Lynx in the forests near Moscow. Rare animals of the Moscow region. Conservation Measures Taken
The Moscow region is the most urbanized region of our country, but at the same time, despite the high population density, it preserves significant areas of wild nature almost untouched by humans and is distinguished by the diversity of the animal world.
The fauna of the Moscow region is of a transitional nature, so in the north-west of the region there are typical taiga animals, such as flying squirrel and brown bear, and in the south - typical inhabitants of the steppes, such as gray hamster and jerboa.
Currently, the fauna of the Moscow region includes 75 species of mammals, 301 species of birds, 11 species of amphibians, 6 species of reptiles and 50 species of fish.
mammals
The region is home to 75 species of mammals from 6 orders and 21 families, including 27 species from the order Rodents, 16 species from the order Carnivores, 13 species from the order Chiroptera, 11 species from the order Insectivores, 6 species from the order Artiodactyls and 2 species from the order Lagomorphs.
The fox is quite curious and will not disregard unfamiliar places and objects.
Order: Carnivores
brown bear
(lat. Ursus arctos) - a species of animals from the order Carnivores, the Bear family, the Bear genus. It occurs in the west and north-east of the region in dense forests with windbreak, dense undergrowth and tall grasses. Rare, in the Moscow region there are only 10-20 individuals. .
Wolf
(lat. Canis lupus) - a representative of the Canine family, the genus Wolves. It lives in a wide variety of landscapes, preferring open: steppes, forest-steppes, clearings, and, if possible, avoiding solid forests.
lynx
(lat. Lynx lynx) - a mammal from the cat family. It occurs in the east of the region in the Shatursky district. Prefers large woodlands, dense deciduous forests with dense undergrowth providing plenty of hiding places. Rare, in the Moscow region there are only 20-30 individuals. The species is listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region in the category "Endangered".
raccoon dog
(lat. Nyctereutes procyonoides) - a representative of the Canine family, the genus Raccoon dogs, a deliberately introduced and self-propagating species. The most preferred habitat for the raccoon dog is shrubby banks and floodplains, as well as low-lying meadows with wetlands.
The raccoon dog was brought to the Moscow region from the Far East in 1920-1930 to enrich the hunting fauna, here it successfully took root and settled.
Feral domestic dog
(lat. Canis lupus familiaris) - a representative of the Canine family, the genus Wolves, a subspecies of the Wolf. It lives in a wide variety of landscapes, preferring open ones.
Feral dogs are found everywhere in the Moscow region, for example, in the Losiny Ostrov park there are several packs of feral dogs of 10-15 individuals that hunt there not only small animals - squirrels, ermines, ferrets; on birds, and also destroy their nests, but also on large animals such as deer and wild boars. Feral dogs are believed to have completely wiped out the sika deer in this park over the past ten years.
They can pose a danger to humans and domestic ungulates. Especially dangerous are hybrids of feral dogs with wolves.
Badger
(lat. Meles meles) is a mammal from the Kunya family, the genus Badgers. Distributed sporadically throughout the Moscow region, in forests of all types, less often in open spaces in thickets of shrubs, providing many shelters. For burrowing, it often chooses places with soft soil and natural uneven terrain: ravines, beams, steep banks of reservoirs. Rare, however, in the Moscow region is a species of commercial animal for which hunting is allowed.
red fox
(lat. Vulpes vulpes) is a predatory mammal of the Canine family. In the Moscow region, it occurs everywhere in sparse forests, in thickets of shrubs, often within the city - in parks, forest belts, on the outskirts of settlements.
river otter
(lat. Lutra lutra) - the largest representative of the Cunya family of the Moscow region. Sporadic and rare. It lives along the banks of forest rivers littered with windbreak, less often - in lakes and ponds with areas that do not freeze in winter. .
ferret steppe
(lat. Mustela eversmanni) - a representative of the Kunya family, the genus Ferrets. It occurs in the south of the region in places with low herbage and compacted soil.
ferret forest
(lat. Mustela putorius) is a small predatory mammal of the Kunya family. In the Moscow region, it is found everywhere in small forests and individual groves.
pine marten
(lat. Martes martes) - a mammal of the genus Martens, the Kunya family. It lives in deciduous and mixed forests, can often be found in Moscow parks.
Stone marten
(lat. Martes foina) - a species of animals of the genus Martens, the Kunya family. It occurs in the south of the Moscow region in deciduous and mixed sparse forests, in fields, on the edges, in bushes.
mink american
(lat. Neovison vison) - a species of animals of the genus Ferrets, the Kunya family, an introduced species. In the Moscow region, it lives in the forest, less often in the forest-steppe natural zones, near flowing reservoirs with cluttered steep banks.
The American mink was brought to the territory of the Moscow region in the 1940s from North America, here it successfully took root, almost completely replacing the European mink.
