What animals inhabit coniferous forests. Flora and vegetation of coniferous forests. Russian forest orderlies

Their home, in which they live, hide and eat, breed. The forest is their protector.

Elk

Forest animals feel confident in their habitat. They are comfortable in the forest, despite the fact that there are dangers here, but each species has adapted to defend itself and hide.

The adornment of the forest community is the elk, belonging to the Deer family. Individual specimens reach a length of up to three and a half meters, and a height of up to two meters. The weight of such an animal can reach 500 kilograms. Agree, these are impressive parameters. It is very interesting to watch such a giant that silently moves through the forest.

He is very strong and, oddly enough, swims and dives remarkably. In addition, he has a fine ear and a good flair. Imagine that an elk can jump over a four-meter hole or a two-meter obstacle without a run. This is not possible for every animal.

It lives exclusively in forests. In other areas, it can be found only during spring migrations. At such a time, you can encounter him in the fields, sometimes he even enters the villages. Moose feeds on shoots of pine, mountain ash, aspen, buckthorn, bird cherry, willow. It also eats herbaceous plants, mushrooms, moss, berries. Forest animals are forced to look for food in winter. And it's not always easy for them to find it. Sometimes moose are very harmful by eating young pine forests and forest plantations. This happens only in winter, when food is very tight, and a decent number of individuals are concentrated in a relatively small area.

However, forestries are trying to carry out biotechnical measures in order to create comfortable and satisfying conditions for these wonderful animals to live.

forest animal bear

The most famous forest dweller. He is an indispensable hero of most folk tales. And he always acts as a good character. However, it should be noted that bears are predatory animals of the forest thicket.

They can rightfully be called the masters of the forest. The bear has a powerful body, but at the same time small eyes and ears are enough. At the withers, he has a hump, which is nothing but muscles that give him the ability to deliver very strong blows. The bear's tail is quite small, about twenty centimeters. He is practically invisible in his thick shaggy coat. The color of the animal varies from light brown to almost black. Of course, the most typical color is brown.

The animal has very powerful paws. Each has five fingers. The claws on the paws of the beast reach ten centimeters in length.

Territory of the brown bear

These majestic forest animals previously lived in vast areas. Now their range has narrowed significantly. Currently, they are found in Finland and Scandinavia, sometimes in the forests of Central Europe and, of course, in the taiga and tundra in Russia.

The size and body weight of bears entirely depend on their habitat. The weight of animals living in Russia does not exceed 120 kilograms. However, Far Eastern bears are much larger. Their weight reaches 750 kilograms.

Their favorite habitat is impenetrable forest areas littered with windfalls or places with dense thickets of shrubs and trees. However, they also love rough terrain, and therefore they can be found both in the tundra and in high mountain forests.

What does a predator eat?

I must say that the bear eats almost everything that you can only eat. Most of his diet is plant foods: herbs, mushrooms, berries, nuts. When an animal does not have enough food, it can eat insects and larvae, rodents, reptiles and even carrion. Large representatives can afford to hunt ungulates. It is only at first glance that these forest animals seem very clumsy. In fact, bears, chasing prey, show miracles of dexterity. They are capable of speeds up to 55 kilometers per hour.

Bears also love to eat fish. By autumn, they eat off and twenty percent gain weight.

Winter hibernation of bears

However, the life of forest animals in winter changes a lot. Bears spend half of the year in their shelter-den, hibernating. They choose a place for their home in the most inaccessible places. As a rule, they make a winter rookery under the huge roots of broken fir trees, in rock crevices, in the rubble after windbreaks. They line the inside of their house with dry moss and grass. Bears sleep quite sensitively. If disturbed, he may well wake up, and then be forced to look for a new cozy place to sleep.

When there are very hungry years and the bear cannot gain enough fat reserves, he does not fall asleep. The animal simply wanders in search of food. Such a bear is called a rod. During this period, he becomes very aggressive and is able to attack even a person.

The mating season for bears is in May and June. It is usually accompanied by a strong roar and fights between competing males.

After mating, the bear cubs appear after about six months. They are born in a den. As a rule, two babies weighing up to half a kilogram are born. By the time the couple leaves the den, the offspring have reached the size of a dog and are already beginning to feed along with the adults.

