Message about animals for children. Animals of the Red Book of Russia. Chinese river dolphin

The variety of living forms includes our planet. To date, a lot of them have already died out, it is very difficult to count them. Special attention they give beautiful animals, they are loved by children, they are shown on TV, they can be found in the zoo, or read in a book. But there are animals on earth that are very difficult to meet. These rare species are hidden from human eyes. The alerts that reach us indicate that these animals are endangered, or on the verge of extinction. Who are they, the rarest animals on the planet?

Baiji river dolphin

This mammal lives only on the Yangtze River. Many confuse it with the Chinese white dolphin, but they are very different. Baiji is considered officially dead. Researchers in 2006 tried to find at least one in the river, but failed. But, a year later, a certain photographer was able to capture these river animals. How many of them are left is not known. But even if they are not extinct, there are very few of them left.

Pinta Island Turtle

On the island of Pinta, a lot of turtles lived. But a local fisherman brought goats in 1958 to feed his family. And after 10 years, there were a lot of goats, and they ate all the vegetation, depriving the turtles of food. The Pinta Island tortoises can be considered an extinct species. Now this turtle can only be admired in the photo. The last living of this species is named Lonesome George. This turtle is a hundred years old, it has become a living symbol Galapagos Islands. For a very long time they were in search of a female for George, but the search did not give anything. Genus Galapagos tortoises interrupted.

All that's left for today. Javan stands out among them with its rarity. He close relative Indian rhinoceros, but much smaller. These species once inhabited South-East Asia. But human hunting for these animals has put this species at risk of extinction. Today there are less than 60 left.

Who is the real okapi? Zebra? Giraffe? In fact, it is the only species of its kind. She is similar in physique, and her limbs are colored like a striped zebra. They have wool Brown color, with reddish hues. But at the same time, the neck and legs are long, but not as long as those of a giraffe. Okapi are found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They live in dense tropical forests. It is impossible to count the number of okapis, as they are timid and wary of humans. But with deforestation, the species became on the verge of extinction.

To date, the existence of this species is in danger. There are two areas of residence on the island of Grenada, one in the southwest of the island, and the second in west coast. Per recent times Grenadian pigeons decreased by 50%. After Hurricane Ivan hit Grenada, the pigeon population dropped dramatically.

blue macaw

Most rare view parrots. Its weight is 400 grams, and its length is 57 cm. Macaws live in Brazil. They settle in palm groves, on plains with tall trees or in thorny bushes. Unfortunately, this species is considered extinct. They cannot be seen in wild nature. The last male was seen in 2000. The reason for the death of macaws in nature was the capture of birds, cutting down trees. To preserve this species, they began to breed in captivity.

Sailboat of Queen Alexandra

The province of Ora is home to the world's largest butterfly, the Queen Alexandra Sailboat, which has a wingspan of up to 30 cm. It is considered a very rare butterfly. They are on the verge of extinction.

Far Eastern leopard

The largest subspecies of leopards from the cat family. Dwells in Primorsky Territories Khasan region. It is under the threat of extinction. There are only 37 left in the wild. Leopard hunting has been banned since 1956.

Florida cougar

This animal is on the verge of extinction due to human extermination. The settlers sought to protect their horses by sending dogs to cougars. Several cougars are located within the Everglades National Park. The cougar is protected in parts of Florida. But there are very few of these animals left, it is unlikely that when not be, we will be able to see them.

Dolgopyatov can be found on the islands of Southeast Asia. They live in Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines. But these primates are not found there in large quantities. The growth of tarsiers is from 9 to 16 cm. At the same time, their legs are twice as long as their bodies. They have very interesting eyes that are the size of their own brains. These animals are very jumpy. They pounce on the victim and bite through the skull with their sharp teeth. Tarsier breeding is in a deplorable state. Even a person cannot influence, since tarsiers do not breed in captivity.

Among tigers, this is the rarest species of albino representatives. The color in tigers is caused by a recessive gene. The golden tiger can only be found in captivity. These tigers are native to Bengal. They are relatives of the Amur variety. The golden tiger, like the white one, is genetically contaminated with the genes of the Amur white tiger Tony. To date, in zoos, in captivity, there are about 30 animals with this coloration.