European mink
(lat. Mustela lutreola) is a small predatory mammal of the Kunya family. It occurs in forests of all types, preferring to settle along valleys and banks of deaf forest rivers, near forest lakes, and in floodplain thickets of shrubs and reeds. The species is listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region in the category "Declining in numbers".
Ermine
(lat. Mustela erminea) is a mammal from the Kunya family, the genus Ferrets. The range covers forest-steppe, less often forest natural zones. Settle along river valleys, banks of streams, lakes, ponds, marshes, forest edges, copses, thorns and bushes, often near human habitation, hunting house mice and other synatropic rodents.
weasel
(lat. Mustela nivalis) - a representative of the Kunya family, the genus Ferrets. It lives throughout the region in various natural landscape zones, more often in fields, on the edges, in light forests, thickets of shrubs, and also near human habitation, hunting house mice and other synatropic rodents.
Order: Artiodactyls
Elk
(lat. Alces alces) - a species of animals from the Deer family, genus Elk. Distributed sporadically throughout the region, often enters suburban forests; in summer it prefers deciduous forests with tall grasses, in winter - young pine and spruce forests with dense undergrowth.
red deer
(lat. Cervus elaphus) - a representative of the Deer family, genus Real deer, reacclimatized species. Settles in forests of all types, preferring light broad-leaved, in places with spacious meadows and dense thickets of bushes.
The red deer was re-climatized (returned to life in this territory after extinction) in the 20th century, now its Siberian subspecies, the maral, also prevails in the Moscow region.
sika deer
(lat. Cervus nippon) - a representative of the Deer family, the genus Real deer, an introduced species. Prefers light broad-leaved forests in river valleys, places with spacious meadows and dense thickets of bushes.
Sika deer were brought to the Moscow region from the Far East in 1938, where they successfully took root and multiplied.
Siberian roe deer
(lat. Capreolus pygargus) is an artiodactyl mammal of the Deer family, an introduced species. It lives in the forest-steppe zone, preferring open places: meadows, floodplains, clearings, clearings, with thickets of shrubs, tall, dense grass.
Several individuals of the Siberian roe deer were brought to the Moscow region from Siberia in the 1950-60s, here they successfully took root and multiplied.
European roe deer
(lat. Capreolus capreolus) - a species of animals from the Deer family, genus Roe deer. It lives in the forest, less often in the forest-steppe natural zones, preferring sparse deciduous forests, thickets of shrubs.
Boar
(lat. Sus scrofa) - a representative of the Pigs family, the Boar genus. In the Moscow region, it occurs in moist deciduous forests with high grass, in swampy areas overgrown with reeds, in bushes.
Order: Insectivores
common mole
(lat. Talpa europaea) - a representative of the Mole family, the genus Ordinary moles. Distributed throughout the region, prefers sparse deciduous forests, copses, kolts, edges with dense herbs, meadows, fields, orchards, kitchen gardens and other biotopes with moderately moist loose soils.
European hedgehog and southern hedgehog
Insectivorous mammals from the Hedgehog family, the genus Eurasian hedgehogs. Morphologically similar. The first is distributed sporadically throughout the region in various natural landscape complexes, more often in sparse deciduous and mixed forests, copses, light forests, bush thickets, on the edges, the second is found in the south of the region, is common in the Istra region.
Russian muskrat
(lat. Desmana moschata) - a small insectivorous mole family. It occurs in the south-east of the region along floodplain reservoirs, high steep banks overgrown with aquatic vegetation. The species is listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region in the category "Endangered".
common shrew
(lat. Sorex araneus) - a mammal of the shrew genus, the most common representative of the Shrew family. The most preferred habitat for the common shrew is sparse forests, copses, thickets of bushes, thickets of tall grasses, and edges.
In addition to the common shrew, the following species and subspecies of the Shrew family live in the Moscow Region: the tiny Central Russian shrew, the small shrew, the even-toothed European shrew, the middle European shrew - from the genus Shrew; small shrew - from the genus Belozubki; common cutor - from the genus Kutora. Tiny shrew, even-toothed shrew and lesser shrew are listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region.
Order: Chiroptera
Two-tone leather
(lat. Vespertilio murinus) - a species of animals of the genus Bicolor leather. It lives in various open areas: on the outskirts of forests, on the edges, along the banks of rivers and lakes, on agricultural lands.
Wushan brown
(lat. Plecotus auritus) is a small mammal from the genus Ushany. It lives in various open areas: on the outskirts of forests, on the edges, along the banks of rivers and lakes, on agricultural lands.
Water bat
(lat. Myotis daubentonii) is a species of animals from the family Smooth-nosed bats, the genus Nocilla. Inhabits forest plantations near watercourses, such as lowland rivers and canals, hunting insects at dusk over water.
In addition to the water bat, the following species of smooth-nosed bats from the genus Nochnitsa live in the Moscow Region: Brandt's bat, Natterer's bat, Pond bat, Mustachioed bat. The Natterer's bat and the pond bat are listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region in the category "Uncertain by status".
