What animal lives high in the mountains. Mountain nature: animals and plants

The high mountains are sparsely populated by people. Cultivation of the land here is difficult, and it can only be used in summer as pasture for domestic animals. In the last century, mountains have become a popular place of entertainment - first climbers, and later skiers, chose them. The laying of ski tracks, the construction of lifting devices, hotels and recreation centers sometimes cause unfavorable changes in the natural environment.

High in the mountains, even on the rocks, flowers of extraordinary beauty, such as aquilegia, grow.

The highest city in the world is Lhasa (China), located in Tibet at an altitude of 3,630 meters.

Mountains of North America.

The Rocky Mountains are located in the western part of North America, stretching from north to south - from Alaska to Mexico - over a distance of 3,200 kilometers. The local climate conditions are not conducive to development agriculture, but are quite favorable for summer pastures of fat herds of large and small cattle.

During the last ice age, when glaciers occupied more and more of the earth's surface towards the equator, animals retreated south in search of more warm areas. In Europe and Asia, they encountered an insurmountable obstacle on their way in the form of mountains stretching from west to east. Some animal species became extinct without being able to cross the mountains.

In America, the mountains are located in a different direction - from north to south - and this contributed to survival more various types.

The highest peak in North America is Mount McKinley - 6194 m, Alaska.

bighorn sheep

Bighorn sheep are larger than regular sheep, their skin is dark in color, and they have long, curled horns. Bighorn sheep fight with their horns so loudly that they can be heard from afar.

Snow goat

The snow goat is a big fan of salt and often travels kilometers in search of salt deposits, which it greedily licks. Her food is very diverse - from willow to herbs and coniferous trees.

Grizzly

The grizzly bear was once a very common species in the Rocky Mountains; currently preserved only in Alaska and the mountains of Canada.

Wolverine

Wolverine. This animal, similar to a small bear, is found in northern forests. She leads a solitary life and every evening digs a hole in which she spends the night. Wolverine is a predator, moves at a trot or jumps and attacks in the open, so its intended victim often manages to escape. However, the wolverine does not refuse animals killed by a bear or puma.

Andes.

Western South America is home to the world's longest mountain range. These are the Andes (Andean Cordillera) - high mountains stretching from north to south. The highest peak of the Andes is Mount Aconcagua, its height is 6,959 meters.

The mountains of the Andean Cordillera are very high and steep, most of them all year round covered with snow. And only to the north, where the climate is somewhat milder, do people live on the plateaus. The Andes were formed in a relatively recent geological era as a result of major displacements earth's surface, thanks to which they rose from the depths of the sea. For this reason, there are many active volcanoes in the Andes, one of them is Ojos del Salado with a height of 6,863 meters.

Condor This large bird of prey is found at any altitude, up to 5,000 meters above sea level. Like other vultures, it lives in the company of its relatives, and is not a hermit like an eagle.

Andean condor- the largest of the birds of prey, its mass reaches 12 kilograms, and its wingspan is 3 meters.

Spectacled bear

Spectacled bear. This small black bear is given such an unusual name because of the yellowish ring around its eyes in the form of glasses. Found in the Northern Andes.

Lama

This animal has been considered a treasure of the Andes since the time of the Incas, whose culture reached its peak here by the mid-15th century. The llama has dense and very delicate fur, which is perfectly suited to the cold mountain climate. An alarmed llama defends itself in a very unique way: it vigorously spits at the enemy, completely discouraging him.

A llama looks like a small camel without a hump.

Vicuna. The smallest representative of camelids, usually weighs no more than 50 kilograms. Vicuna is bred for its beautiful, soft coat.

Guanaco. Wild ancestor of the llama. This is the largest mammal in South America - its mass reaches 75 kilograms.

Alpaca is a hybrid of guanaco and vicuna.

Mountains of Asia.

On the roof of the world.

The roof of the world - that’s what they call the Pamirs, mountain system V Central Asia, which occupies almost 100 thousand square meters. km. and is located in Tajikistan, Afghanistan and China. Average height plateaus exceed 3,000 meters, ridges reach heights of more than 6,000 meters. There are deep gorges and glaciers, high mountain deserts and areas of steppes, river valleys and lakes.

The highest peak in the world: Everest (Chomolungma), height 8,846 meters.

The largest glacier in the mountains of Asia: Siachen, 75.5 km.

White-breasted bear

White-breasted bear. It has a black hide with a light stripe on its chest, resembling a collar. It feeds on plants, berries, fruits, as well as invertebrates and small crustaceans, which it catches in rivers. It lives mainly in forests, where there is more than enough food for it and where it quickly climbs trees.

Four-horned antelope

Four-horned antelope. Large, almost like gazelles, these animals form mating pairs or live alone. Males have four horns, the front ones being very small. This antelope is found in the wooded mountains of India, near water bodies.

Musk deer

Musk deer. An atypical representative of the deer family: it has no antlers, and the upper canines are very developed, like those of predators. Lives in wooded and steep mountains from Tibet to Siberia. One of its glands, the so-called musk sac, produces a secretion with a very strong odor.

Diamond pheasant

Diamond pheasant. It has colorful plumage and a very long tail. Lives in the mountains at an altitude of 2,000 - 3,000 meters in dense thickets of bamboo, the buds of which it feeds on.

Takin and yak.

Similar to a bull, Takin is more massive and clumsy, and in addition, has adapted to life at an altitude of 2,500 to 4,000 meters, only in winter it descends lower due to lack of food. And the yak lives even higher, up to 6,000 meters. Local residents have been breeding yaks since time immemorial. These animals are preserved in the wild in Tibet.

If the takin is scared off by a hunter, it takes refuge in the thicket of the forest and lies down, bending its head low to the ground. He is so confident that now no one will see him that he can quietly approach him. Little Takin is born after 8 months of intrauterine development.

The yak has a very thick black skin, which protects it from the cold high in the mountains. Domestic yaks are bred in the highlands of Asia as working and partly dairy cattle.

Irbis

This representative of the cat family is also called the snow leopard. The length of its body together with its tail is more than 2 meters. He has wide paws so as not to fall into the snow, and a thick skin, the color of which merges with the color of the rocks among which he lives. The snow leopard is extremely dexterous: it can pursue its prey, jumping along steep mountain slopes, and is the only one among cats that can jump 15 meters.