Seychelles white-tailed bat

These mice live in Seychelles, can be found in Madagascar. The islands are home to bats. Animals are at risk of extinction. Once upon a time there were a lot of these winged ones, but when a person changes them natural environment, was markedly displayed in mice. About a hundred individuals remained in their habitat.

World Animal Day, designed to unite the efforts of people in the conservation of the animal world of our planet and in the protection of the rights of domestic animals, is celebrated on October 4th. Every day, dozens of representatives of flora and fauna disappear on Earth. One of the ways to fight for the conservation of biodiversity on our planet is the protection of rare and endangered species of plants and animals.

Snow leopard (irbis)- rare, rare species. In the Red Book of the Russian Federation, he was assigned the first category - "a species that is endangered at the limit of its range." Total population snow leopard in Russia, according to WWF experts ( World Fund wildlife), is no more than 80-100 individuals.

Amur tiger- one of the rarest predators on the planet, the largest tiger in the world, the only representative of the species living in the snow. The Amur tiger is listed in the International Red Book; in Russia, these animals live only in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories. According to the latest census, the population rare beast in the Russian Federation there are about 450 individuals.

Far Eastern leopard- a subspecies of leopards of the class of mammals, the order of carnivores, the cat family. This is one of the most rare representatives cat families in the world. Many experts consider the Far Eastern leopard the most beautiful subspecies of leopards and often compare it with the snow leopard. The south of Primorsky Krai is the only habitat of the Far Eastern leopard in Russia. According to the latest census, about 50 leopards currently live in the Ussuri taiga. Scientists in many countries and WWF are concerned about the conservation of an endangered species.

Manul- a rare predator of the steppes and semi-steppes of Eurasia - is listed in the international and Russian Red Books. This wild cat has a status close to threatened. According to scientists, the number of animals is declining. In addition, it is threatened by poachers, there is a threat of the disappearance of suitable habitats. The northernmost habitat of this animal is located in Russia, here the manul is found mainly in the mountain-steppe and desert-steppe landscapes of the southeast of the Altai Republic, in the republics of Tuva, Buryatia, and also in the southeastern part of the Trans-Baikal Territory.

komodo dragon- a species of lizard from the monitor lizard family, the largest lizard in the world fauna. According to one hypothesis, it was the monitor lizards of the Indonesian island of Komodo that served as the prototype of the Chinese dragon: an adult Varanus Komodoensis can exceed three meters in length and weigh more than one and a half centners. This one large lizard on Earth, which kills a deer with one blow of the tail, is found only in Indonesia and is among the endangered species of animals.

Over the past 20 years, the number Sumatran rhinos decreased by about 50% - due to poaching and deforestation of tropical forests. Currently, only about 200 representatives of this species live in Southeast Asia. In total, five species of rhinos are known in the world: three in South and Southeast Asia and two in Africa. All species of rhinos are listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. WWF reported in October this year that one species of rhinoceros, the Javan rhinoceros, had been completely wiped out in Vietnam.

Loggerhead- view sea ​​turtles, the only representative of the loggerhead genus, or loggerhead sea turtles. This species is distributed in the waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, in the Mediterranean Sea, the loggerhead can be found on Far East(Peter the Great Bay) and in the Barents Sea (near Murmansk). The meat of this turtle was considered far from being the most delicious, only local tribes eat it, but its eggs were a delicacy. Their unlimited collection has led to a very serious decline in the number of this species of turtles over the past 50-100 years. This species of tortoise is listed in the Convention on international trade species of wild flora and fauna and in the Red Book, protected by the laws of Cyprus, Greece, USA, Italy.