Northern leather jacket
(lat. Eptesicus nilssonii) - a representative of the family Smooth-nosed bats, the genus Kozhany. It lives on the outskirts of forests, on the edges, along the banks of rivers and lakes, on small agricultural lands, in gardens. The species is listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region in the category "Uncertain by status".
Evening redhead
(lat. Nyctalus noctula) is a small mammal from the genus Vespers. Inhabits deciduous and mixed forests.
In addition to the red vespers, the following species of smooth-nosed bats from the genus Vespers live in the Moscow region: giant vespers and small vespers. Both species are listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region in the category "Rare" and "Uncertain by status", respectively..
Bat-dwarf
(lat. Pipistrellus pipistrellus) - a small bat from the genus Nedopyri. Prefers anthropogenic landscapes - parks, forest belts, rural settlements.
In addition to the dwarf bat, a morphologically similar forest bat (lat. Pipistrellus nathusii) lives on the territory of the Moscow Region. Found in deciduous and mixed forests.
Order: Lagomorphs
white hare
(lat. Lepus timidus) - a species of mammal from the genus Hares. Its subspecies lives in the Moscow region - the Central Russian hare. It prefers light forests, overgrown burnt areas and clearings, thickets of shrubs; in the forest-steppe it is found in birch groves, thickets of shrubs, reeds and tall dense grass.
hare
(lat. Lepus europaeus) - a species of animals of the Hare family, order Hare-like. Its subspecies lives in the Moscow region - the Central Russian hare. It lives everywhere in open spaces: clearings, burnt areas, edges, meadows, glades.
Order: Rodents
Beaver ordinary, or river
(lat. Castor fiber) - a representative of the Beaver family, the Beaver genus, a reacclimatized species. The most preferred habitat for are deciduous forests. Settle along the banks of slowly flowing rivers, oxbow lakes and lakes.
The river beaver in the Moscow region was completely exterminated in the 17-18 centuries. Its re-climatization began in the 40s of the last century, when several dozen individuals from Belarus were brought to the Moscow region to their former habitats, where they successfully settled down and settled.
Squirrel ordinary
(lat. Sciurus vulgaris) - a species of animals from the Squirrel family, genus Squirrels. Its subspecies lives in the Moscow region - the Central Russian squirrel. Distributed throughout the region, prefers pine forests, spruce forests and mixed forests.
flying squirrel
(lat. Pteromys volans) - a mammal of the genus Eurasian flying squirrels, the Squirrel family. It lives in the north-west of the region in deciduous, less often in mixed forests, preferring tall birch and aspen forests. The species is listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region in the category "Endangered".
In pine and mixed plantations near Zvenigorod there is a rather large population of flying squirrels of the northern subspecies that escaped from the enclosure of the Zvenigorod biological station.
Speckled ground squirrel
(lat. Spermophilus suslicus) - a species of animals from the Squirrel family, genus Gophers. It lives in the south of the region, on the flat landscapes of the Oksky right bank. The species is listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region in the category "Endangered".
dormouse
(Latin Glis glis) is an arboreal rodent, the largest species of the Soniaceae family. It lives in the south of the region on the right bank of the Oka in deciduous forests with dense undergrowth of berry bushes. The species is listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region in the category "Rare".
In addition to the dormouse dormouse, the following species from the Sonia family live in the Moscow region: forest dormouse, hazel dormouse, garden dormouse. Hazel dormouse is listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region in the category "Uncertain by status".
Large jerboa, or earthen hare
(lat. Allactaga major) is a small mammal of the Jerboa family. It occurs in the extreme south of the region, prefers open areas with sparse herbage in the steppe and southern part of the forest-steppe natural zones. The species is listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region in the category "Endangered".
Muskrat
(lat. Ondatra zibethicus) is a medium-sized semi-aquatic rodent from the Hamster family. The muskrat leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle, settles along the banks of rivers, lakes, canals, and especially willingly near freshwater swamps.
The homeland of the muskrat is North America, in the Moscow region the muskrat has acclimatized since 1929, here it successfully took root and settled.
Rat gray
(lat. Rattus norvegicus) - a representative of the Mouse family, the genus Rat. In nature, it lives along the banks of various reservoirs, however, most now prefer to settle where there are people nearby - in gardens, fields, garbage dumps, in human dwellings.
The black rat (lat. Rattus rattus) also lives on the territory of the Moscow region.
The primary range of the gray rat was in East Asia, currently the species is found on all continents of the world except Antarctica, polar and subpolar regions.
Hamster
(lat. Cricetus cricetus) - a species of animals from the Hamster family, the genus Real hamsters, the largest representative of the Hamster subfamily. It lives in forest and steppe natural zones, preferring the forest-steppe, settles in fields, meadows, on the edges, in bushes.