Typically, a female snow leopard gives birth to two cubs. After they stop feeding on milk, the mother takes them hunting with her, in this case ambushing high places to expand your visibility area. In summer, snow leopards live very high in the mountains, and in winter they descend into the valleys.

Panda

The giant panda, or bamboo bear, is the symbol of the World Fund wildlife. Found only in the mountains of Southeast China and Western Tibet. The giant panda is endangered and strictly protected by law.

There are only a few hundred giant pandas in the world.

The body length of a newborn bamboo bear is 10 centimeters!

Mostly giant panda feeds on bamboo shoots and leaves, roots and only sometimes changes its vegetarian habit by eating small rodents.

The red panda is less famous than the bamboo bear, and much smaller. Her back and tail are red, and her belly and paws are black.

Arhar, tar and markhor.

They live freely on the “roof of the world” various types steep-horned herbivores, similar in appearance to goats. They are very agile: they can easily jump along steep cliffs or stop to nibble grass in places where it would seem impossible to climb. Some species, such as the taru, are in danger of extinction, although they do not have many enemies, apart from humans.

Markhor

Markhor. It has unusual twisted horns that point vertically upward. Markhor can climb steep cliffs to feed on the tender leaves of trees.

Tar can jump up to 10 meters without causing any harm to himself. It has taken root well in America as well.

Argali

Argali. It is also called the wild Altai goat. Lives in herds. Males have very developed horns. Sometimes fierce battles begin between them, and they butt heads with force, but never seriously injure each other.

Alpine arc.

The Alps are the oldest mountain range in Europe. This is a mountain range in the shape of an arc, elongated from west to east, about 1100 kilometers long and about 250 kilometers wide. The borders of such states as Italy, France, Switzerland and Austria pass through it. Many alpine peaks are covered with eternal snow, and ice and glaciers often melt from them. Broad-leaved and coniferous forests. At an altitude of 2000 meters, the forests disappear, giving way to dense bushes and meadows. The fauna is also diverse, and the number of different animals is constantly growing, despite the presence of humans in the Alps, due to the fact that hunting and fishing are strictly controlled. Recently, the lynx, which disappeared here more than two centuries ago, has reappeared in Italy.

The highest peak of the Alps: Mont Blanc - 4,810 meters.

Red-winged Wallcrawler

Red-winged wall climber. This bird has gray plumage on its body and black and red plumage on its wings. She quickly moves her nimble paws along steep rocks, exploring cracks in search of insects on which she feeds.

Viper

Viper. This snake does not lay eggs in the ground, they develop directly in its body, and therefore the cubs are born alive. She never attacks first unless disturbed.

Grouse

Black grouse. IN mating season male black grouse attract females with certain behavior: they scream, jump, mutter, bend their heads and fluff their tails, and sometimes fight. The place where this happens is called a lekking area, and the behavior of males is called mating.

Golden eagle

Golden eagle. Lives in the highest and most inaccessible areas of the Alps. Lives solitary and only during incubation of eggs and feeding of chicks - with the female. Soaring high in the sky, the golden eagle surveys its territory, looking for prey and driving out alien relatives. The golden eagle, hunting for young artiodactyls, grabs them and carries them to its nest.

It is the horns and hooves that allow many mountain animals, the so-called artiodactyls, to survive. Horns are an important defensive weapon against predators and an effective means of asserting dominance in the herd. The hooves, while seemingly so slippery, are in fact well adapted to their habitat - steep, often snow-covered cliffs; they allow animals to climb steep slopes and move with amazing ease. The enemies of artiodactyls are wolves and lynxes, which after many years return to the Alps.

Chamois

Chamois. It is found at altitudes where there is no longer any tree vegetation; in winter it descends lower and visits the forest thickets. Lives in small herds. The female gives birth to only one baby, which after a couple of hours can independently follow the mother. When the chamois rests on its leg, the hoof spreads and forms an ideal support on both the ground and the snow. The chamois's horns are short and curved back almost at a right angle.

mountain goat

The mountain goat is a massive artiodactyl animal with a short beard and large horns, which in males can reach one meter.

Mouflon

Mouflon. The only wild sheep found in Europe. The male is easily recognized by his horns, which are wide at the base and curl in a spiral. Mouflon grows horns throughout its life. Mouflon is a herbivore, sometimes gnawing on the bark of young trees.

Marmot

Marmots are large alpine rodents. The weight of this rodent, depending on the time of year, ranges from 4 to 8 kilograms. Like all rodents, the marmot has very developed incisors, which do not stop growing throughout its life, and in cubs they are white, and in adult rodents they are yellowish. The marmot has been known since ancient times: even the Roman writer Pliny the Elder (23 - 79 AD) called it an alpine mouse, noting that “he lives underground and whistles like a mouse.” In winter, the marmot hibernates in a hole, prudently filled food that he will nibble on during short awakenings. He will leave his hole only in the spring.

The marmot has a short tail covered with tousled hair and small paws. Under the skin of a marmot there is a thick layer of fat that protects it from the cold and serves as an energy reserve. Residents of the Alps are convinced that this fat is a good remedy for treating the respiratory system.

These animals spend a lot of time near their burrow, looking for food. Senior marmots sit on their hind legs and carefully study their surroundings. Noticing danger, they warn other marmots about it with a characteristic whistle.

One of the marmot's enemies is the raven, an agile predator that attacks baby marmots. While crows usually attack in flocks, the golden eagle flies quietly alone. From above, he spots prey and dives at it. As it approaches, it slows down its fall, stretches out its paws, releases its claws and grabs the unfortunate victim, without giving it the slightest opportunity to escape. The golden eagle hunts not only marmots, but also rabbits, hares, snakes, and young artiodactyls.

The marmot eats roots, leaves and grass; When eating, he sits on his hind legs and holds food with his front legs.

For marmots, whistling is not only a signal warning of approaching danger, but also a means of communication. In case of alarm, as soon as they hear the whistle, all marmots immediately take refuge in holes, without even making sure that they are actually threatened. It seems that chamois also perceive the marmot's alarming whistle as a warning of danger.