The cubs live with their mother for a couple of years. They reach sexual maturity at three to four years. In general, bears live in the wild for up to thirty years.

Wolf

Forest animals are always associated with predators. One of their representatives is the wolf. There are a huge number of them in our country. Since ancient times, they have been actively fighting, since they cause significant damage to the household.

It is widely believed that the wolf is a forest animal. However, this is not quite true. Many of them live in the tundra, They prefer open spaces. And people are forcing them to go into the forests, leading an active struggle with them.

Outwardly, the wolf looks like a large large dog. He has a powerful physique. The length of his body reaches up to 1.5 meters. Weight ranges from 30 to 45 kilograms. Females are usually smaller than males.

Wolves have strong and hardy paws. They are long distance runners. In general, this is a highly organized animal and also very smart. Looking at each other, wolves exchange information.

This animal has a well-developed hearing, excellent sense of smell and vision. The wolf receives all information about the surrounding world through the sense of smell. He is able to distinguish the tracks of forest animals by smell many hours after they left them. In general, it is difficult for us to imagine the variety of smells that a wolf is able to distinguish.

The habits of wolves

Wolves are very strong and hardy animals. They develop speed in pursuit of prey up to 60 kilometers. And on the roll, this value rises to 80.

In summer, wolves live in pairs and raise their offspring strictly on their territory. By winter, young individuals, together with older ones, gather in groups and lead a vagrant lifestyle. Wolves, like all forest animals, change their way of life in winter.

Usually a pack consists of ten wolves, which are representatives of one family. Sometimes several flocks can unite into one larger one. This is possible in a severe snow season or in the presence of very large prey.

What do wolves eat?

Since the wolf is a predator, meat is the basis of its diet. Although sometimes the animal can try and plant food. The wolf hunts absolutely any animal that will be within its power. If he has enough game, then he will not come to look into the villages of people. Wolves are very intelligent and understand the full degree of risk.

In the forest, this animal preys on almost all the inhabitants, from elk to chipmunk and vole. Of course, his favorite prey, depending on the habitat, is the red deer, roe deer. However, the wolf will not disdain the fox, raccoon, rat, ferret, piglet, hare. The hunting habits of wolves are varied. They can wait for their prey in ambush, or they can drive it for a long time. And their collective hunting is generally a complex well-coordinated mechanism, where everyone understands each other without words.

Very prudently, they drive their prey into the water in a flock. The wolf is a large predator, but he knows how to catch fish, frogs, mice, and also loves to destroy bird nests.

But not always only forest animals and birds become the prey of a predator. There is not enough game in the populated areas, and therefore, in the harsh winter months, when it becomes very difficult to survive, the wolves stay closer to the villages and begin to rob. Sheep, dog, pig, horse, cow, goose can become their prey. In general, any living creature that a predator can only get to. Even one individual is capable of inflicting great damage in one night.

Fox

Forest animals for children are rather fairy-tale characters. And the fox is generally the heroine of many children's fairy tales. However, as a fabulous person, she is endowed with those features that are inherent in her in real life. The fox is both beautiful and cunning. She has a long fluffy tail and a sly narrow muzzle, small eyes. This predator is really slender and graceful, in size it is commensurate with a small dog. It weighs six to ten kilograms.

We are accustomed to the fact that from childhood we call the red fox. And this is fair. But in life she has a white belly or grayish. The back and sides are colored differently: from light gray to bright red. As a rule, northern foxes have a bright color. And more faded - those that live in the forest-steppe. Silver fox fur is considered the most beautiful and expensive. Such foxes have long been bred on special farms, since they are extremely rare in wildlife. And among people, their fur is especially popular for beauty.

In summer, the animal looks a little awkward due to the fact that the coat during this period becomes short and stiff. But by the fall, a beautiful winter coat grows at the fox. The predator molts only once a year - in the spring.

The habits of a cunning fox

There is a fox not only in the forest, but also in the tundra, mountains, steppes, swamps, and even near human habitation. She remarkably knows how to adapt to any conditions, but still loves more open spaces. She does not like the deaf taiga.