The gray hamster (lat. Cricetulus migratorius) from the subfamily Hamsters also lives on dry steppe areas in the south of the Moscow region.
water vole
(lat. Arvicola terrestris) - a representative of the Hamster family. Outwardly, for non-specialists, it resembles a rat, for which it is called the "water rat". It is found along rivers, streams and swamps, less often in meadows, fields, less common in wooded areas.
common vole
(lat. Microtus arvalis) is a species of animals of the genus Gray voles, of the Hamster family. It lives throughout the region in open areas with dense grass cover.
In addition to the common vole, several more closely related species of the Hamster family live in the Moscow region: the Eastern European vole, the underground vole, the bank vole, the dark vole, the housekeeper vole. The underground vole is listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region in the category "Uncertain by status".
field mouse
(lat. Apodemus agrarius) - a small rodent of the Mouse family. It lives in open biotopes - in meadows, edges, in thickets of shrubs, agricultural lands.
In addition to the field mouse, the following species of rodents of the Mouse family live in the Moscow region: house mouse, yellow-throated mouse, small forest mouse, baby mouse. The yellow-throated mouse is listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region in the category "Uncertain by status".
mouse forest
(lat. Sicista betulina) - a species of animals from the Mouse family, the Mouse genus. It lives in forest and forest-steppe natural zones. Settles in forests of all types, groves and thickets of bushes.
Birds
The way of life, habits and features of the biology of birds in the Moscow region have long been well studied. A curious and patient Internet user will find a lot of popular science and narrowly focused publications on this topic, so here we will not talk about birds “in general”, but only give lists.
The common kingfisher lives near small rivers preying on small fish and aquatic invertebrates.
In total, 301 species of birds are found in the Moscow region.
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Reptiles and amphibians
The reptile fauna is represented by six species - snakes: common snake, common viper, copperhead; lizards: brittle lizard, agile lizard, viviparous lizard. All of the listed species, except for the viviparous lizard, are listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region..
Common snake is one of the most common types of snakes in central Russia.
Of the amphibians, the common newt and the crested newt live in the region - from the order Tailed amphibians; lake frog, grass frog, moor frog, pond frog, edible frog, gray toad, green toad, common spadefoot, red-bellied toad - from the Tailless order. Crested newt, red-bellied toad, common spadefoot, green toad are listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region.
Fish
The ichthyofauna of the Moscow region is represented by 50 species of fish and one species of cyclostomes from 17 families, which differ in their habitat - river fish: char, dace, nine-spined stickleback, bream, stream lamprey, burbot, whitefin minnow, common minnow, common sculpin, sterlet, pike perch, river eel, common loach, ide; lake-river fish: white grass carp, black grass carp, white-eye, bersh, or Volga pike perch, common quicksand, round goby, zucic goby, common top, loach, gambusia, chub, common minnow, common bitterling, guppy, silver bream, ruff , asp, rudd, or roach, perch, peled, or cheese, common roach, common podust, ripus, rotan, or firebrand, carp, or common carp, blue bream, smelt, catfish, white silver carp, bleak, rainbow trout, European grayling , sabrefish, pike; lake fish: gold carp, silver carp, tench.
The common pike perch is a valuable commercial fish of the perch family.
White-eye, bersh, quicksand, brook lamprey, common sculpin, podust, blue bream, catfish, sterlet, European grayling, sabrefish are listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region.
Insects
A large group of invertebrates - insects, in the Moscow region has not yet been fully studied. Every year, entomologists discover dozens of species new to the Moscow region. Even a child knows the names of some species of insects living in the Moscow region, at the same time, many species are very rare and are known only from single finds.
The biological diversity of species living in the Moscow region is quite large, these are butterflies, fleas, stoneflies, lice, beetles, lacewings, bedbugs, mosquitoes, grasshoppers, bears, midges, ants, flies, riders, wasps, mayflies, bees, caddisflies, locusts, crickets, sialids, dragonflies, cockroaches, thrips, aphids, earwigs, mealybugs, silverfish, etc.
There are 60 species of dragonflies in the Moscow region.
It is difficult to name the total number of insect species in the region, it is estimated at 15-20 thousand, of which 2500 species are from the order Coleoptera, or beetles, 620 species from the order Lepidoptera, or butterflies, 74 species of bees and 41 species of ants, from the order Hymenoptera, 60 species from the order of dragonflies, 45 species from the order of Orthoptera (grasshoppers, locusts, crickets), 4 species of cockroaches from the order of cockroaches, etc.
Extinct or extinct animals
Completely extinct or disappeared from the territory of the modern Moscow region, animals that lived here (in relation to birds - stopped nesting) in the Quaternary period (during the Pleistocene and Holocene epochs).
mammals
The following representatives of modern mammalian fauna have disappeared from the territory of the Moscow Region (within its current borders) (habitat has been established according to historical data and fossil remains): wolverine (lat. Gulo gulo), arctic fox (lat. Vulpes lagopus), reindeer (lat. Rangifer tarandus ), Noble deer(lat. Cervus elaphus), musk ox, or musk bull (lat. Ovibos moschatus), european bison(lat. Bison bonasus), steppe marmot (lat. Marmota bobak), ungulate lemming(lat. Dicrostonyx torquatus), siberian lemming(lat. Lemmus cf. sibiricus), narrow-skulled vole(lat. Microtus gregalis).