Saint Bernard

The Saint Bernard is a large dog with very long hair of black, red and white color. Back in the 17th century, they were bred by the monks of the monastery of St. Bernard, located on one of the Alpine passes. They used these dogs to search for travelers caught in a snowfall or avalanche. Saint Bernards found the unfortunate people and pulled them out from under the snow, raking it with their paws.

Despite the fact that this is one of the largest dogs - it weighs approximately 8 kilograms - its character is meek and docile.

Barry is the nickname of the most famous St. Bernard; in 12 years he saved about 40 people.

Living conditions in the mountains are very different from those on the plains. As you rise into the mountains, the climate changes: the temperature drops, the wind strength increases, the air becomes thinner, and winter becomes longer.
The nature of the vegetation from the foot of the mountains to the peaks is also different. In the mountains of Central Asia, desert and steppe foothills usually give way to forest, which is first dominated by deciduous and then coniferous species. Higher up there is low-growing, curved downslope subalpine forest and thickets of bushes. Alpine low-growing vegetation begins even higher, vaguely reminiscent of the vegetation of the northern tundra. The Alpine mountain belt is directly bordered by snow fields, glaciers and rocks; there, among the stones, only rare grass, moss and lichens are found.
The change of vegetation in the mountains occurs over just a few thousand meters, counting vertically. This phenomenon is called vertical zoning or zonation. This change of vegetation is in the most general terms similar to latitudinal zonality nature on Earth: deserts and steppes give way to forests, forests to forest-tundra and tundra.
Natural conditions in the mountains change not only with height, but also when moving from one slope to another. Sometimes even neighboring sections of the same slope have different natural conditions. It all depends on the position of the site in relation to the cardinal points, on its steepness and on how open it is to the winds.
Diversity living conditions contributes to the fact that the mountains are inhabited by many species of animals. In terms of the number of species of mountain animals, the forest belt of the mountains is the richest. The highlands are much poorer in them. The living conditions there are too harsh: even in summer, frosts are possible at night, and there is little food. Therefore, the higher you go in the mountains, the usually fewer species animals. The most elevated parts of the high mountains are covered with eternal snow and are almost completely devoid of life.
They go very high into the mountains - almost up to 6 thousand meters mountain goats and rams; Occasionally, a mountain leopard, the snow leopard, comes up here after them. Of the vertebrate animals, only vultures, eagles and some other birds penetrate even higher. The bearded vulture was seen in the Himalayas at an altitude of almost 7 thousand m, and the condor was seen in the Andes at an even higher altitude. When climbing Chomolungma (Everest), climbers observed choughs - close relatives of our crows - at an altitude of 8100 m.
Some animals, particularly crows and hares, are found in almost all mountain zones, but most species live in only a few or even one zone. For example, bullfinches and yellow-headed wrens nest in the Caucasus Mountains only in the belt of dark coniferous forests formed by fir and spruce.

Irbis or snow leopard.

On the mountains, each vertical zone has its own fauna, to some extent similar to the fauna of the corresponding latitudinal zones of the Earth. Animals of the mountain forest belt resemble animals deciduous forests and taiga.

Argali.

The tundra partridge, living on the northern coast of Siberia and on the Arctic islands, is also found in the alpine belt of the mountains of Europe and Asia, where living conditions are similar to the Arctic. Some other animals common in the Arctic also live in the alpine belt of mountains: for example, in the mountains Southern Siberia And East Asia reindeer live. The habitats of deer in Altai are located in most cases not lower than 1500 m above sea level, that is, mainly in the subalpine and alpine mountain belts, where moss and other terrestrial lichens grow in abundance. IN winter time when in reindeer's diet great value have reindeer moss and other lichens; the nature of the snow cover plays an important role in the choice of habitat. If the snow is too deep and dense, then ground lichens are inaccessible to deer. In winter, the treeless slopes of the mountains of the Alpine belt are most favorable for the life of deer, where the snow is blown away by the winds, and in clear days melts in the sun.
The fauna of the alpine belt is very unique, where many animals unknown on the plains are found: various species of mountain goats (in Western Europe- Alpine ibex, in the Caucasus - tur, in the mountains of Asia - Siberian mountain goat), chamois, Asian red wolf, some rodents, vultures, mountain turkey, or snowcock, alpine jackdaw, etc.
The fauna in the alpine belt of the mountains of Europe, Asia, North America and northern Africa is generally homogeneous. This is explained by the fact that in the highlands of the northern hemisphere, living conditions are very similar.
Many mountain animals live only where there are rocks. Musk deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep Chubuk, argali and goral antelope escape from predators in the rocks. Birds - rock pigeon, swifts and red-winged wallcreeper - find convenient nesting places there. The wall climber crawls along steep rocks like a woodpecker along a tree trunk. With its fluttering flight, this small bird with bright crimson wings resembles a butterfly. In dry, sunny areas of the mountains, chukar are often found.
Screes form in many mountains; The life of such animals as the snow vole and the mountain pika (otherwise known as the hay pika) is associated with them. Starting from the second half of summer, especially in autumn, these animals diligently collect blades of grass and twigs of bushes with leaves, lay them out on stones to dry, and then carry the hay under a shelter made of stones.
The peculiar natural conditions of life in the mountains affected the appearance of the animals that constantly live there, their body shapes, lifestyle and habits. They have developed characteristic adaptations that help in the struggle for existence. For example, mountain goats, chamois, and American snow goats have large, mobile hooves that can move widely apart. Along the edges of the hooves - from the sides and in front - there is a well-defined protrusion (welt), and the pads of the toes are relatively soft. All this allows animals, when moving along rocks and steep slopes, to cling to barely noticeable irregularities and not slip when running on icy snow. The horny substance of their hooves is very strong and grows quickly, so the hooves never “wear out” from being abraded by sharp stones. The structure of the legs of mountain ungulates allows them to make large jumps on steep slopes and quickly reach rocks where they can hide from persecution.

Siberian mountain goat.