sea ​​otter, or sea ​​otter , - predatory marine mammal family of mustelids, a species close to otters. The sea otter has a number of unique features of adaptation to the marine environment, and is also one of the few non-primate animals that use tools. Sea otters live on the northern shores Pacific Ocean in Russia, Japan, USA and Canada. AT XVIII-XIX centuries sea ​​otters, because of their valuable fur, were subjected to predatory extermination, as a result of which the species was on the verge of extinction. In the twentieth century, sea otters were listed in the Red Book of the USSR, as well as in the security documents of other countries. As of 2009, sea otter hunting is virtually banned in all regions of the world. It is allowed to hunt sea otters only to the indigenous population of Alaska - the Aleuts and Eskimos, and only to maintain folk crafts and food rations that have historically developed in this region.

bison is the heaviest and largest land mammals on the European continent and the last European representative wild bulls. Its length is 330 cm, the height at the withers is up to two meters, and the weight reaches one ton. The destruction of forests, the growing density of human settlements and intensive hunting in the 17th and XVIII centuries exterminated bison in almost all European countries. At the beginning of the 19th century wild bison remained, apparently, only in two regions: in the Caucasus and in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. The number of animals was about 500 and decreased over the course of a century, despite the protection Russian authorities. In 1921, as a result of anarchy during and after the First World War, bison were finally destroyed by poachers. As a result of the purposeful activity of many specialists, as of December 31, 1997, there were 1096 bison in captivity (zoos, nurseries and other reserves) in the world, and 1829 individuals in free populations. The IUCN Red List refers this species to the category of vulnerable, on the territory of Russia the Red Book (1998) put the bison in category 1 - endangered.

african wild dog, or, as it is also called, hyena-like, was once ubiquitous in African steppes and savannahs south of the Sahara - from southern Algeria and Sudan to the extreme southern tip of the continent. The hyena-like dog is included in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature as a small species that is endangered.

Florida cougar, along with the rest of its subspecies, is listed in the International Red Book. Hunting for it is prohibited, in addition, the animal is included in Appendix II of the CITES Convention, which regulates the trade in rare species of animals. Previously, the cougar inhabited territories in the south of North America, as well as Central and South America up to Chile. At the same time, a separate population existed in Florida. In the 60s of the last century, due to shooting and development natural areas the number of Florida cougars has decreased to 20-30 individuals. Thanks to conservation efforts, these small wild cats with characteristic long paws the population is currently 100-160 individuals.

California condor- a very rare species of birds from the family of American vultures. The California condor was once distributed throughout the North American continent. In 1987, when the last free-living condor was caught, they total number was 27 individuals. However, thanks to good breeding in captivity, since 1992 they again began to be released. As of November 2010, there were 381 condors, including 192 birds in the wild.

orangutans- representatives of trees great apes, one of the closest human relatives. Unfortunately, orangutans are endangered in the wild, mainly due to ongoing habitat destruction. Despite the creation national parks deforestation continues. Another major threat is poaching.

Last wild Przewalski's horses disappeared from nature in the 1960s, by that time they remained only in the desert regions of Dzungaria - on the border of China and Mongolia. But a thousand or more years ago, these animals were widespread in steppe zone Eurasia. Currently, there are only about two thousand individuals kept in zoos in the world. About 300-400 more horses live in the steppes of Mongolia and China, also originating from animals from zoos.

gray whale listed in the Red Book Russian Federation. Whales live in the North Pacific Ocean, making regular seasonal migrations. These marine animals are champions in terms of range of movement: a whale swims an average of 16 thousand kilometers per year. At the same time, the whale is rather slow-moving, its usual speed is 7-10 kilometers per hour. According to zoologists, the maximum recorded lifespan for a gray whale was 67 years.

Nature in danger

In the old oak forest they began to graze cows and goats. Soon the birds that nested in the bushes and grass left it. As a result, it began to proliferate gypsy moth. He quickly ate the leaves on the trees, and the mighty oaks withered.

Wolves were dealt with in the Crimean Reserve. Soon, the threat of extinction loomed over the forests: the goats that bred ate young trees.

To protect against hares, the plantings were surrounded by hedges - it became even worse. Not only hares, but also badgers and hedgehogs could not get behind the fence. Under these conditions, mice bred, they destroyed young plantings.

Our planet is Earth.

