Describe the detachment of monotremes. Mammals of the order are monotreme or oviparous (Monotremata). See what "Single-pass detachment" is in other dictionaries
2 families: platypuses and echidnas
Range: Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea
Food: insects, small aquatic animals
Body length: 30 to 80 cm
Subclass oviparous mammals represented by only one detachment - single-pass. This detachment unites only two families: platypus and echidna. single pass are the most primitive living mammals. They are the only mammals which, like birds or reptiles, reproduce by laying eggs. Oviparous feed their young with milk and therefore are classified as mammals. Female echidnas and platypuses do not have nipples, and the young lick the milk secreted by the tubular mammary glands directly from the fur on the mother's belly.
amazing animals
Echidnas and platypuses- the most unusual representatives of the class of mammals. They are called single-pass because both the intestines and the bladder of these animals open into one special cavity - the cloaca. Two oviducts in monotreme females also go there. Most mammals do not have a cloaca; this cavity is characteristic of reptiles. The stomach of oviparous is also amazing - like a bird's goiter, it does not digest food, but only stores it. Digestion takes place in the intestines. These strange mammals even have a lower body temperature than others: without rising above 36°C, it can drop to 25°C, depending on the environment, like in reptiles. Echidnas and platypuses are voiceless - they do not have vocal cords, and only young platypuses have toothless - rapidly decaying teeth.
Echidnas live up to 30 years, platypuses - up to 10. They live in forests, steppes overgrown with shrubs, and even in mountains at an altitude of up to 2500 m.
Origin and discovery of oviparous
Short Fact
Platypuses and echidnas are venomous mammals. On their hind legs they have a bone spur, through which a poisonous liquid flows. This poison causes a quick death in most animals, and in humans - severe pain and swelling. Among mammals, in addition to the platypus and echidna, only a representative of the order of insectivores is venomous - an open tooth and two species of shrews.
Like all mammals, oviparous descend from reptilian ancestors. However, they separated quite early from other mammals, choosing their own path of development and forming a separate branch in the evolution of animals. Thus, the oviparous were not the ancestors of other mammals - they developed in parallel with them and independently of them. Platypuses are more ancient animals than echidnas, which evolved from them, changed and adapted to the terrestrial way of life.
Europeans learned about the existence of egg-laying almost 100 years after the discovery of Australia, at the end of the 17th century. When the skin of a platypus was brought to the English zoologist George Shaw, he decided that he was simply played, the appearance of this bizarre creation of nature was so unusual for Europeans. And the fact that echidnas and platypuses reproduce by laying eggs has become one of the greatest zoological sensations.
Despite the fact that the echidna and platypus have been known to science for quite a long time, these amazing animals are still presenting new discoveries to zoologists.
wonder beast, platypus as if assembled from parts of different animals: his nose is like a duck's beak, a flat tail with a shovel seems to be taken from a beaver, webbed paws look like flippers, but are equipped with powerful claws for digging (when digging, the membrane bends, and when walking it gathers into folds, without interfering with free movement). But for all the seeming absurdity, this beast is perfectly adapted to the way of life that it leads, and has hardly changed over millions of years.
At night, the platypus hunts for small crustaceans, mollusks and other small aquatic animals. The tail-fin and webbed paws help him to dive and swim well. The eyes, ears and nostrils of the platypus close tightly in the water, and it finds its prey in the dark under water with the help of a sensitive "beak". On this leathery "beak" are electroreceptors that can pick up weak electrical impulses emitted by movement of aquatic invertebrates. Reacting to these signals, the platypus instantly searches for prey, fills the cheek pouches, and then slowly eats the caught on the shore.
All day the platypus sleeps near the pond in a hole dug by powerful claws. The platypus has a dozen such holes, and each has several exits and entrances - not an extra precaution. To breed offspring, the female platypus prepares a special hole lined with soft leaves and grass - it is warm and humid there.
Pregnancy lasts a month, and the female lays one to three leathery eggs. Mother platypus incubates eggs for 10 days, warming them with her body. Newborn tiny platypuses, 2.5 cm long, live on their mother's belly for another 4 months, feeding on milk. The female spends most of her time lying on her back and only occasionally leaves the burrow to feed. Leaving, the platypus wall up the cubs in the nest so that no one will disturb them until she returns. At the age of 5 months, matured platypuses become independent and leave their mother's hole.