In life, as in fairy tales, the fox is very fast and agile. She runs very briskly, easily catches insects flying past. As a rule, she moves at a leisurely trot. Periodically stops, looks around, looks around. Lisa is very careful. When she sneaks up on prey, she crawls quietly on her belly, almost merging with the ground. But it runs away from pursuit with large and sharp jumps, skillfully confusing the tracks.

In fox behavior, you can see downright fabulous episodes. People invented them for a reason. All stories are taken from real life. Foxes are really cunning predators who are smart about hunting. Rather, they take prey not by force, but by seduction. No other animal is called by its patronymic. And the fox's name is Patrikeevna. Why?

Once upon a time there was such a prince, named Patrikey. He became famous for his cunning and resourcefulness. Since then, the very name Patrickey has been associated with cunning people. The fox has long been known among the people as a cheat, which is why she was dubbed Patrikeevna.

Who do foxes hunt?

Foxes are very active animals. In winter, its tangled footprints are clearly visible in the snow. You can immediately see where the cheat was hunting. It is generally accepted that foxes feed on hares. But this is a big misconception. She is not able to catch up with such a fast prey. Of course, if she stumbles upon defenseless rabbits somewhere, she will certainly take the opportunity. Therefore, hares are a very rare dish in her diet. She just can't keep up with them.

Foxes feed on various insects, birds and animals. But the basis of their menu are rodents. Predators remarkably exterminate voles. In addition, they are able to fish in shallow water. Sometimes animals eat berries.

Hares

The forest life of animals is very interesting to study. All representatives of the animal world are very different, some run away, others hunt. Earlier we looked at some predators. And now let's talk about the brightest representative of the forests. Of course, about the hare.

Hares, as in fairy tales, are long-eared, with short tails. Their hind legs are much longer and more powerful than the front ones. In winter, it is clearly visible on the snow that the prints of the hind paws are ahead of the front ones. This is due to the fact that they bring them forward while running.

These animals feed on food that does not attract others at all, for example, bark, young shoots and branches, grass.

Many fairy tales have been written about forest animals, but the hare has always been a favorite hero. In real life, when escaping from the chase, he is cunning and tries to confuse the tracks, jumping one way or the other, just like in children's stories. He is able to run at a speed of 50 kilometers per hour. Not every predator will keep up with such fast prey. In general, in the arsenal of hares there are many ways to get away from persecution. These are such cunning forest dwellers. Animals can both run away and defend themselves, and in each case they use the most optimal tactics - their instinct is so developed.

But it is not so much their cunning that saves the hares, as they take with their numbers. They have four or five litters annually. In each of which there can be from two to five rabbits.

The whites are the most famous. They weigh up to seven and a half kilograms and reach a length of 70 centimeters. Their main difference is the color of the fur. Rusaks do not change their color in winter. But in summer, these varieties are much more difficult to distinguish.

In general, hares are characterized by a sedentary life. Of course, they jump through fields and meadows, moving away at fairly large distances. But then they return to their habitat. Very rarely they can migrate. This happens only in especially cold and snowy winters.

Who else lives in the forest?

We have listed only the most famous animals, since it is difficult to pay attention to all forest dwellers within the framework of the article. There are actually a lot of them: wild boars, badgers, hedgehogs, moles, mice, squirrels, chipmunks, sables, martens, raccoons, deer, roe deer, lynxes ... As they say, from small to large. All of them are very different and interesting. In addition, it would be unfair not to mention the birds, which also live quite a lot in our forests.

forest birds

Not only forest animals are diverse, photos of some of which are given in the article, but also birds. The winged world is no less interesting. They live in the forests of a huge number of species. Here you can meet: woodpeckers, larks, robins, oriole, crossbill, nightingale, oatmeal, magpie, duck, wagtail, swift and many others.

coniferous forest animals

The mammals that inhabit these places are mostly herbivorous and live on a diet of moss, pine needles, bark and cones. Insectivorous birds are rare compared to those that feed on the seeds and buds of conifers. Forest fires are infrequent in these places, and usually occur in the spring, when there is little sap in the trees. At this time, vast areas can be devastated.

coniferous forest animals

There are fewer water bodies in the taiga than in the tundra. There are also fewer waterfowl here. And duck-gogol, characteristic of coniferous forests, nests in hollows. The snow in the forest is even, loose, shallow, from under it you can get a wintered berry or cedar cone. Therefore, many taiga birds - capercaillie, woodpeckers, crossbills, nutcrackers, etc. - do not fly far for the winter, but roam from place to place within the zone.