How did the Earth come about? Many billions of years ago, a gigantic cloud appeared in our Galaxy, which consisted of dust, solid pieces and gas (the hypothesis of O. Yu. Schmidt). In the course of the development of the cloud, densifications appeared in it, from which a group of stars arose. One of these stars was our Sun. It quickly moved away from its group and carried away most dust and gas. From these substances, the planets of ours were later formed. solar system, including the Earth.

He was the first!

Schmidt Otto Yulievich (1891 - 1956)

Tiger, lion, panther... These wild animals are considered the most dangerous and most attractive at the same time. Domestic cats are also members of this family. They were tamed over 5,000 years ago, sometimes adored, sometimes persecuted ... But the gracefulness of cats won the hearts of people.

Origin.

The cat was not always the way we know it. Its history goes very far into the past, about 40 million years. It was then that representatives of the cat appeared.

Ancestors of cats.

The ancestors of the cat inhabited the Earth long before the appearance of man. The first prehistoric Proaelurus cats were small predators with an elongated body and a sharp muzzle. Their way of life was close to the way of life modern cats, but when moving, they relied on the entire foot, and not just on the toes, like modern cats. Twenty million years later, more than large predators- Pseudaelurus, which stepped exclusively on the tips of their paws.

These flexible and agile creatures are direct relatives of modern cats.

Taming.

Cats have not always lived in contact with humans. They converged more than 2,500 years ago in the Middle East, when the first settled peoples began to work the land. Becoming a farmer, a person began to store surplus grain for the winter. These heaps of grain naturally attracted a large number of rodents. Attracted by their favorite prey, wild cats also began to appear near the dwelling of a person. The peasants were happy with them, as the cats protected their supplies from rodents. They were even allowed to enter houses where it was warmer. So, living close to humans, cats gradually became pets.

Smilidon, the most famous representative prehistoric feline - Saber-toothed tiger- had fangs 15 centimeters long.

"Cat" in all languages

In Nubia in northeast Africa, kitties were called kadis. Apparently, it was from this word that the Russian "cat" came from, and the name of cats in many other languages. In English, "cat" is "kat", in German - "ketze", in the Berber language - "kadisk". But in some languages, the name of the cat comes from the sound "meow". In Chinese, a cat is called - "mao", in Egyptian - "au", (In more ancient Vesia - "miu"), in the Mayan language - "miz".

Here are just a few of the amazing creatures that inhabit the prairie.

Mantis.

Invertebrate.

Body length: up to 15 cm.

Weight: approx. 20 g.

Habitat: Europe.

The praying mantis is the only insect able to turn his head 180 degrees and look behind him. Its color is green or brown. Mantid food consists of insects and small vertebrates such as frogs or lizards.

Bunny jumper.

Mammal.

Body length: 27 - 40 cm.

Weight: 3 - 4 kg.

Lifespan: 13 years in captivity.

Hare the jumper looks like a small kangaroo because of its long erect ears and fluffy tail. The tail rises when running, but at the same time serves as a support for the hare when he sits down. This rodent leading night image life, can jump to a height of up to 2 meters! In addition to plants, it also feeds on locusts, flying insects and other invertebrates.

Saiga.

Mammal.

Height: 1 - 1.4 m.

Weight: 30 - 70 kg.

Lifespan: 10 years.

Habitat: Asia.

The saiga antelope lives in arid steppes and feeds exclusively on plants. The coat of the saiga is beige on the back, lighter on the belly. Only males have horns. The saiga has a large, recurved nose with two downward-pointing nostrils, which it needs in order to better suck in air and regulate body temperature. This animal is very mobile and can run at speeds up to 80 km/h!

Photo taken from the Internet. The article is taken from the book.

The prairies are long, open, flat areas of North America and the steppes of Europe and Central Asia. There is plenty of plant food, but few places to hide. local fauna very diverse: various mammals, underground animals, reptiles live here.

Coyote.

Mammal.

Body length: 70 - 97 cm.

Weight: 9 - 16 kg

Habitat: from Alaska to Costa Rica.

The name "coyote" in the Aztec language means " barking dog". Thanks to his exceptional hearing and sense of smell, he can smell rodents even under the snow. A coyote happens to sit in ambush for a long time, waiting for an otter to catch a fish, in order to then steal it! Coyotes can run at a speed of 65 km / h for a distance of 400 meters.