During the day, rising air currents predominate in the mountains. This favors the soaring flight of large birds - bearded vultures, eagles and vultures. Soaring in the air, they search for carrion or live prey for a long time. The mountains are also characterized by birds with fast, swift flight: Caucasian mountain grouse, mountain turkey, swifts.
In the summer it is cold high in the mountains, so there are almost no reptiles there: after all, most of them are heat-loving. They only penetrate higher than others viviparous species reptiles: some lizards, vipers, and in northern Africa - chameleons. In Tibet, at an altitude of more than 5 thousand m, the viviparous round-headed lizard is found. Roundheads living on the plains, where the climate is warmer, lay eggs.
The lush plumage of mountain birds and the thick fur of animals protect them from the cold. Living in high mountains The Asian snow leopard has unusually long and lush fur, while its tropical relative, the leopard, has short and sparse fur. Animals living in the mountains shed much later in the spring than animals on the plains, and in the fall their fur begins to grow earlier.
Hummingbirds in the Andean highlands of South America nest in caves in large groups, which helps keep the birds warm. On cold nights, hummingbirds fall into torpor, thus minimizing energy expenditure on heating the body, the temperature of which can drop to +14°.
One of the remarkable adaptations to life in the mountains is vertical migrations, or migrations. With the onset of autumn, when it becomes cold high in the mountains, snowfalls begin and, most importantly, it becomes difficult to obtain food, many animals migrate lower down the mountain slopes.
A significant part of the birds living in the mountains of the northern hemisphere fly south at this time. Most birds that remain to winter in the mountains descend to the lower zones, often to the very foothills and surrounding plains. Very few birds, such as the mountain turkey, winter at high altitudes. It usually stays near places where aurochs graze. The snow here is sometimes dug up by their hooves, and it is easier for the bird to find food. The loud, alarming cry of a wary snowcock warns the aurochs of danger.

Mountain partridge partridges.

Deer, roe deer and wild boar, found in the mountains up to the alpine meadows, descend into the forest in the fall. This is also where most chamois go for the winter. Mountain goats migrate to the forested part of the mountains and settle here on steep rocky slopes. Sometimes they move to the southern slopes, where the snow melts on alpine meadows in the first hours or days after a snowfall, or to steeper windward slopes, where the snow is blown away by the winds.

Bearded vulture.

Following the wild ungulates, the predators that hunt them migrate - wolves, lynxes, snow leopards.
Diversity natural conditions in the mountains allows animals to find places for wintering near the areas where they live in the summer. Therefore, the seasonal migrations of animals in the mountains, as a rule, are much shorter than the migrations of animals and birds on the plains. In the Altai, Sayan and North-Eastern Siberia wild reindeer make seasonal migrations of only a few tens of kilometers, and their relatives living in the Far North, in order to reach their wintering place, sometimes travel a distance of five thousand kilometers or more.
In the spring, as the snow melts, the animals that have descended migrate back to the upper zones of the mountains. Among wild ungulates, adult males are the first to rise, followed by females with recently born, not yet strong enough babies.
Chamois, mountain goats, wild sheep and other ungulates living in the mountains often die in winter and early spring during snow avalanches. In the Alps in the winter of 1905/06, one of the avalanches buried a herd of chamois - about 70 heads.
When there is a lot of snow in the mountains, it is very difficult for wintering ungulates: the snow prevents them from moving and getting food. In the mountains of the Western Caucasus in 1931-1932. It was a very snowy winter. The layer of snow in some places exceeded 6 m. Many deer, roe deer and other animals migrated to the lower parts of the mountains, where the snow cover was less. This winter, roe deer ran into villages and were easily captured. They were caught and kept in barns along with livestock until the snow in the mountains melted and the roe deer were no longer in danger of dying from starvation. At the end of December 1936, snowfall in the Caucasus Nature Reserve continued for four days. At the upper border of the forest, the layer of new loose snow reached a meter. The reserve's scientific staff, while in the mountains, noticed a deep path leading down the slope. They skied down along this trail and soon overtook a large auroch. Only a head with horns was visible from the snow.

Lama.

Some species of butterflies, bumblebees and wasps that live high in the mountains have dense pubescence on their bodies - this reduces heat loss. The latter is also facilitated by the shortening of the body appendages - antennae and legs.
Strong winds in the mountains make life difficult for flying insects. The wind often blows them onto snow fields and glaciers, where they die. As a result of long-term natural selection in the mountains, species of insects arose with greatly shortened, underdeveloped wings, which completely lost the ability for active flight. Their closest relatives, living on the plains, are winged and can fly.
At high altitudes, insects are found only in places, where living conditions are most favorable for them.

Tundra partridge.

The animals of the mountains have not yet been sufficiently studied; many interesting pages from their lives have not yet been read and await young, inquisitive naturalists. The following reserves provide exceptional opportunities for observing the life of wild animals in the mountains: Caucasian, Crimean, Teberdinsky, Aksu-Dzhabaglinsky (Western Tien Shan), Sikhote-Alinsky, etc.

Living conditions in the mountains are very different from those on the plains. As you rise into the mountains, the climate changes: the temperature drops, the wind strength increases, the air becomes thinner, and winter becomes longer.
The nature of the vegetation from the foot of the mountains to the peaks is also different. In the mountains of Central Asia, desert and steppe foothills usually give way to forest, which is first dominated by deciduous and then coniferous species. Higher up there is low-growing, curved downslope subalpine forest and thickets of bushes. Alpine low-growing vegetation begins even higher, vaguely reminiscent of the vegetation of the northern tundra. The Alpine mountain belt is directly bordered by snow fields, glaciers and rocks; there, among the stones, only rare grass, moss and lichens are found.
The change of vegetation in the mountains occurs over just a few thousand meters, counting vertically. This phenomenon is called vertical zoning or zonation. This change in vegetation is in the most general terms similar to the latitudinal zonation of nature on Earth: deserts and steppes are replaced by forests, forests by forest-tundra and tundra.
Natural conditions in the mountains change not only with height, but also when moving from one slope to another. Sometimes even neighboring sections of the same slope have different natural conditions. It all depends on the position of the site in relation to the cardinal points, on its steepness and on how open it is to the winds.
The diversity of living conditions contributes to the fact that the mountains are inhabited by many species of animals. In terms of the number of species of mountain animals, the forest belt of the mountains is the richest. The highlands are much poorer in them. The living conditions there are too harsh: even in summer, frosts are possible at night, and there is little food. Therefore, the higher you go in the mountains, the fewer animal species there are usually. The most elevated parts of the high mountains are covered with eternal snow and are almost completely devoid of life.
Very high in the mountains - almost up to 6 thousand m - mountain goats and sheep come; Occasionally, a mountain leopard, the snow leopard, comes up here after them. Of the vertebrate animals, only vultures, eagles and some other birds penetrate even higher. The bearded vulture was seen in the Himalayas at an altitude of almost 7 thousand m, and the condor was seen in the Andes at an even higher altitude. When climbing Chomolungma (Everest), climbers observed choughs - close relatives of our crows - at an altitude of 8100 m.
Some animals, particularly crows and hares, are found in almost all mountain zones, but most species live in only a few or even one zone. For example, bullfinches and yellow-headed wrens nest in the Caucasus Mountains only in the belt of dark coniferous forests formed by fir and spruce.