• Predators - lynx and wolverine - cause great damage to the taiga inhabitants. Their prey is often not only large birds and hares, but also such animals as roe deer and musk deer. Extremely cautious, these insidious predators hunt at night and at dawn, waiting for prey in ambush on the trails.

coniferous forest animals

Before the arrival of man, the bear was considered the master of the taiga: in Eurasia - brown, in North America - grizzly. And now even travelers who spent the night in the taiga wilderness often joke: “Here Uncle Misha will come to check documents ...” The bear moves well through the impassable taiga, quickly climbs trees. In the northern regions, the brown bear hibernates for the winter. But he sleeps very sensitively and, if he is awakened, leaves the lair.

• The taiga is rich in fur-bearing animals. Squirrels and sables, Siberian weasel and ermine, hare and marten are found here. Many valuable game birds - hazel grouse, capercaillie, black grouse.

Even in the last century, huge wild bulls - bison lived in a significant number in the broad-leaved forests of Europe. They inhabited the forest regions of Central Europe and northwestern Russia. Predatory hunting and wars led to their almost complete extermination. Huge work has been done in our country to restore the number of bison. Purebred bison are kept and successfully breed in the reserves of Belovezhskaya Pushcha and Prioksko-Terrasny. Now the number of bison in the USSR has increased significantly. Bison feed on grasses, buds, leaves and bark of deciduous trees.

Animals of mixed and broad-leaved forests

River beavers were also found earlier in the zone of broad-leaved forests. The fur of these animals is extremely highly valued, so they have long served as an object of intensive hunting and at the beginning of the 20th century. were almost completely destroyed. Now in our country these animals are protected by law. Work is underway to resettle them. Beavers live on quiet forest rivers, the banks of which are densely overgrown with deciduous trees. They feed on tree shoots and bark, and from branches they build their dwellings - huts, from trunks and branches - dams, which block the riverbed, arranging artificial backwaters. The size of the huts is different. They serve the beavers for many years, are annually repaired, completed and sometimes reach enormous sizes. So, in the Voronezh Reserve there is a hut, the height of which is 2.5 m, and the diameter of the base is 12 m. But usually they are smaller: 1-1.5 m high and 3 m in diameter.

Animals of mixed and broad-leaved forests

The sparse forest, tall grass glades and bushes are the favorite habitats of the red deer and roe deer. The pine marten is one of the most valuable fur-bearing animals. She arranges her nests at high altitude in hollows. More often than other animals, squirrels suffer from this predator. The marten's nocturnal lifestyle gives it huge advantages in hunting squirrels, since the squirrel is a diurnal animal and sleeps soundly in its nest at night. It is not difficult for a marten to capture her sleeping. Having reached the squirrel's nest, the marten looks for an inlet, which the squirrel closes from the inside with a cork made of some soft material, and, bursting into the nest, grabs the sleeping hostess. The marten also eats plant foods: fruits, berries. She loves honey very much. Having found a nest of wild bees, the marten sometimes lives near it for a long time; often several martens gather at the nest.

The fauna of the mixed forest is represented by many species of animals, birds and insects. Some of the original wild animals: hedgehogs, foxes, hares and wild boars - even live in groves adjacent to villages and cities inhabited by people. Squirrels, snakes, moles, wild birds are often found within settlements, in city parks and squares.

Artiodactyls live in coniferous-deciduous forests: elk, bison, red deer, roe deer. There are also predators, such as bear, wolf, ferret, badger, marten and others. The rivers and reservoirs located in the zone of mixed forests are characterized by their own fauna. So, on river banks remote from human attention, beavers build huts, water rats, desmans and even otters live. The world of birds in this area is even more diverse.

The wild boar is a large, strong animal with short legs and a strong stocky body. It is the ancestor of the domestic pig. They are similar in body structure and are omnivores. Boars are covered with dark bristly hair. The cubs are lighter in color and have stripes on the sides and back. Boars do not see well, but they can move quickly, guided by a well-developed sense of smell and hearing. They live in herds of adult males and females with piglets. Old male billhooks keep apart. Usually these animals are nocturnal, resting during the day in secluded places.