Mississippi alligator.

Reptile. Body length: 2, 80 - 5 meters.

Weight: 200 - 225 kg.

Lifespan: 50 years.

Location: Florida.

The difference between an alligator and a crocodile is that its lower fourth tooth enters the upper jaw. A great hunter, the alligator feeds on birds as well as mammals.

Nandu.

Bird.

Height: 1.7 meters.

Weight: 100 - 120 kg.

Lifespan: 15 years.

Habitat: South America.

Nandu is a real running champion, his stride length is 1.5 meters! He lives at an altitude of up to 4000 meters on the high plateaus of the Andes. The name "nandu" comes from the specific cry of this bird: "nan - du, nan - du!"

Steppe falcon.

Bird.

Height: 25 - 60 cm.

Weight: from 110 g to 2 kg.

Lifespan: 15 years.

Habitat: Europe, Asia, North America, Africa and Oceania.

Steppe hawks are stocky and powerful birds of prey with pointed wings and a rather short tail. These veteran hunters usually twirl their prey (especially birds) on the fly. They show the wonders of flight aerobatics, reaching speeds of up to 160 km/h!

Field lark.

Bird.

Height: 18 - 19 cm.

Weight: 45 g.

Lifespan: 12 years.

Habitat: all continents.

The skylark is prized for its continuous flying song, which begins when the bird soars vertically into the sky. Modest plumage with brown stripes allows the skylark to hide easily. Northern populations of larks migrate south in winter.

American bison.

Mammal.

Height: 2.1 - 3.5 meters.

Weight: 350 - 1000 kg.

Life expectancy: 18 - 22 years.

Habitat: USA and Canada.

Although american bison stocky, he is very frisky. It can reach speeds up to 60 km/h. The bison is a ruminant, feeding on grass and plants. His hearing and sense of smell allow him to easily smell danger. A thick coat protects from the cold. Despite measures being taken to conserve this species, the wild bison is virtually extinct today. It is found only in a few national parks, while in the XlX century its number was estimated at 50 million individuals.

Pink flamingo.

Bird.

Height: 1.25 - 1.5 meters.

Weight: 3 - 4 kg.

Lifespan: up to 25 years.

Habitat: Mediterranean, South and West Africa, Asia Minor.

Pink flamingos can easily move in the water on their long legs in search of food. By the way, he owes his pink color to the pigments that are in his food, consisting, for example, of small crustaceans. The pink flamingo is a migratory bird.

Photo taken from the Internet. Article taken from the book.

A man first hunted a horse, then he was able to domesticate it through long and patient taming. Over time, the horse became a devoted companion for him throughout his life. This swift and courageous animal was first used to lead military operations, and also when traveling long distances.

The very first relatives of the horse appeared on Earth long before man. They were called EOGIPPUS. The morphology of this animal underwent a deep evolution, and eventually the horse turned into an animal domesticated by man and his devoted ally - both during war and in peacetime.

Photo taken from the Internet. The article is taken from the book.

Abelia grandiflora.

Honeysuckle family. Genus abelia.

natural climatic conditions: subtropics.

Semi-evergreen shrub, reaching a height of up to 2 m; Leaves are shiny, ovoid, relatively small (up to 3 cm long), dark Green colour; white, bell-shaped flowers strong smell collected in an inflorescence panicle at the ends of the shoots. Blooms from October to June.

Moisture Requirement: unpretentious.

Temperature regime: There are no special requirements, it normally tolerates coolness.

Light mode: prefers moderate lighting.

Soil requirements: prefers a soil mixture of soddy soil, humus, peat and sand in a ratio of 1: 1: 1: 1, but in general is also unpretentious.

Reproduction: seeds and green cuttings (spring).

Features: an adult plant is large and takes up quite a lot of space in the room.

Abutilon (room maple)

Malvaceae family.

Natural habitat: tropics and humid subtropics, homeland - mainly South America, but in nature it can be found

An adult dog needs to be taken for a walk at least twice a day - in the morning and in the evening, a puppy much more often - after sleep and after each feeding. If the owner does not have such an opportunity, then he will have to spend quite a lot of time and effort to teach the puppy to go to a specially designated place.