As a result of human economic activity and intensive hunting in the historical period, the steppe tarpan (lat. Equus caballus gmelini), tour (lat. Bos taurus primigenius) died out.
In the prehistoric period, the cave hyena (lat. Crocuta crocuta spelaea), the cave lion (lat. Panthera leo spelaea), woolly mammoth(lat. Mammuthus primigenius), steppe mammoth, or Khazar elephant (lat. Mammuthus trogontherii), woolly rhinoceros(lat. Coelodonta antiquitatis), bighorn deer(lat. Megaloceros giganteus), northern saiga (lat. Saiga borealis), primitive bison(lat. Bison priscus), broad-toed horse(lat. Equus caballus latipes).
Birds
Over the past millennium (in the period from the 11th century AD to the 1950s inclusive), the following bird species have ceased to nest on the territory of the modern Moscow Region: black-throated loon(lat. Gavia arctica), black stork (lat. Ciconia nigra), gray goose (lat. Anser anser), serpent eagle (Circaetus gallicus), saker falcon (lat. Falco cherrug), garshnep (lat. Lymnocryptes minimus), kuksha (lat. Perisoreus infaustus) aquatic warbler(lat. Acrocephalus paludicola).
Cyclostomes and bony fishes
In the approximate period from 500 to 1950 AD, as a result of hydro construction and intensive fishing, ten representatives of modern ichthyofauna disappeared. These are mainly anadromous species rising to spawn from the Caspian Sea: Caspian lamprey(lat. Caspiomyzon wagneri), stellate sturgeon (lat. Acipenser stellatus), beluga (lat. Huso huso), Russian sturgeon (lat. Acipenser gueldenstaedtii), Kessler herring (lat. Alosa kessleri), white fish, or nelma (lat. Stenodus leucichthys ), Caspian salmon, or Caspian trout (lat. Salmo trutta caspius), kutum (lat. Rutilus frisii kutum); and residential freshwater populations: brook trout (lat. Salmo trutta trutta), common taimen(lat. Hucho taimen).
During the January holidays, my friend Anatoly Sidorov and his family rested in the garden. On a crystal frosty morning we got on our skis and into the snow-covered forest. Along a swept downy path, past fir trees dressed in outlandish overalls, stumps with tall sugar hoods, bizarre eversion, trying not to touch the birch trees hung with fluffy flakes, they get out to the edge. They cross the sparkling ravine to dive into the neighboring mysterious thicket. And then towards the hunting snowmobile. The huntsman stops the skiers and warns: “It’s better not to go into that forest. There, a wounded lynx roams ... "
It is known that a large predatory beast often causes clearly exaggerated fear. And then there's the wounded. Everything can be expected from an embittered, downtrodden and probably hungry underdog. No, it's better not to face him. Skiers immediately turned towards the field, to the Black River lying behind it.
I was not easily interested in this message - it puzzled me. Where did such a cautious lynx come from in our places? Yes, the forests are deaf, impenetrable. But for more than twenty years, since we settled here, I have never heard of a mighty forest cat, a thunderstorm of a hare and bird tribe. Here ferocious wolves almost every winter make themselves known. Either the dog will be dragged away, or the calf will be bullied. I met the menacing stitches of their imposing footprints both near the neighboring village and on the forest road.
Moreover, gray pirates visit here in the summer. Two years ago, in neighboring Gorki, they made a real commotion. In front of the cowgirl, they attacked the heifer and began to tear it. She was already dead. They also devastate hunting grounds, slaughter roe deer, wild boars, even seasoned elks.
But the appearance of a lynx is a mystery. Where did it come from? Maybe the huntsman was making a sly joke to scare noisy skiers away from the fishing area. There is no point in disturbing the game, leaving unnecessary traces in the reserve. Is it possible the appearance of a rare, "Red Book" animal for the Moscow region in our, in general, crowded, forest corner?
I called the regional management of the hunting economy, clarifying the situation. Head of Department Alexander Varnakov confirms that this is very possible. In the forests of the Moscow region, lynx is not such a rarity. Could wander from the neighboring Tver or Yaroslavl regions, which are not far from the Dmitrovsky district.
In my native Oleninsky forests and neighboring Belsky forests, lynx is very common. When hunting with the first powder for hare, marten, squirrel in dense thickets, we often met terrifyingly large tracks, the size of a good mug, larger than bears. Paw prints are round and insinuating, like those of a cat, winding through the thickets. Wandering, prowling forest robber in search of prey. It happened that we also stumbled upon traces of her feast - tufts of hare hair, grouse feathers, devastated capercaillie nests ... She usually hunts at night, and during the day she hides in windbreak rubble, which you can’t approach secretly.