With the proper level of affection and attention, even a wild boar will behave like a man's best friend. On one of the islands of the Bahamas, a 12-year-old boar named Baby lives. 9 years ago he was tamed by two locals.

The common fox is one of the predators of the mixed forest. The length of the lean body, together with the fluffy tail, reaches 1.5 m. The foxes have an elongated pointed muzzle and triangular ears. The color of the coat is usually red in various shades. Cheeks, chest, abdomen and tail tip are white. Animals are especially beautiful in winter, with more fluffy and warm fur.

The common badger lives in the forests of Europe and Asia, up to the Far East. An adult weighs up to 25 kg. The body reaches 0.9 m, and the tail is 0.24 m in length. The color of the body is brownish-gray, to the paws - blackish. White and black stripes on the muzzle. The badger is a nocturnal animal. Its diet includes animal food (worms, frogs, insects) and edible roots. Lives in self-digging burrows. It hibernates for the winter.

The common hedgehog is an insectivorous mammal. Has poor eyesight, but excellent sense of smell and hearing. The back of the animal is densely covered with needles 2 cm long, usually gray with transverse dark stripes. Protecting itself from danger, the hedgehog curls up into a ball of needles. Prefers areas with dense grass cover and undergrowth. It hibernates and breeds young in burrows.

Animal that in the summer fish and berries to accumulate fat for a long winter hibernation. With the advent of snow, he goes into a den until spring.

Another inhabitant of these places is the lynx, the so-called forest cat, leading a nocturnal lifestyle. She preys on small predators, birds and hares. When the seasons change, the color of the lynx's coat also changes, which allows it to be invisible. In summer, it has a light brown color with dark spots, and is white. The lynx easily climbs trees, well. It feeds on hares, small rodents, birds, foxes, deer, and often eats sick and weak animals.

The forest giant is popularly called the elk. It eats lichens and moss, eats branches of young trees and bushes. In winter, he rests in the recesses, hiding his legs under a warm belly. Elk prefers young forests and dense thickets near water bodies and swamps, since he is quite dexterous and is able to overcome even marshy swamps.

Herbivorous representatives of the fauna feed on mushrooms, berries, cone seeds, grass, leaves and branches of trees and shrubs.

Deer are quite quiet, at dawn and at sunset they eat grass on the lawns. However, during the mating season, they become cocky and dangerous, arranging duels in the fight for females.

The fox is a typical representative of the coniferous forest fauna. She is a predator and feeds on small rodents. Another large predator and relative of the fox is the wolf. He hunts both for small rodents and birds, and for large prey - elks, wild boars, he also eats carrion.

Medium and small animals

A typical representative of the coniferous forest fauna is a squirrel. It is gray in winter and reddish in summer. She arranges a nest in a hollow or on branches, closer to the trunk. The squirrel lines the nest with dry blades of grass, leaves, lichen, moss and wool. There she hibernates, eating stocks harvested in the fall. There are usually one or two entrances in the nest, which the squirrel closes with lichen or its own tail in frost.

In general, animals that live in coniferous forests are darker in color and have thicker fur. The birds also have a soft coloration and a layer of down that keeps them warm.

Hares feed on twigs and bark of birch, aspen, hazel, oak, maple, as well as dried grass. During the day they hide in secluded places - near stumps, trunks, in the bushes. When frost comes, hares dig deep holes for themselves. They sleep with their eyes open. Wide strong paws allow the animal to easily move in the forest, including in the snow, and escape from predators.

Various species of the marten family are well adapted to life in the taiga. These are martens, sables, weasels, minks, wolverines, ermines, etc.

Among the small animals inhabiting coniferous forests are lemmings, voles, chipmunks, hedgehogs and others. Among reptiles there are lizards, snakes, vipers.

It will not be about the marten as such, but about all representatives of the marten family, which includes: marten, sable, ermine, weasel, mink, otter, ferret. Because of their skins, these taiga animals are the most sought after for hunting. Their meat is not eaten, it is given only to dogs, and only their fur has a price. Martens have complex behavior and paw motor skills developed at the level of a three-year-old child. They love to do gymnastics. Marten cubs spend almost all the time in games. During games, they make coos. Martens live up to 20 years. They feed on rodents, small birds and bird eggs. During the hunt, the marten breaks the vertebrae of the neck of the victim, rolls the tongue into a tube and drinks blood from the still living victim.