In the twentieth century, scientists discovered more than 50 known species animals, in the same century, about 100 known species disappeared from the face of the Earth. Only mammals have decreased by 25 species over the past 50 years. And people are to blame for this.

They mercilessly destroyed and continue to destroy rare animals. And that's just small list of those representatives of the fauna that are on the verge of complete extinction.

bison

Mammals are the heaviest and largest in Europe. These are the last European representatives of wild bulls. Previously, bison lived in mixed and deciduous forests Central, Western and South-Eastern Europe, Transcaucasia, Caucasus and Northern Iran. However, due to the ruthless hunting of animals by people, as well as the drainage of swamps and deforestation, the "home" of bison practically ceased to exist. By 1927, there were only 48 specimens of powerful animals in the world.

Scientists were concerned about the rapid disappearance of bison and identified small areas of the forest where animals could live and breed freely. As a result, there are now about 3 thousand individuals in the world, about 100 are kept in captivity.

helmeted cassowary

It is a large flightless bird. As a rule, an adult grows up to 1.5 meters in length and weighs approximately 80 kilograms. Cassowaries live in tropical forests in northeastern Australia and New Guinea. However, the place of residence of a giant bird is quickly mastered by a person.

Reduces the number of livestock wild dogs and pigs, they eat chicks and bird eggs. Now the population of helmeted cassowaries is only 1.5 thousand individuals.

Gavial

The rarest and rather bizarre crocodile in the world. Due to the constant reduction of gharial habitats and the destruction of fish stocks, by 1970 there were almost no individuals left. But India has developed programs to artificial breeding rare crocodiles. This helped to increase the number of gharials to 1.5 thousand. But even now this rare animal in the world continues to die.

Crocodiles become entangled in fishing nets and their eggs continue to be collected for medicinal purposes. Males are hunted for the growths on their nose, which are considered excellent aphrodisiacs.

Giant panda

The animal is known all over the world, because it is giant panda drawn on the emblem of the World Wildlife Fund. But the popularity of these cute bears does not help to escape from extinction. The panda holdings in South Asia have dwindled to just a few small plantations. Moreover, they are all isolated, that is, isolated from each other. Now there are only 1200 individuals in the world.

Snow Leopard

The most beautiful cat once lived in the mountains Central Asia. It looks like a white leopard, but is much smaller and has a long and fluffy tail. Now the snow leopard is rarely seen in the wild, as they are secretive predators. Moreover, the snow leopard is considered almost extinct, its population is only 2 thousand individuals.

The reason for extinction is the reduction in habitat, a decrease in the number of ungulates that snow leopards feed on, as well as the development of mountain pastures and developing tourism, which allows people to get to the most remote parts of the mountains.

Przewalski's horse

The animal has almost become a myth. These are the last wild horses on the plains of Asia. Almost all individuals were forced out of their territories and captured by humans. Therefore, there are now only a thousand horses in the world named after the famous explorer Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky. Moreover, they are bred in captivity in reserves and zoos.

People have never been able to domesticate a wild horse, because it does not lend itself to training by nature and does not allow itself to be ridden. The only place where you can theoretically meet Przewalski's horse is Mongolian deserts. However, the animal has not been seen there for more than 50 years. Therefore, it is highly likely that such horses have died out in the wild.

mountain gorillas

These large monkeys can be found in dense tropical forests in the southwest of Uganda, Rwanda, in the east of the Republic of the Congo. Gorillas have a rather formidable appearance and impressive size, but the animal itself is peaceful and very sociable. However, the hunting of animals, the destruction of their habitat, disease and the desire of circuses to get at least one individual, can forever leave the planet without mountain gorillas. Now there are no more than 720 of them.

Amur tiger

The rarest animal in the world, which, moreover, is included in the Red Book. common Amur tiger in the southeast of Russia and is considered the largest of its relatives. The habitats of this animal are being intensively reduced, predators are being mercilessly exterminated.