Terribly handsome, majestically terrible, the mysterious lord of the wilds. Large, muscular, on high springy legs with broad hairy paws, a short, as if chopped off tail, it can weigh up to one and a half and even two pounds. A proud, portly head with luxurious sideburns is crowned with sharp ears with long tassels. In summer, the skin is brown, the color of falling leaves, and in winter it is lighter and more luxurious.
At the beginning of summer, the female brings two or three cubs, which she carefully nurses.
In the cold of winter, in its warm sheepskin coat, the beast can sit in ambush for hours, by the hare path, waiting for the nimble white. Overtaking the prey or leaving the pursuers, it makes huge jumps of incredible length. Superbly climbs trees, where it climbs in a moment of danger. But it usually hunts on the ground, more often, like all cats, at night, stealthily or from ambush. Favorite dish is the white hare, which lives in low forests and old forests. Small ungulates - musk deer, roe deer, and birds - hazel grouse, black grouse, capercaillie also fall into the clawed paws of a predator. Catches mice and other small animals.
And on hearing - frightening stories about the deceit and tough temper of the mistress of the forest wilderness. As a child, I heard more than once that even such a picture hung in the house - a bloodthirsty lynx attacked a mighty elk, biting into its withers with a death grip. The storytellers assured that a hungry predator jumps on the neck of the elk and, hiding behind its horns, otherwise it will throw it off, smash it against a tree, gnaw it until the giant collapses.
Impressive, to say the least, the scene. But experienced hunters do not remember this, they believe that this is idle luxury. The elk bogatyr can only be knocked down by wolves, and even then, if they attack in a pack, they will be driven into deep crusty snow. Leaving the chase, the elk breaks through the hard crust, with its sharp edges it peels off the legs, which begin to bleed. And this only whets the appetite of his fanged pursuers, who, without fail, attack their prey. And if the beast does not go to the forest clearing, to the soft snow, the matter ends in a bloody denouement.
The lynx is also afraid of gray pirates, fleeing from them in the trees. The lynx does not attack people at all, except that it is wounded, driven. True, there are cases when starvation drives the beast out of the forest, and he comes to housing, he can grab a gaping dog.
No doubt, the lynx is often an unwanted guest in the hunting grounds, sometimes causing very significant damage to game game. Now, you look, he will crush a bunny, then he will bite a roe deer, then he will grab a hazel grouse or a black grouse. But this is what has long been noted: a sick, exhausted animal or bird most often gets on the tooth of a predator. In these cases, the "murderer" is a very useful orderly, helping to improve the health of forest animals. And since there are few lynxes in the forests near Moscow, the harm is negligible. The point, experts say, is to carefully regulate their numbers.
I remember the only meeting in my poor hunting practice with a mysterious forest cat. It happened near Olenin, in a dense Tatiev forest. On one of the last, already in the spring gentle days of February, in the evening I made my way to the Plutovsky moss, to the capercaillie currents. He walked leisurely along a barely noticeable clearing-visor, along a crunchy crust, slashed with hare stitches, bypassing all sorts of blockages.
Twilight has already begun to reduce the forest into one dark wall, when you can clearly distinguish a single tree only close up. Near a fallen aspen, the gnawed skeleton of which blocked my way, I stopped, wondering how best to get around this whitening skeleton. And here it is very close - terrible in the forest silence! - there is noise and crackling. I see how, a little ahead, from a crooked, sprawling pine, leaning to the side of the clearing, something huge, light-sided breaks down and is carried away into the thicket. I catch a glimpse of the fluffy body, long legs and pointed ears with tassels. A lynx! .. Apparently, it was lying in wait for white squirrels that were fattening near a fallen aspen.
Feverishly I pluck the double-barreled shotgun from my shoulder and cock the hammers. But the beast, like a shaky shadow, was already flickering somewhere behind the fallen trees ... My father, an experienced hunter, correctly instructed me: “Walking through the dense forest, look up and see if the lynx is hiding?” Until the very marsh, I did not let go of the gun from my hands and looked “upward”.
During the day, wandering through the swamp, where a strong crust still held, met grouse feathers, stumbled upon an old ruined nest. A hardened predator was operating, perhaps a lynx frightened by me. Here, apparently, her original patrimony. On the way back, near a gnawed aspen and a crooked pine, I stop and greedily examine the giant prints of shaggy bast shoes that have blurred from the warmth, almost the size of a saucer ...
Returning home, I tell my father about the meeting with the lynx, and he told his nephew Ivan Suvorov, who successfully hunted. Dad himself could not go into the forest, from morning till night he was busy in the collective farm forge, and Ivan followed my trail the very next day. With traps and a decoy that extracts the cry of a wounded hare. I don’t remember whether I went alone or with a partner and a dog, but only a day later I returned with a shot lynx. In nature, the formidable cat seemed to me much smaller than at a twilight meeting in the clearing. But it was good, impressive! Lush sideburns, luxurious fur, springy legs, wide feet. And unique tassels on the ears. As a sign of gratitude, the hunter gave me a shiny and sharp claw, like an awl. He bent his index finger - almost the same size.