Sable is active at dusk, at night, but often hunts during the day. An individual sable hunting area is from 150-200 ha to 1500-2000 ha, sometimes more. The boundaries of the individual site are marked with the secretion of the anal glands. Willingly feeds on plant foods. Favorite food - pine nuts, mountain ash, blueberries. Willingly eats the berries of lingonberries, blueberries, bird cherry, wild rose, currants. Nesting shelters - in the hollows of fallen and standing trees, in stone placers, under the roots.

Hunting for mustelids is the main activity of professional hunters-traders. They hunt with the help of various traps, mainly sacks, dies, and traps. Often they use a bait - in the form of a dead bird, for example.

Hare

Most often, in the northern forests, populations of the hare predominate, and the European hare, the European hare, is very rare. The hare differs from its northern counterpart in that it does not change the color of its fur in winter.

Normally, white hare lead a solitary territorial way of life, occupying individual plots of 3–30 ha. In most of its range, it is a sedentary animal, and its movements are limited by the seasonal change of foraging grounds. Seasonal migrations to forests are characteristic in autumn and winter; in spring - to open places where the first grass appears.

Predominantly crepuscular and nocturnal forest animal. Most active in the early morning and evening hours. Usually feeding (greasing) begins at sunset and ends at dawn, but in summer there is not enough night time, and hares feed in the morning. Herbivorous forest animal. In summer, in the tundra, hares, escaping from midges, switch to day food. In thaw, snowfall and rainy weather, the hare often does not go out to feed at all. On such days, the loss of energy is partially replenished by coprophagia (eating excrement). In winter, in severe frosts, the hare digs holes in the snow 0.5-1.5 m long, in which it can spend the whole day and leave only in case of danger. When digging a hole, the white hare compacts the snow, and does not throw it out.

From the place of laying to the place of feeding, hares run along the same route, especially in winter. At the same time, they tread paths that are usually used by several animals. In winter, even a person without skis can walk along a well-trodden path. Going to the bed, the hare usually moves in long jumps and confuses the tracks, making the so-called. “doubles” (returns on your own trail) and “sweeps” (large jumps away from the trail).

Wolverine

A very cunning and arrogant beast. Leads a solitary life. Quite bold in his behavior and, at the same time, very cautious. It is not easy to meet him in the forest. The wolverine makes its lair under twisted roots, in rock crevices and other secluded places, and goes out to feed at dusk. Unlike most mustelids, leading a sedentary lifestyle, the wolverine constantly roams in search of prey in its individual area, which occupies up to 1500-2000 sq. km. Thanks to powerful paws, long claws and a tail that plays the role of a balancer, the wolverine easily climbs trees. It has sharp eyesight, hearing and smell. It makes sounds similar to fox yapping, but more rough.

Wolverine with partridge caught		wolverine cubs

The wolverine is omnivorous, does not disdain to eat carrion, and also likes to eat leftovers after a meal of larger taiga animals, for example, a bear. It mainly hunts hare, black grouse, hazel grouse, partridge, rodents. Sometimes it preys on larger animals, such as moose calves, wounded or sick animals. Often ruins the winter quarters of hunters and steals prey from traps. In summer it eats bird eggs, wasp larvae, berries and honey. It catches fish - near polynyas or during spawning, willingly picks up dead fish. It hunts birds, grabbing them on the ground when they sleep or sit on nests. He is an orderly, destroying weak and sick animals. May attack humans if cornered.

Wolverines, like lynxes, are well tamed animals; in captivity they live up to 17 years, in the wild - about 12.

Beaver

Another animal of the forest, lives everywhere. Habitat - river floodplains. The beaver is a large rodent adapted to a semi-aquatic lifestyle. The beaver has beautiful fur, which consists of coarse guard hairs and a very thick silky underfur. Fur color - from light chestnut to dark brown, sometimes black. The tail and limbs are black. It is an object of commercial hunting, primarily because of the fur, borba meat is also eaten. In the anal region there are paired glands, wen and the beaver stream itself, which secretes a strongly smelling secret.