Amur tiger - an endangered species

Therefore, already at the beginning of this century, the number Amur tigers almost passed the critical mark. Measures for their protection helped to slightly increase the number of individuals to 400.

Sumatran rhinoceros

The smallest rhinoceros in the world. Not so long ago, he lived quietly in the swamps and tropical forests of Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, China and Bangladesh. Now it is on the verge of extinction. There are only 6 populations of Sumatran rhinos in the world, which live on the island of Sumatra, Borneo and the Malay Peninsula.

Animals live alone, so it is very difficult to calculate their exact number. According to experts, there are no more than 275 such rhinos. The reason for the disastrously rapid reduction is called Chinese pseudo-medicine, which uses the horns of an animal for its methods of treatment.

Philippine crocodile

Small crocodiles live exclusively in the Philippines. They are also on the verge of extinction. They are destroyed, most often, by poachers who use peculiar methods of fishing.

Hunting for the Philippine crocodile is prohibited, but the population is still declining. And now there are only 200 individuals in the world.

Far Eastern leopard

A century and a half ago, a predator could be found in the southern part of what is now Primorsky Krai. But the number began to rapidly decrease due to hunting for Far Eastern leopards. The man liked their beautiful skin. And parts of the animal's body, from claws to the liver, were used in traditional Chinese medicine. According to estimates, the number of predators is negligible. There are only 30 cats left in Russia, 10 more live in China.

The population of which is either falling at a rapid pace, or is improving, but is still catastrophically small.

Natural phenomena and the human factor are among the main reasons for the decline in the number of some rare animals.

The rarest animals on Earth are listed in the International Red Book.

Here are just a few of these unique representatives animal world.

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Rare animals of the world: Spider tarantula (Poecilotheria metallica)

In addition to being incredibly rare, this representative of the animal world is also one of the most beautiful tarantulas. This spider lives in the tropical forests of southwestern India, building houses high in the crowns of trees. Younger representatives of this species live at the roots of a tree, where they can dig minks and braid them with thick cobwebs. In case of danger, they hide in their burrows.

14

Animals listed in the International Red Book: Madagascar beak-breasted turtle (Astrochelys yniphora)

This type land turtles, also known as an endangered angonoka. The endemic of Madagascar has been declared by the Commission on rare species of the IUCN one of the most "vulnerable" animal species on our planet. Today, angonoku can be found in a small area in the northwest of the island of Madagascar. The density of these animals in nature does not exceed 5 individuals per square kilometer. In total, there are 250-300 individuals per 100 square meters. km. In captivity, you can find 50 representatives of this species.

13

Animals from the Red Book: Peters' proboscis dog (Rhynchocyon petersi)

This rare animal species is listed in the International Red Book as "at risk of becoming endangered." Also known as the red-shouldered proboscis dog, this mammal from the jumping-legged family lives in Africa. The species got its name in honor of the German zoologist Wilhelm Peters. Peters' proboscis can be found in the forests of southeastern Kenya and northeastern Tanzania.

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Animals of the Red Book (photo): Angelfish (Squatina squatina)

Listed in the International Red Book as a Critically Endangered Species, the Angelfish (also known as the European Squatinum) can be found in the seas of the northeast Atlantic, namely in the hot and temperate zones. Representatives of this species of sharks from the squatinoid order due to enlarged pectoral and pelvic fins, similar to stingrays. They are most often found at the bottom of the ocean and feed mainly on flounder fish.

11

Animals of the International Red Book: Northern long-haired wombat (Lasiorhinus)

Being on the verge of extinction, this wombat is considered one of the rarest animals on our planet. There are fewer of them on Earth than Sumatran tigers. In total, one extremely small population remained in national park Epping Forest, located in the center of Queensland, Australia. The reason for the decline in the population of these animals, scientists believe changes in their habitat. Add to that the fact that wombats are the dingo's favorite prey. Wombats usually live in eucalyptus forests, meadows with lush grass and loose soil.