Irbis or snow leopard.

On the mountains, each vertical zone has its own fauna, which is to some extent similar to the fauna of the corresponding latitudinal zones of the Earth. Animals of the mountain forest belt resemble animals of broad-leaved forests and taiga.

Argali.

The tundra partridge, living on the northern coast of Siberia and on the Arctic islands, is also found in the alpine belt of the mountains of Europe and Asia, where living conditions are similar to the Arctic. Some other animals common in the Arctic also live in the alpine mountain belt: for example, reindeer live in the mountains of Southern Siberia and East Asia. The habitats of deer in Altai are located in most cases not lower than 1500 m above sea level, that is, mainly in the subalpine and alpine mountain belts, where moss and other terrestrial lichens grow in abundance. In winter, when moss and other lichens are of great importance in the diet of reindeer, the nature of the snow cover plays an important role in the choice of habitat. If the snow is too deep and dense, then ground lichens are inaccessible to deer. In winter, the treeless slopes of the mountains of the Alpine belt are most favorable for the life of deer, where snow is blown away by the winds and melts in the sun on clear days.
The fauna of the Alpine belt is very peculiar, where many animals unknown on the plains are found: various species of mountain goats (in Western Europe - the Alpine ibex, in the Caucasus - the tur, in the mountains of Asia - the Siberian mountain goat), chamois, Asian red wolf, some rodents, vultures, mountain turkey, or snowcock, alpine jackdaw, etc.
The fauna in the alpine belt of the mountains of Europe, Asia, North America and northern Africa is generally homogeneous. This is explained by the fact that in the highlands of the northern hemisphere, living conditions are very similar.
Many mountain animals live only where there are rocks. Musk deer, mountain goats, Chubuk bighorn sheep, argali and goral antelope escape from predators in the rocks. Birds - rock pigeon, swifts and red-winged wallcreeper - find convenient nesting places there. The wall climber crawls along steep rocks like a woodpecker along a tree trunk. With its fluttering flight, this small bird with bright crimson wings resembles a butterfly. In dry, sunny areas of the mountains, chukar are often found.
Screes form in many mountains; The life of such animals as the snow vole and the mountain pika (otherwise known as the hay pika) is associated with them. Starting from the second half of summer, especially in autumn, these animals diligently collect blades of grass and twigs of bushes with leaves, lay them out on stones to dry, and then carry the hay under a shelter made of stones.
The peculiar natural conditions of life in the mountains affected the appearance of the animals that constantly live there, their body shapes, lifestyle and habits. They have developed characteristic adaptations that help in the struggle for existence. For example, mountain goats, chamois, and American snow goats have large, mobile hooves that can move widely apart. Along the edges of the hooves - from the sides and in front - there is a well-defined protrusion (welt), and the pads of the toes are relatively soft. All this allows animals, when moving along rocks and steep slopes, to cling to barely noticeable irregularities and not slip when running on icy snow. The horny substance of their hooves is very strong and grows quickly, so the hooves never “wear out” from being abraded by sharp stones. The structure of the legs of mountain ungulates allows them to make large jumps on steep slopes and quickly reach rocks where they can hide from persecution.

Siberian mountain goat.

During the day, rising air currents predominate in the mountains. This favors the soaring flight of large birds - bearded vultures, eagles and vultures. Soaring in the air, they search for carrion or live prey for a long time. The mountains are also characterized by birds with fast, swift flight: Caucasian mountain grouse, mountain turkey, swifts.
In the summer it is cold high in the mountains, so there are almost no reptiles there: after all, most of them are heat-loving. Only viviparous species of reptiles penetrate higher than others: some lizards, vipers, and in northern Africa - chameleons. In Tibet, at an altitude of more than 5 thousand m, the viviparous round-headed lizard is found. Roundheads living on the plains, where the climate is warmer, lay eggs.
The lush plumage of mountain birds and the thick fur of animals protect them from the cold. The snow leopard, which lives in the high mountains of Asia, has unusually long and lush fur, while its tropical relative, the leopard, has short and sparse fur. Animals living in the mountains shed much later in the spring than animals on the plains, and in the fall their fur begins to grow earlier.
Hummingbirds in the Andean highlands of South America nest in caves in large groups, which helps keep the birds warm. On cold nights, hummingbirds fall into torpor, thus minimizing energy expenditure on heating the body, the temperature of which can drop to +14°.
One of the remarkable adaptations to life in the mountains is vertical migrations, or migrations. With the onset of autumn, when it becomes cold high in the mountains, snowfalls begin and, most importantly, it becomes difficult to obtain food, many animals migrate lower down the mountain slopes.
A significant part of the birds living in the mountains of the northern hemisphere fly south at this time. Most birds that remain to winter in the mountains descend to the lower zones, often to the very foothills and surrounding plains. Very few birds, such as the mountain turkey, winter at high altitudes. It usually stays near places where aurochs graze. The snow here is sometimes dug up by their hooves, and it is easier for the bird to find food. The loud, alarming cry of a wary snowcock warns the aurochs of danger.

Mountain partridge partridges.

Deer, roe deer and wild boar, found in the mountains up to the alpine meadows, descend into the forest in the fall. This is also where most chamois go for the winter. Mountain goats migrate to the forested part of the mountains and settle here on steep rocky slopes. Sometimes they move to the southern slopes, where the snow melts on alpine meadows in the first hours or days after a snowfall, or to steeper windward slopes, where the snow is blown away by the winds.