The smell of a beaver stream serves as a guide to other beavers about the border of the territory of a beaver settlement; it is unique, like fingerprints. The secret of wen, used in conjunction with the jet, allows you to keep the beaver mark in a “working” state longer due to the oily structure, which evaporates much longer than the secret of the beaver stream. As a result of intensive hunting, by the beginning of the 20th century, the beaver was practically exterminated in most of its range.

Beavers live alone or in families. A complete family consists of 5-8 individuals: a married couple and young beavers - offspring of the past and current years. A family plot is sometimes occupied by a family for many generations. A small reservoir is occupied by one family or a single beaver. In larger water bodies, the length of the family plot along the coast ranges from 0.3 to 2.9 km. Beavers rarely move more than 200 m from water. Beavers communicate with each other using odorous marks, postures, tail strikes on the water and whistle-like calls. In danger, a swimming beaver slaps its tail loudly on the water and dives. The clap serves as an alarm to all beavers within earshot. Beavers are active at night and at dusk.

Beavers live in burrows or huts. The entrance to the beaver's dwelling is always under water for safety. Beavers burrow in steep and steep banks; they are a complex labyrinth with 4-5 entrances. The walls and ceiling of the burrow are carefully leveled and compacted. The living chamber inside the burrow is arranged at a depth of no more than 1 m. The width of the living chamber is a little more than a meter, and the height is 40-50 centimeters. Huts are built in places where burrowing is impossible - on gentle and low marshy shores and on shallows.

Beavers are strictly herbivorous. They feed on bark and shoots of trees, preferring aspen, willow, poplar and birch, as well as various herbaceous plants.

Muskrat

Here is someone who, and the muskrat is indeed the rarest animal in the taiga. It is on the verge of extinction, listed in the Red Book of Russia. It is almost impossible to meet her on the banks of taiga reservoirs. It is found mainly in the southern taiga and mixed forests of Europe. Relatively large animal: body 18 - 22 cm long, tail - the same, weight up to 520 g. Desmans are practically blind, but have a developed sense of smell and touch. Most often they prefer to settle in closed floodplain reservoirs. For most of the year, the animals live in burrows with one exit. The exit is underwater. The main part of the course is located above the water level.

In summer, desmans live alone, in pairs or in families, and in winter up to 12-13 animals of different sex and age can live in one hole. Each animal has temporarily visited burrows located at a distance of 25-30 m from one another. Such a distance the muskrat swims along the connecting trench for the normal period of its stay under water - for 1 minute. On the earth's surface, the muskrat cannot move quickly and becomes a victim of predators.

The desman in Russia was brought to the brink of extinction by such factors as cutting down floodplain forests, pollution of water bodies where animals live, drainage of floodplain lands, which worsens conditions for foraging and protection, the construction of dams and dams, as well as building on the banks of reservoirs, the creation of reservoirs, grazing near water bodies.

At present, the desman can be preserved thanks to special methods and non-traditional organizational forms, namely, the creation of specialized hunting farms, the main principle of which is the rational use and protection of these animals. Natural factors negatively affecting its population include long winter floods and high floods.

Squirrel

One of the cutest animals in the northern forests. It looks completely toy, the squirrel attracts the attention of children. The squirrel is not dangerous to humans, except that it can scratch if it feels a danger to offspring. One of the well-known distinguishing features of many squirrels is their ability to store nuts for the winter. Some species bury nuts in the ground, while others hide them in hollow trees. Scientists believe that the poor memory of some species of squirrels, in particular gray squirrels, helps preserve forests, as they bury nuts in the ground and forget about them, and new trees appear from germinated seeds. The squirrel is a source of valuable fur. It is an object of commercial hunting. The skin of a squirrel costs between 50 and 100 rubles.

Unlike hares or deer, squirrels are not able to absorb fiber and therefore mainly feed on vegetation rich in proteins, carbohydrates and fats. The most difficult time for squirrels is early spring, when buried seeds begin to germinate and can no longer serve as food, and new ones have not yet ripened. Despite popular belief, squirrels are omnivorous: in addition to nuts, seeds, fruits, mushrooms, and green vegetation, they also eat insects, eggs, and even small birds, mammals, and frogs. Very often this food replaces nuts for squirrels in tropical countries.