10

Animals listed in the Red Book: Hunter's Bubal (Beatragus hunteri)

Also known as chirola, this species from the genus chirola is listed in the Red Book as a Critically Endangered Species. Hirola lives in the northeastern regions of Kenya and the southwestern regions of Somalia. Before this species became rare, its representatives inhabited an area of ​​​​17,900 - 20,500 square meters. km. To date, the area of ​​​​their distribution is about 8,000 square meters. km.

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Rare animals from the Red Book: Small-toothed sawfish (Pristis microdon)

Also listed as a Critically Endangered Species in the Red Book, the sawnos ray is a fish from the sawfish family. The habitat of these representatives of the animal world is the waters of the Indo-Pacific region. Sometimes these stingrays can enter rivers.

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Animal species in the Red Book: Tonkin rhinopithecus (Rhinopithecus avunculus)

This species of mammals of the marmoset family is also on the verge of extinction. Already at the beginning of the second half of the 20th century, the range was rather limited. Representatives of this species were found only in the forest near the Song Koi River in Vietnam. The Tonkin rhinopithecine has been found in the provinces of Thien Quang and Wac Tay. AT given time monkeys can also be found in several other provinces in Vietnam.

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Rare and endangered animals: Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis)

This mammal from the Sumatran rhinoceros genus is listed in the International Red Book as a "Species on the verge of extinction". Moreover, it is the only surviving representative of its kind and the smallest representative of the rhinoceros family. Animal habitat lowland and mountain secondary forests, humid rainforests and swamps up to 2,500 meters above sea level.

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Rare and endangered animal species: Spotted marsupial marten (Dasyurus maculatus)

This species is listed in the Red Book as "Close to vulnerable position". The tiger cat (as it is also called) is the second largest marsupial predator, and the first place belongs to tasmanian devil. It is also worth noting that the tiger cat is the largest marsupial predator in mainland Australia. Currently spottedtail marsupial marten can be seen in two isolated populations- one located in North Queensland, Australia, and the other in east coast, in an area that stretches from south Queensland to Tasmania. It usually lives in moist rainforests and among coastal thickets.

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Rare animal species from the Red Book: Philippine sika deer (Cervus alfredi)

The coat of this rare animal has a reddish-golden color. Small white spots are "scattered" against this background. Habitat - tropical forests of the islands of the Philippine archipelago. This deer was captured on film quite recently. It is worth noting that the main enemy of this animal is the wolf. Most deer die in March-April - the season when the animals are weakened by wintering.

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Rare Endangered Animals: Visayan Warty Pig (Sus cebifrons)

This animal was included in the Red Book of the World in 1988. In just 60 years (3 generations of the Visayan warty pig), the number of this representative of the fauna has decreased by 80%. The reasons for the catastrophic decline in the population are uncontrolled hunting, the transformation of the natural habitat and inbreeding. To date, this animal can be found only on 2 islands - Negro and Panay.

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Very rare animals: Florida cougar (Puma concolor coryi)

Listed in the International Red Book as a Critically Endangered Species, this animal is the rarest cougar species. In 2011, their number on Earth was only about 160 individuals (despite the fact that in the 1970s, this figure dropped to 20). The usual habitat of this cougar is the forests and swamps of South Florida (USA), they mainly occupy the Big Cypress National Preserve area. The number of these animals began to fall mainly due to the drainage of swamps, sport hunting and poisoning.

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Rare animals of Africa: White lion

It is worth noting that White Lion is a specific polymorphism with a genetic disease - leucism, which leads to a lighter coat color. Despite the fact that this manifestation, in fact, is the opposite of melanism, white lions are still not albinos - they have natural pigmentation of the eyes and skin. The fact that white lions exist was proved only at the end of the 20th century. In 1975, white lion cubs were first discovered in the Timbavati Nature Reserve in South Africa.

Rare animals: white lion (video)

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Rare protected animals: Irbis, or snow leopard (Uncia uncia, Panthera uncia)

It's big predatory mammal lives in the mountains of Central Asia. Irbis, from the cat family, has a thin, long, flexible body and rather short legs. It also has a small head and long tail. To date, the number of snow leopards is very small. It was included in the IUCN Red List ( international union nature protection), in the Red Book of Russia, and other security documents of various countries.