Bearded vulture.

Following the wild ungulates, the predators that hunt them migrate - wolves, lynxes, snow leopards.
The diversity of natural conditions in the mountains allows animals to find places to winter near the areas where they live in the summer. Therefore, the seasonal migrations of animals in the mountains, as a rule, are much shorter than the migrations of animals and birds on the plains. In the Altai, Sayan and North-Eastern Siberia mountains, wild reindeer make seasonal migrations of only a few tens of kilometers, while their relatives living in the Far North sometimes travel half a thousand kilometers or more in order to reach their wintering grounds.
In the spring, as the snow melts, the animals that have descended migrate back to the upper zones of the mountains. Among wild ungulates, adult males are the first to rise, followed by females with recently born, not yet strong enough babies.
Chamois, mountain goats, wild sheep and other ungulates living in the mountains often die in winter and early spring during snowfalls. In the Alps in the winter of 1905/06, one of the avalanches buried a herd of chamois - about 70 heads.
When there is a lot of snow in the mountains, it is very difficult for wintering ungulates: the snow prevents them from moving and getting food. In the mountains of the Western Caucasus in 1931-1932. It was a very snowy winter. The layer of snow in some places exceeded 6 m. Many deer, roe deer and other animals migrated to the lower parts of the mountains, where the snow cover was less. This winter, roe deer ran into villages and were easily captured. They were caught and kept in barns along with livestock until the snow in the mountains melted and the roe deer were no longer in danger of dying from starvation. At the end of December 1936, snowfall in the Caucasus Nature Reserve continued for four days. At the upper border of the forest, the layer of new loose snow reached a meter. The reserve's scientific staff, while in the mountains, noticed a deep path leading down the slope. They skied down along this trail and soon overtook a large auroch. Only a head with horns was visible from the snow.

Lama.

Some species of butterflies, bumblebees and wasps that live high in the mountains have dense pubescence on their bodies - this reduces heat loss. The latter is also facilitated by the shortening of the body appendages - antennae and legs.
Strong winds in the mountains make life difficult for flying insects. The wind often blows them onto snow fields and glaciers, where they die. As a result of long-term natural selection in the mountains, species of insects arose with greatly shortened, underdeveloped wings, which completely lost the ability for active flight. Their closest relatives, living on the plains, are winged and can fly.
At high altitudes, insects are found only in places, where living conditions are most favorable for them.

Tundra partridge.

The animals of the mountains have not yet been sufficiently studied; many interesting pages from their lives have not yet been read and await young, inquisitive naturalists. The following reserves provide exceptional opportunities for observing the life of wild animals in the mountains: Caucasian, Crimean, Teberdinsky, Aksu-Dzhabaglinsky (Western Tien Shan), Sikhote-Alinsky, etc.

Living conditions in the mountains are very different from those on the plains. As you ascend into the mountains, the climate changes rapidly: the temperature drops, the amount of precipitation increases, and the air becomes thinner. The nature of the vegetation also changes from the foot of the mountains to the peaks.

On some mountains of Central Asia, desert and steppe foothills are gradually replaced by forest; At first it is dominated by deciduous and then coniferous species. Higher up, the forest gives way to low-growing, subalpine crooked forests and thickets of bushes that curve down the slope. Alpine low-growing vegetation begins even higher, vaguely reminiscent of the vegetation of the northern tundra. The Alpine zone is directly bordered by snow fields, glaciers and rocks; there, among the stones, only rare grass and lichens are found (see article "").

Vegetation on the mountains changes over just a few thousand meters. This phenomenon is called vertical zoning. This change in vegetation is similar to the latitudinal zonation of nature on Earth: deserts and steppes are replaced by forests, forests by forest-tundra and tundra - but the latitudinal zones stretch over hundreds and thousands of kilometers.

Natural conditions in the mountains change not only with height, but also when moving from one slope to another, sometimes even to an adjacent section of the same slope, if it has a different position in relation to the cardinal points, a different steepness, or is otherwise open to the winds. All this creates an exceptional diversity of living conditions in areas of the mountains close to each other.

The diversity of living conditions contributes to the fact that the mountains are inhabited by many species of animals. By number of mountain animal species forest zone the richest. The highlands are much poorer in them. The living conditions there are too harsh: even in summer, frosts are possible at night, the winds are stronger here, winter is longer, there is less food, and at very high altitudes the air is thin and there is little oxygen in it. The higher you go in the mountains, the fewer animal species there are - this is typical for most mountainous countries.

The most elevated parts of the high mountains are covered with eternal snow and are almost completely devoid of life. Only people live there small insects- Podurs, also called glacial fleas and. They feed on pollen from coniferous trees carried there by the wind.

Mountain goats and sheep can go very high into the mountains - almost up to 6000 m. Of the vertebrate animals, only vultures and eagles penetrate above them, and occasionally other smaller birds fly in. In 1953, while climbing Chomolungma (Everest), climbers saw choughs - close relatives of our crows - at an altitude of 7900 m.

Some animals, such as crows and hares, are found in almost all mountain zones; Most animals live in only a few or even one zone. For example, bullfinches and yellow-headed wrens nest in the Caucasus Mountains only in the zone of dark coniferous forests formed by fir and spruce.

On the mountains, each vertical zone has its own fauna, which is to some extent similar to the fauna of the corresponding latitudinal zones of the Earth.

The tundra partridge lives on the northern coast of Siberia and on the Arctic islands, but is also found in the alpine zone of the mountains of Europe and Asia, where living conditions are most similar to the Arctic. In the alpine zone of the mountains there are also some other animals common in the Arctic, for example, reindeer live in the mountains of Southern Siberia and East Asia.

The fauna of the alpine zone is most unique, where many animals unknown on the plains are found: various species of mountain goats (in Western Europe - the rock ibex, in the Caucasus - the tur, in the mountains of Asia - the Siberian ibex), chamois, Asian red wolf, some rodents, vulture , mountain turkey, or snowcock, alpine jackdaw, etc.