Platypuses were mercilessly exterminated because of their valuable fur, but now, fortunately, they are taken under the strictest protection, and their numbers have increased again.
A relative of the platypus, it does not look like him at all. She, like the platypus, is an excellent swimmer, but she does it only for pleasure: she does not know how to dive and get food under water.
Another important difference: the echidna has brood bag- pocket on the belly, where she puts the egg. The female, although she raises her cubs in a comfortable hole, can safely leave her - an egg or a newborn cub in her pocket is reliably protected from the vicissitudes of fate. At the age of 50 days, the little echidna already leaves the bag, but for about 5 months it lives in a hole under the auspices of a caring mother.
Echidna lives on the ground and feeds on insects, mainly ants and termites. Raking termite mounds strong paws with hard claws, it extracts insects with a long and sticky tongue. The body of the echidna is protected by needles, and in case of danger it curls up into a ball, like an ordinary hedgehog, exposing the enemy with a prickly back.
wedding ceremony
From May to September, the mating season begins for the echidna. At this time, the female echidna enjoys special attention from males. They line up and follow her in single file. The procession is led by the female, and the grooms follow her in order of seniority - the youngest and most inexperienced close the chain. So, in a company, echidnas spend a whole month, looking for food together, traveling and relaxing.
But the rivals cannot coexist peacefully for long. Demonstrating their strength and passion, they begin to dance around the chosen one, raking the ground with their claws. The female finds herself in the center of a circle formed by a deep furrow, and the males begin to fight, pushing each other out of the ring-shaped pit. The winner of the tournament gets the favor of the female.
Marsupials: Range: Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, other adjacent islands including the Greater Sunda Islands, North and South America. Acclimatized in New Zealand. Food: herbivores, insectivores, carnivores and omnivores. Body length: from 4-10 to 75-160 cm.
The order marsupials unites more than 250 species of animals. They often do not resemble each other either in appearance, or in size, or in body structure and lead a different lifestyle. This order includes peaceful herbivores, such as kangaroos or koalas, and insectivores, such as marsupial moles or nambats, and predators, such as the Tasmanian devil, which can cope with medium-sized kangaroos. These animals are united by the fact that they give birth to underdeveloped cubs, which the mother carries for a long time in the brood pouch. The SINGLE-PAYED OR OVI-LAVING (Monotremata) order is the most primitive among modern mammals, retaining a number of archaic structural features inherited from reptiles (oviposition, the presence of a well-developed coracoid bone not connected to the scapula, some details of the articulation of the bones of the skull, etc.). The development of the so-called marsupials (small bones of the pelvis) in monotremes is also considered as a legacy of reptiles. In the presence of distinct coracoid bones, monotremes differ from marsupials and other mammals, in which this bone has become a simple outgrowth of the scapula. At the same time, hairline and mammary glands are two interrelated features that are characteristic of mammals. However, the mammary glands of monotremes are primitive and similar in structure to the sweat glands, while the mammary glands of marsupials and higher mammals are grape-shaped and similar to the sebaceous glands.
Quite numerous similarities of monotremes with birds are adaptive rather than genetic traits. The laying of eggs by these animals brings monotremes closer to reptiles than to birds. However, in the egg, the yolk in monotremes is much less developed than in birds. The keratinized egg shell is composed of keratin and also resembles the shell of reptile eggs. Monotremes resemble birds and such structural features as some reduction of the right ovary, the presence of pockets in the digestive tract resembling the goiter of birds, and the absence of an external ear. However, these similarities are more of an adaptive nature and do not give the right to speak of any direct relationship between monotremes and birds. Adult oviparous teeth are absent .. The body temperature of an echidna fluctuates around 30 °, in a platypus - about 25 °. But these are only average figures: they change depending on the ambient temperature. Echidna family. Echidnas are animals covered with needles, like porcupines, but by the type of food they resemble anteaters. The sizes of these animals usually do not exceed 40 cm. The body is covered with needles, the length of which can reach 6 cm. The color of the needles varies from white to black.
Topic 6. Ecological and systematic review of mammals.
The species diversity of mammals is no less pronounced than that of birds. They inhabited all continents and almost all habitats, having mastered all ecological niches on earth and underground, in trees and in the air, in fresh and salt water, demonstrating broad spectrum adaptive radiation and convergent evolution, while maintaining the general characteristics of the class.
