honor, beauty, longevity and vigilance, and in Armenia it is considered a national symbol.

Far Eastern storkAt first glance, the Far Eastern stork looks like white stork, but it is one and a half times larger than its European relative, and its beak is not orange, but black. The stork avoids people, prefers to nest away from settlements, choosing wet places near bodies of water. Stork nests look impressive, the size of which varies from 1 to 2.5 meters in diameter. They are usually located on trees or power poles. Since 2004, the “Keepers of Stork Nests” movement, created on the initiative of WWF, has been taking stork nests under its protection, carrying out fire-prevention treatments for nesting trees, aerating reservoirs to maintain and preserve the food supply, and others. environmental actions. At the beginning of April, Far Eastern storks begin to lay eggs, and within a month the first chicks appear. Storks - caring parents: during unfavorable weather they protect the chicks from rain and wind, in the heat they water them cold water from the beak, cover them with their shadow from the sun, give them water and take care of their plumage. Newborns make creaking sounds, and then lose their voice and communicate through beak crackling. After two months they leave the nest and begin their independent life.

Fish owlThese birds are monogamous and live in pairs, settling in valleys mountain rivers, not freezing even in severe frost. When they go hunting, the male is in charge, despite the fact that females are usually larger. Together they can wait for hours for their prey, sitting on a stone or on the branches of a tree that has fallen into the water, but the female often does not catch fish on principle, since the male must show his strength and ability to feed her when she is hatching eggs and cannot hunt. But when the ever-hungry chick hatches, the two of them take turns hunting. Little is known about the lifestyle of fish eagle owls, since they nest far from humans and come out only at night. In Primorye, Khabarovsk Territory, Magadan Region and the Southern Kuril Islands, only about 300-400 pairs of these birds nest.

Sea Lion Sea Lion, the northern sea lion, is the largest eared seal on earth. In Russia, it lives on the Commander Islands, Kamchatka and the Sakhalin region. Steller sea lions were included in the Red Book in 1990. By 2012, the population was restored, and despite the fact that the northern sea lion is no longer on the verge of extinction, it is still protected. The rookery of sea lions is located on shallows and steep cliffs. Sea lions swim remarkably well and jump into the water from a height of up to 25 meters. They avoid ice and spend the winter in frost-free areas of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Steller sea lions usually feed on fish and shellfish, but they can also attack fur seals. Northern sea ​​lions polygamous: they can fertilize several females and do not require to be together all the time, so the females occupy the rookery that they prefer.

As a result of technological progress, beautiful wilderness areas have been damaged by human activity. People keep littering environment harmful industrial waste and carelessly treat the flora and fauna of the earth. Such actions led to a decrease in the numbers of many animals, birds, mushrooms and plants. For safety and security, the Russian government included them in special list. Animals from the Red Book are on the verge of extinction, so humanity must preserve these species and increase their population.

Animal and vegetable world must be protected. In order for it to be preserved in all its diversity, people must develop a rational, rather than consumerist, attitude towards nature, which will prevent the consequences of their economic activities.

It is equally important to carefully inventory the flora and fauna that are under threat of destruction. The Red Book of Russia is exactly that official document. It was published in 2001 and consists of 860 pages. Each of them has illustrations, printed detailed information about endangered animals, habitats are indicated. It is noteworthy that the plants and animals listed there do not remain on the list forever. The Red Book must be periodically updated and republished. If the population size of a species has recovered, it may be excluded from the collection.

For example, the publication of the Red Book, which will appear soon, will be replenished with new animals in need of protection. According to information from official sources, they plan to include:

• Himalayan bears;
• reindeer;
• saigas

At the same time, gray dolphins, porpoises, humpback whales and killer whales, previously included in the book, will be removed from the list as their populations have increased. Hunting them will still be prohibited. Cetacean species are protected by a moratorium by the International Commission for the Protection of Whale.

Scientists are worried about fate Himalayan bear. Today in Russia there are 6.5 thousand individuals. Several factors contributed to the population decline.

• Deforestation in the Far East. As a result, the number of large cedar trees has decreased, and it is in their hollows that mother bears make dens and raise their offspring.
• Poachers. They long time large animals were destroyed in large numbers, since hunting them brings a lot of money.

The responsibility for the conservation of endangered species of fauna and flora lies with all people. Therefore, leafing through the Red Book and seeing what beautiful animals are listed there, every person should not forget about careful attitude to nature.

List of the rarest animals

To date, the list of plant and animal species listed in the Red Book includes 415 items. Let's get to know some of them.

Beautiful animals - snow leopards - have been practically exterminated. There are only 80-100 individuals left in Russia. For a long time they were subjected to merciless destruction by poachers pursuing one goal - to sell the valuable fur of predators. Now humanity is trying to restore the population snow leopard. Environmentalists are doing everything to preserve its habitat, and hunting it is prohibited throughout the world.

The Ussuri tiger can be found in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories. This is a large, fast and at the same time beautiful predator of the cat family.

The rarest cats in the world are listed in the Red Book of Russia - Far Eastern leopards. At the end of the 19th century, animals lived in large numbers in the Khabarovsk Territory, Korea and China. Today this species numbers about 40 individuals, because it was almost exterminated by unscrupulous people. Besides valuable fur, poachers sold animal organs, from which various potions were made in Chinese alternative medicine.