It is interesting that the fauna of the alpine zone in Europe, Asia, North America and northern Africa is generally homogeneous. This is explained by the fact that in the highlands of different parts of the world living conditions are very similar.

Many mountain animals live only where there are rocks. Musk deer, mountain goats and goral antelope escape from predators in the rocks. The red-winged wallcreeper, rock pigeon and swift find convenient nesting sites there. Now on many mountains you can find argali and other wild sheep in the rocks. This is apparently caused by long-term pursuit of them by hunters. Where wild sheep are little disturbed, they prefer to live on relatively gentle slopes, and only the bighorn sheep, or chubuk, living in the mountains of Northeast Asia, has a lifestyle very similar to mountain goats.

Screes form in many mountains; The life of interesting animals is connected with them - the snow vole and the mountain pika (otherwise known as hay pika). These rodents prepare small piles of hay for winter. Starting from the second half of summer, especially in autumn, the animals diligently collect blades of grass and twigs of bushes with leaves, dry them and place them under a shelter of stones.

The peculiar living conditions in the mountains affected the appearance of animals, their body shapes, their way of life and habits. Many generations of these animals lived in the mountains, and therefore they developed characteristic adaptations that help in the struggle for existence. For example, mountain goats, chamois, American snow goats, and bighorn sheep have large, mobile hooves that can move widely apart. Along the edges of the hooves - from the sides and in front - there is a well-defined protrusion (welt), and the pads of the toes are relatively soft. All this allows animals to cling to barely noticeable irregularities when moving along rocks and steep slopes, and not to slip when running on icy snow. The horny substance of their hooves is very strong and grows quickly, so the hooves never “wear out” from being abraded by sharp stones. The legs of mountain ungulates allow them to make strong jumps on steep slopes and quickly reach rocks where they can hide from persecution.

During the day, rising air currents predominate in the mountains. This favors the soaring flight of large birds - bearded vultures, large eagles and vultures. Soaring in the air, they search for carrion or live prey for a long time. Mountains are also characterized by birds with fast, swift flight: Caucasian mountain grouse, mountain turkey, and swift.

Strong winds constantly blow in the mountains. They make life difficult for flying insects. The wind often carries them to snow fields and glaciers - places unsuitable for insect life, where they die. As a result of long-term natural selection, insect species arose in the mountains with greatly shortened, underdeveloped wings and completely lost the ability for active flight. The closest relatives of these insects, living on the plains, are winged and can fly.

In the summer it is cold high in the mountains, so there are almost no reptiles there: after all, most of them are heat-loving. Viviparous species of reptiles penetrate the mountains higher than others: some lizards, vipers, and in northern Africa - chameleons. In Tibet, at an altitude of more than 5000 m, the viviparous round-headed lizard is found. Roundheads living on the plains, where the climate is warmer, lay eggs.

On the plains, moth butterflies are active both at dusk and at night; in the highlands they lead a diurnal lifestyle: at night the air is too cold for them.

Some species of butterflies, bumblebees and wasps that live high in the mountains have dense pubescence on their bodies - this reduces heat loss. The lush plumage of mountain birds and the thick fur of animals also protects animals from the cold. The snow leopard, which lives in the high mountains of Asia, has unusually long and lush fur, while its tropical relative, the leopard, has short and sparse fur. Animals living in the mountains shed much later in the spring than animals on the plains, and in the fall their fur begins to grow earlier.

One of the remarkable adaptations caused by living conditions in the mountains is vertical migrations, or migrations.

In autumn, when it gets cold high in the mountains, snowfalls begin and, most importantly, it becomes difficult to obtain food, many animals migrate lower down the mountain slopes.

A significant part of the birds living in the mountains Northern Hemisphere, flies south for the winter. Of the birds that remain in the mountains for the winter, most descend to the lower zones, often to the very foothills and surrounding plains. Very few birds, such as the mountain turkey, winter at high altitudes.

Deer, roe deer and wild boar are found in the mountains up to the alpine meadows; in autumn they descend into the forest. This is also where most chamois go for the winter. Mountain goats migrate to the forested part of the mountains and settle here on steep rocky slopes. Sometimes they move to the southern slopes, where the snow melts on alpine meadows in the first hours or days after a snowfall, or to steeper windward slopes, where the snow is simply blown away by the winds. Following the wild ungulates, the predators that hunt them migrate - wolves, lynxes, snow leopards.

The diversity of natural conditions in the mountains allows animals to find places to winter near the areas where they live in the summer. Therefore, the seasonal migrations of animals in the mountains, as a rule, are much shorter than the migrations of animals and birds on the plains. In the Altai, Sayan and North-Eastern Siberia mountains, wild reindeer make seasonal migrations of only a few tens of kilometers, while deer living in the far north sometimes travel a thousand kilometers to reach their wintering grounds.

In the spring, as the snow melts, the animals that have descended migrate to the upper zones of the mountains. Among wild ungulates, adult males are the first to rise, followed by females with recently born, not yet strong enough babies.

Chamois, mountain goats, wild sheep and other ungulates living in the mountains often die in winter and early spring during snowfalls. In the Alps in the winter of 1905-1906. One of the snow avalanches buried a herd of chamois - about 70 heads.

In the Caucasus Nature Reserve, it was possible to observe aurochs during heavy snowfall. From the opposite slope of the gorge they fell snow avalanches. But the tours, usually very careful, did not pay attention to this. Apparently, they were accustomed to the menacing sounds of a snowfall.

When there is a lot of snow in the mountains, it is very difficult for the ungulates: it prevents them not only from moving, but also from getting food. In the mountains of the Western Caucasus in 1931 -1932. It was a very snowy winter. The layer of snow in some places exceeded 6 m. Many deer, roe deer and other animals migrated to the lower parts of the mountains, where the snow cover was less. This winter, roe deer ran into villages and were easily captured. They were caught and kept in barns along with livestock until the snow melted in the mountains.

At the end of December 1936, snowfall in the Caucasus Nature Reserve continued for four days. At the upper border of the forest, the layer of new loose snow reached a meter. The reserve's scientific staff went out to investigate the snow conditions and noticed a fresh, deep path leading down the slope. They skied down along this trail and soon overtook a large auroch. Only a head with horns was visible from the snow.