Squirrels often sharpen their teeth on tree branches, but are unable to distinguish branches from electrical wires. In the US, squirrels have driven the NASDAQ High Tech Index down twice in history and caused a cascading power outage at the University of Alabama.

Squirrel meat can be eaten if you get protein in loops while surviving in the taiga. In the old days, the natives of the Northern Urals, the Mansi people, shot squirrels directly in the eye with a small-caliber rifle - in order not to spoil the skin.

Chipmunk

Another rodent resembling a squirrel, and not in vain reminiscent, because chipmunks and squirrels are from the same family. Depending on the species, the weight of chipmunks can be from 30 to 120 g, and the size can be from 5 to 15 cm with a tail length of 7 to 12 cm. A distinctive feature of all species are five dark stripes along the back, separated by white or gray stripes. A chipmunk, like a squirrel, is a tree dweller. In open places and in a clean tall forest without undergrowth of young growth and shrubs, he never lives. Chipmunk especially loves places littered with windbreak and deadwood, where it is convenient to hide.

Gnawing a nut		Chipmunk

For the winter, chipmunks do not fall asleep as soundly as, for example, ground squirrels or marmots. They wake up in the middle of winter, refresh themselves a little, and then go back to sleep. Chipmunks are very fond of warm and clear weather, and in early spring, when it is still quite cool, they are not at all what we are used to seeing them on good summer days. Usually cheerful, frisky and mobile, the animals in the first days of spring spend only two or three hours a day in the air and do not stray far from their minks, but, climbing tree branches, eat buds somewhere nearby. Sluggish and inactive, at this time they like to climb to the tops of still bare trees and quietly sit there for hours, basking in the rays of the spring sun.

When a person approaches, a chipmunk emits a jerky "poking" or whistle. While the person is still far away, this whistle is heard relatively rarely and alternates with a long silence, and the animal sits on its hind legs and carefully examines the approaching one. Only after letting a person or his dog approach him by 20-30 steps, the chipmunk rushes to run. On the run, he already often repeats the alarm signal so that from a distance you can tell by the whistle whether the chipmunk is sitting still or running. The chipmunk has many enemies, mainly among small predatory animals and birds of prey. But sometimes it is pursued by such large predators as a bear.

Hedgehog

Also a very funny representative of the animal world of the forest. The common hedgehog inhabits a wide variety of places, avoiding vast swamps and solid coniferous tracts. Prefers edges, copses, small glades, floodplains. He may well live next to a person. The common hedgehog is an animal active at night. He does not like to leave his house for a long time. Hedgehogs spend the day in the nest or other shelters. Nests are built in bushes, pits, caves, abandoned rodent burrows, or in tree roots. With the help of long middle toes, hedgehogs tend to their spines. Animals lick their breasts with their tongues. In nature, these animals live 3 - 5 years, in captivity they can live up to 8 - 10 years.

Common hedgehogs are fairly fast animals for their size. They are able to run at speeds up to 3 m / s, they are good at swimming and jumping.

Hedgehogs are omnivorous, the basis of their diet is adult insects, caterpillars, slugs, and sometimes earthworms. Under natural conditions, it rarely attacks vertebrates; most often, numb reptiles and amphibians become victims of the hedgehog. Plants can eat berries and fruits.

A hedgehog can be a carrier of diseases such as ringworm, yellow fever, salmonellosis, leptospirosis, and rabies. They are infested with ticks and fleas. In forest lands, hedgehogs collect ticks, including encephalitic ones, more than any other animals, since their prickly cover, like a brush, combs hungry ticks from the grass. From ticks that have climbed between the needles, the hedgehog is not able to get rid of.

Many strong poisons have an unusually weak effect on hedgehogs: arsenic, sublimate, opium, and even hydrocyanic acid. They are fairly resistant to viper venom. The widespread belief that hedgehogs prick food on their needles is erroneous.

Harvest mouse

More often, mice dig deep holes in which they build nests from grass. Depending on the species, mice can be active during the day or at night. They feed on roots, seeds, berries, nuts, and insects. They can be carriers of tick-borne encephalitis, tularemia, rickettsiosis, Q fever and other diseases. The meat is edible.