The Asian leopard's habitat in the Russian Federation is the mountainous regions of the Caucasus. It is almost impossible to meet it there, since there are about 10 predators left in the wild. Experts are trying to restore the population through reintroduction. The method is that animals imported from other countries are kept in special nurseries where conditions for reproduction are created. When their numbers increase, the predators will be released into the wild.

The mountain wolf has a bright red color and a fluffy tail with a black tip. In Russia, it lives in the Far East in small flocks. The would-be hunters subjected the animals to mass shooting. Now they are endangered, therefore they are listed in the Red Book.

Steller sea lion - a huge eared seal - lives in the Sea of ​​​​Okhotsk. It can be seen on Sakhalin Island and Kamchatka. The animal population is not yet under threat, but is still listed in the Red Book, as its numbers are gradually declining. To stop a trend, you need to identify the factors influencing it and completely eliminate it.

Eastern gorals are rare artiodactyls that somewhat resemble goats. In Russia they are found in the southeast. They eat herbaceous plants and prefer to gather in small flocks. The total number in the country reaches about 750 individuals. Most of them live in nature reserves.

There are very few Przewalski horses left. There are no more than two thousand of them all over the world. Animals are practically never found in the wild. They are bred in nurseries. Previously they lived in Transbaikalia, Western Siberia and pre-Altai steppes. At the end of the last century, scientists conducted an experiment and released several horses into the exclusion zone Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Oddly enough, the animals took root and began to actively reproduce. Now there are about 100 individuals.

Vanishing trees and birds

In addition to animals, the Red Book of Russia includes: rare plants and birds. The Far East is a natural reserve where you can meet representatives of flora and fauna that are on the verge of extinction.

• In the forests of the Amur region, the species of tiny white-eyes, distinguished by their sonorous singing, has been preserved. The birds are yellow in color and very beautiful.
• Along the taiga rivers, rare lucky people manage to see the most wonderful duck on earth - the mandarin duck. There, at night, you can sometimes hear the hoot of a fish eagle owl, which is the rarest representative of owl birds.
• Along the rivers flowing in the Khabarovsk Territory, rare, noticeable birds live - Ussuri cranes. As a result of human activity, their habitats have been significantly reduced, and the birds need protection.
• In the forests of the Far East and Transbaikalia there are grouse grouse, large birds that resemble cockerels. Due to barbaric hunting, their population has decreased, and they can only be encountered in the most remote corners of the taiga.

These birds are a small part of the list of birds listed in the Red Book. Their total number is 128 items.

Flipping through hefty volume, you can admire the beautiful plants, the number of which is rapidly declining in Russia. Among them are many unique representatives of gymnosperms:

• Olga larch;
• chalk pine;
• yew berry;
• tall juniper;
• dense-flowered pine.

All of them grow in taiga forests, which have been actively cut down in recent decades, destroying the unique flora. If this process is not stopped, rare taiga plants may disappear from the face of the earth, and unique animals will die along with them, because their habitat will be spoiled. Our common task is to prevent this and preserve the wonderful nature of our homeland.

Permafrost prevents the formation of a good soil layer. The soil cover even in the forest belt is about 40-50 cm. Slopes high mountains, as a rule, do not have any vegetation; they are often covered with stones. Soddy-meadow soils are observed only in valleys big rivers. But they are not particularly fertile.

In the northeast of the Far East you can find two natural zones: and tundra. They combine in a rather unusual way. At the bottom of the mountains, birch-larch and larch forests most often grow. A little higher up there is a section of dwarf cedar. Mountain lichen tundras grow even higher.

The highest forest boundary on the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is at an altitude of 400-600 m. Higher forest thickets can be found in the upper reaches of the Kolyma. The vegetation here rises to a level of up to 1200 m.

On Kuril Islands and the south of Sakhalin there are certain undergrowths, which consist mainly of birch and spruce forests in combination with. On the Kuril Islands you can find stone birch, which are more typical of meadows, as well as larch and dwarf cedar. In Primorye, coniferous-deciduous and coniferous forests grow more.

Animals of the Far East

Animals that live in the tundra freely change their location. In the tundra you can often find reindeer, polar bears, and arctic foxes. In the taiga, bears, wolverines, lynxes and squirrels are more common.

In the warm season, they often fly to the tundra migratory birds: partridges, geese, ducks and swans. In the taiga you can find thrushes, nuthatches, nutcrackers, woodpeckers, wood grouse and hazel grouse. It is worth noting that in mountainous areas there is a large number of animals. First of all, these are musk deer and leopards that live in the mountain tundra and areas that are devoid of woody vegetation.

The river and marine fauna in the Far East is diverse. In some periods, the rivers contain sockeye salmon, coho salmon and pink salmon. In small streams and rivers there are grayling. On sea ​​coasts and in the seas live seals, walruses, fur seals and canals. “Herring sharks” can often be found in the northern part of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. They enter these waters following their prey - schools of fish.

It should be noted that there are strict restrictions on hunting and fishing here. On the territory of Wrangel Island there is protected area. Arctic fox and polar bears live here. Often, “bird colonies” are formed here. From sea ​​creatures bearded seals and seals are found on Wrangel Island. These representatives of the animal world are very strictly protected.