“I wish they could find the cubs and teach them to hunt. Belyachkov would be taken easily. Yes, and home security would be what you need, - the getter dreamed. “Only they, they say, are not tamed at all ...”
Or maybe it's good that they are not tamed, they do not become domestic kitties. A graceful mighty savage is most beautiful in the wild, in the forest element.
Mikhail Kostin
The Red Book of the Moscow Region is an official document that describes in detail all the rare and endangered animals, plants and fungi of the Moscow Region. People cut down forests and destroy nature, forgetting about our smaller brothers. Just a little bit more, and many animals listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region will disappear from these lands forever. But it's not too late to change your mind and try to save them. We offer you an overview of the most interesting and remarkable animals listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region.
Small Vespers
This creature is a rare and little-studied species. It belongs to the order of bats and is a representative of the only flying mammals in the world. Small Vespers inhabits Her favorite places are parks and forests near Moscow. Animals of the Red Book of the Moscow Region are not included in it by chance, and the small evening is no exception.
The main threat to the population of this species of bats is the inevitable reduction in their permanent habitats (forests) and the felling of hollow trees in order to expand the territories of the Moscow region. The number of this species of chiropteran mammals living in this area is extremely small. Currently, they can be found only in the south of the region.
lynx
The lynx is perhaps the northernmost member of the wild cat family. In the Moscow region, it can be found in the deaf and heavily cluttered coniferous forests. As the researchers found out, the common lynx in the Moscow region is directly related to the dynamics of the number of white hares. It is understandable: white hares are the main food of these cats.
The population of these animals is also affected by an increase in the reaction load on the forests near Moscow, their fragmentation for the purpose of suburban developments. The survival of lynxes in this region is becoming increasingly difficult due to the decrease in the number of ungulates, which are a minor source of their food. Not to mention the constant poaching.
Brown bear
In the Moscow region, they inhabit sparsely populated places in remote and vast forests. They do not enter their lairs until December, and wake up in March-April. they mostly prefer a sedentary lifestyle, i.e. live in the same forest, pine forest. The living conditions of these animals are deteriorating due to deforestation for summer cottages on the periphery of the region. The increase in off-road transport in the forest zone also plays a significant role.
White stork
Animals of the Red Book of the Moscow Region are not limited to terrestrial representatives of the fauna. Currently, those whose element is the sky, i.e. are under the threat of extinction. birds. The most striking representative of the birds listed in this book is From time immemorial, close proximity to humans has given these creatures certain advantages over other large birds. But all good things come to an end.
Unfortunately, various territorial wars and the associated destruction of certain settlements in the central region of the country quite painfully hit the population of these birds. Currently, white storks are animals of the Red Book of the Moscow Region. Hunters and poachers destroy their nests, destroying both adult birds and their offspring. Fortunately, most of the inhabitants of the Moscow region still treat these beautiful creatures with care and understanding.
black kite
This is a small species of birds of prey living in the Moscow region. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the black kite was one of the most popular species of birds of prey in this region, but at the beginning of the last century, the number of these creatures began to inevitably decline. And all because of the increasing factor of cutting down nesting trees, and also because of the decrease in the amount of the main food of kites - river fish.
Black kites, like white storks, are animals of the Red Book of the Moscow Region. Since 1978 they have been under special protection. Some nesting groups of these birds live in the territories of special reserves of regional significance, for example, in the Shakhovsky, Lukhovitsky and Taldomsky districts of the Moscow region.
lynx lynx
Lynx, Eurasian lynx, common lynx - a species of mammals from the lynx genus.
The Eurasian lynx is the largest of all lynxes, with a body length of 80-130 cm and 70 cm at the withers. Males often weigh from 18-30 kg, females weigh an average of 18 kg. The body, like all lynxes, is short and dense. The paws are large, well pubescent in winter, which allows the lynx to walk on the snow without falling through. There are long tassels on the ears. The tail is short, as if chopped off.
There are many variants of the color of the lynx, depending on the geographical area - from reddish-brown to fawn-smoky, with more or less pronounced spotting on the back, sides and legs. On the belly, the hair is especially long and soft, but not thick and almost always pure white with a sparse speck. The southern forms are usually more rufous, have shorter coats, and smaller paws.
The track of a lynx is typically feline, without claw marks. When walking, she puts her hind paw in the footprint of her front paw. If there are several trots, then the rear steps exactly in the wake of the front ones.
The Eurasian lynx is the northernmost of the cat species; in Scandinavia, it is found even beyond the Arctic Circle. It was once very common throughout Europe, but by the middle of the 20th century it had been exterminated in most countries of Central and Western Europe. Successful attempts have now been made to revive the lynx population.
The lynx prefers dense dark coniferous forests, taiga, although it is found in a variety of stands, including mountain forests; sometimes enters the forest-steppe and forest-tundra. She climbs trees and rocks perfectly, swims well.