The tour was so helpless that one of the employees could even take liberties in handling him - he sat down on wild tour on horseback! Another employee took a photograph of the scene. They helped Tur out of the snow and he left. The next day, his traces were found much lower - in the forest on a steep slope, where the aurochs could feed on lichens hanging from fir branches.

Some species of mountain animals have good hair and edible meat. They can be used for breeding with domestic animals. Conducted in the Soviet Union interesting experiments: aurochs and bezoar goats were crossed with domestic goats, argali and mouflons were crossed with domestic rams.

From mountain animals to different times and in different parts man domesticated the goat, in Asia - the yak, in South America- lama. The yak and llama are used in the mountains mainly for carrying loads; female yak produce very rich milk.

The animals of the mountains have not been studied enough; many interesting pages from their lives have not yet been read by anyone and await young inquisitive naturalists. The following reserves provide exceptional opportunities for observing the life of wild animals in the mountains: Caucasian, Crimean, Teberdinsky, Aksu-Dzhabaglinsky (Western Tien Shan), Sikhote-Alinsky and others (see article "").

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Change vegetation zones from the foot to the top of the mountains is very similar to the change of vegetation on the way to the poles. The higher you go into the mountains, the colder it becomes: every 90 m the air temperature drops by about 0.55 C. Below the mountains are covered with deciduous forests.

They are followed by coniferous forests, then alpine meadows and bushes, and on the tops there is only ice and stones. Animals living in the mountains are forced to endure low temperatures, squally winds and very bright sun. Many species of mountain inhabitants move higher into the mountains in the spring and return to warmer valleys in the winter. Some have adapted well to environment and remain high in the mountains all year round. Some insects, such as springtails, can survive in ice for up to three years.

mountain animals

Yaks

In the Himalayas, in the mountains and on the high plains at an altitude of about 4000 m, large, strong animals live - yaks. Thick fur protects them from the piercing cold. Yaks need a lot of water. In winter, they sometimes even eat snow. Since yaks were previously hunted very actively, wild yaks have practically disappeared. They are now kept as pets, providing milk, meat and hides. Herds of yaks graze in the high mountain meadows.

Mountain goats

On the border of snow high in the mountains, between the rocks, mountain goats feel at home. Here they are not threatened by any predators, such as wolves. Widely spread hooves with soft rims allow animals to hold on to bare rocks. Just a few days after birth, little goats can follow their mother up steep cliffs and jump from ledge to ledge.

Chamois, distant relatives of American snow goats, live among rocks in the mountains of Europe. Higher up the slope live bearded goats with long, curved back horns. Other mountain ungulates include the shaggy Himalayan tahr, a close relative of the bearded ibex, and mountain sheep: mouflon in Europe and bighorn sheep in North America.

Puma

The puma is one of the largest felines on the American continent. Cougars live between British Columbia and South America. They are found in regions with completely different conditions life - from coastal forests and swamps to peaks about 4500 m high. Since at one time they were hunted uncontrollably in North America, pumas now prefer to live solitary lives in the Andes and the area around the Rocky Mountains. Cougars are solitary animals. They mark their hunting territory, which is about 400 sq km, and protect it from their relatives.

Gorilla

The mountainous regions near the equator have a completely different climate and different vegetation. Below the high alpine meadows are bamboo forests - the homeland of gorillas. Gorilla is one of the largest mammals of the tropical montane forests of Western and Central Africa. There are only 500 to 1,000 free-living gorillas in the forests and the species is critically endangered. Many of the forests where these monkeys live are being uprooted for agricultural purposes, and the monkeys are also hunted illegally. Gorilla skulls, skins and hands are sold in African markets as souvenir trophies.

mountain birds

Some of the largest birds find shelter, roosts and nesting territories in the mountains. One of them, the Andean condor, whose wingspan reaches 3 m, hatches its chicks on inaccessible rocks from Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego. Condors are classified as American vultures. Feeding, like other vultures, on carrion, Andean condors often fly to the shores of the ocean, where they can find dead fish.

The California condor is only slightly smaller in size than the Andean condor. These days, this bird lives only in a nature reserve located in the coastal mountains of California. Poor reproduction (the female lays only one egg every two years), poachers and destruction of natural habitats have brought this species to the brink of extinction.

In inaccessible mountainous regions of Europe, Asia and Africa, the bearded vulture, or vulture, struggles to survive. This bird not only looks unusual (its head is decorated with a beard - hence the name), there is also a lot of surprise in the way it feeds. You can often see a bearded man carrying a bone in his paws, like an osprey catching a fish. The bird breaks the bone by dropping it from a height and then descends to the ground to feast on the bone marrow.

Of course, American vultures are not the only birds that live in the mountains. The golden eagle, whose flight is a breathtaking spectacle, is common in temperate zone in the Northern Hemisphere. The mountains are also home to many smaller birds, including the mountain finch and white-tailed partridge in North America, the Andean mountain star hummingbird in South America, the Mongolian snow finch and red-winged wallcreeper in Eurasia, and the malachite sunbird in Africa.

Golden eagles live in the mountains and plains of North America, Asia and Europe. These are the big ones birds of prey, whose wingspan reaches 2 m. They are excellent gliders and know how to use rising air currents, soaring for hours at a height without flapping their wings. Golden eagles nest on high rocks or separately standing trees. These birds have very keen eyes, which allows them to spot prey from afar.

Who lives in the mountains in winter

Some predators, including the Himalayan snow leopard, go down in winter, where it is warmer. Wapiti (the North American race of red deer) and many other large animals do the same. But not everyone makes such vertical migrations when winter comes. Voles, for example, remain in place and dig holes in deep snow. The temperature in such burrows is sometimes 40° higher than outside, and roots and other plant food provide the animals with food all winter. Hares are active almost throughout the cold season, as in summer. They feed on bark and branches and find shelter under snow-covered spruce or fir trees.

Where there are hot springs, animals take advantage of the benefits it provides. Bison in Yellowstone national park in the USA, mountain sheep And Japanese macaques with the approach of cold weather, they move to hot springs and warmed areas of the earth around them. There they feed on green vegetation all winter and enjoy the surroundings. reminiscent of a steam room.