With an abundance of food, the lynx lives settled, with a shortage, it roams. It can travel up to 30 kilometers per day. The basis of her diet is hares. It also constantly hunts grouse birds, small rodents, less often small ungulates, such as roe deer, musk deer, spotted and reindeer, occasionally attacks domestic cats and dogs, and in the forest - foxes, raccoon dogs and other medium-sized animals. Foxes destroy especially decisively and viciously, even when there is no particular need for this.
The lynx hunts at dusk. Contrary to popular belief, she never jumps on her prey from a tree, but prefers to lie in wait for game in an ambush or hide, and then attack with large, up to 4 m, jumps. The victim is pursued at a distance of no more than 60-80 m, after which it exhales.
With all caution, the lynx is not very afraid of people. She lives in the secondary forests created by them, in young forests, in old cutting areas and burnt areas; and in troubled years it enters villages and even large cities.
The rut of the lynx is in February - March, and at this time the lynxes, usually silent, make loud cries, rumbling and meowing. Pregnancy in females lasts 63-70 days. There are usually 2-3 lynxes in a brood; their refuge is a lair under the twisted roots of a fallen tree, a pit, an earthen cave or a crevice of rocks. Both parents are involved in raising kittens. The brood hunts with the adults until the next breeding season. Females reach puberty at 21 months, males at 33 months. Life expectancy is probably 15-20 years.
Population status of the Eurasian lynx in different countries:
Balkan Peninsula: Several dozen lynxes in Serbia, Macedonia, Albania and Greece.
Germany: Exterminated by 1850 In the 1990s repopulated in the Bavarian Forest and the Harz.
Carpathians: 2200 lynx from the Czech Republic to Romania; the largest population besides the Russian one.
Poland: About 1000 lynxes in Belovezhskaya Pushcha and Tatras.
Russia: 90% of the Eurasian lynx population lives in Siberia. Although lynxes are found from the western borders of the Russian Federation to Sakhalin.
Scandinavia: ok. 2500 lynxes in Norway, Sweden and Finland.
France: Exterminated c. 1900 Settled in the Vosges and Pyrenees.
Switzerland: Exterminated by 1915, repopulated in 1971. From here they migrated to Austria and Slovenia.
Central Asia: China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Transcaucasia: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia.
The commercial value of the lynx is small (fur is used). Like many predators, it plays an important breeding role in forest biocenoses. Only in hunting farms where roe deer, spotted deer, pheasants are bred, its presence is undesirable.
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LYNX
lynx lynx Linnaeus, 1758 [ Felis lynx L.]
Squad Carnivora - Carnivora
Felidae family - Felidae
Spreading
Forests and mountains of Eurasia, with the exception of Southern Europe (1). At the end of XIX - beginning of XX centuries. the species constantly lived in the northern and eastern suburbs of Moscow (2–5), but in the 1990s. was regularly recorded only on the territory of the State complex "Zavidovo" and in the Shatursky district, occasionally also entering the border regions of Mozhaisk, Shakhovskoy, Lotoshinsky, Taldomsky districts. In the 2000s the area of distribution has expanded somewhat. The species was regularly recorded and, apparently, bred in the west of the Shakhovsky and Mozhaysky districts (6–9); in Dmitrovsky, in the west of Odintsovsky, in the north of Naro-Fominsky (11) and in Istra (12) districts.
Number and trends of its change
The dynamics of the lynx population in the Moscow region is apparently associated with the dynamics of the abundance of the hare and decreases 2–4 years after the fall in the abundance of the latter. In the mid-1980s, against the background of the maximum number of hare, from 26 to 51 lynxes were counted (10); following a significant decline in the number of hare in the late 1980s - early 1990s. there was a significant decrease in livestock (12 animals in 1994) (11). In 2000–2003 with the increase in the number of hare, the number of lynx increased to about 30 individuals (13).
Features of biology and ecology
Prefers dense old-growth forests with lots of deadwood. The hunting grounds (20–250 km2) are more or less constant; however, when there is a shortage of food, the species is able to make long and extended migrations. The basis of food is hare, to a lesser extent - roe deer, young wild boars, black grouse, rodents. There are 1–4, more often 2–3 cubs in a litter (14–16).
Limiting factors
Increased recreational load on Moscow region forests, their fragmentation as a result of intensive dacha development. A decrease in the number of wild ungulates, which makes it difficult for lynxes to survive during periods of low numbers of mountain hare. Poaching, a factor of concern, an increase in the number of stray dogs.
Conservation Measures Taken
Trade is restricted in accordance with the CITES convention (Appendix II). The species is listed in the Red Books of all adjacent regions, except for Smolensk and Tver. It has been under special protection in the Moscow region since 1978 (17). Habitats are protected in the State Complex "Zavidovo" and three regional reserves.
Prevention of forest fragmentation in lynx habitats. Preservation of ecological corridors connecting large areas of forests. Strict restriction on the allocation of summer cottages in the border areas of the region. Strengthening the fight against poaching.