They differ from other mammals in that they lay eggs, and do not give birth to cubs formed in the process of embryonic development; they also have some anatomical resemblance to reptiles (additional bones in the shoulder girdle, etc.). Includes 2 families (echidnas and platypuses), 3 genera and 3 species (Fig. 6.1).
Rice. 6.1. Representatives of the Monotreme order: 1 - platypus Ornithorhynchus anatinus; 2 - Australian echidna Tachyglossus aculeatus
Family Platypuses(Australia, Tasmania, Kangaroo Islands, King) includes one genus with a single species. It is a semi-aquatic mammal with a flexible, duck-like nose. When diving, the platypus closes its eyes and ears, its soft beak, being a tactile organ, perceives electrical signals coming from prey (bottom invertebrates). The body is covered with thick hair. The tail is oar-shaped, performs the function of a mover, and together with the hind legs serves as an effective rudder. Paws have swimming membranes between the fingers; rear ones with incomplete membranes, in males they carry a poisonous spur on the ankle, with which the enemy can be inflicted with a paralyzing injection; on the front paws, the membranes completely fill the space between the fingers, even at the level of the claws; these webs can fold (tilt) back to free fingers and claws for digging and walking on the ground. A significant supply of fat is located in the oar-shaped massive tail.
A mated female lays up to three eggs in a nesting burrow, curling up to incubate them between her tail and body. The cubs remain in the burrow for 3-4 months, feeding on milk, which is secreted on 2 areas of the female's skin; leaving the burrow, they lead a solitary lifestyle.
Family echidnas includes 2 genera, one species each. The Australian echidna (Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea) is covered with long needles and short hair. It has short clawed legs, when in danger it quickly burrows or rolls up into a ball. A very long sticky tongue allows you to harvest ants and termites in their burrows. AT mating season several males chase the female, competing in digging and pushing; the winner has the right to mate. The female lays one egg in her pouch; after hatching, the baby feeds on milk, licking it off in special areas in the bag; lactation lasts 7 months; when the needles grow, the cub leaves the bag and moves to the hole.
The hairy prochidna (New Guinea) has more hair and shorter needles. Tiny needles on the tongue help catch earthworms.
The mouth opening is located at the end of the proboscis of all echidnas.
Superorder Marsupials includes 7 squads (Fig. 6.2).
Rice. 6.2. Representatives of Marsupials: 1 - squirrel couscous Gimnobelideus leadbeateri; 2 - marsupial flying squirrel Petaurus breviceps; 3 - Herbert's couscous Pseudocheirus herbertensis; 4 - ring-tailed kangaroo Petrogale xanthopus
Isolated for millions of years from the rest of the world, the marsupials of Australia and New Guinea have occupied in the process of convergent evolution the same ecological niches as all placental mammals elsewhere. Only a few marsupials survived in America and were subsequently introduced to New Zealand, Hawaii and Brittany.
Cubs of marsupials are born in the embryonic state, they find access to milk from the mother's nipples in the bag. Newborns firmly "grab" the nipple and hold on to it for a long time until they reach the level of a placental mammal; the size of newborns is 0.003%, while in placental - 5%.
Distinctive features marsupials are: a large number of incisors on each jaw, an opposing finger on the hind limb, a smaller brain, lower body temperature and metabolic rate.
Squad Toothless (Xenarthra)(Fig. 6.3).
Rice. 6.3. Representatives of the Teeth: 1 - three-toed sloth Brodypus tridoctylus; 2 – giant armadillo Priodontes maximus; 3 - spherical armadillo Tolypeutes matacus; 4 - large anteater Myrmecophaga tridactula
The order includes 3 families (sloths, armadillos, anteaters), 13 genera and 29 species.
Originated and limited to the American continents, all edentulous have adnexal joints in the lower part of the spine, which limit the ability to rotate and bend, but increase its length and hips. The brain of the edentulous is small, the teeth are reduced (anteaters do not have them at all). A low metabolic rate allowed these mammals to occupy "dark" ecological niches, to use abundant sources of low-calorie food.
Anteaters have an extremely long tubular proboscis and tongue, which, with the help of a keen sense of smell, helps them find and get their main food - ants.
Sloths in large quantities (a third of their weight per day) eat the leaves of trees. Inside the multi-chambered stomach, leaf toxins are neutralized and slowly decompose; it takes about a month to completely digest food; once a week, the sloth descends from the tree to empty its intestines on the ground.
Armadillos are more diverse (invertebrates, reptiles, fruits, dry vegetation, etc.). They live in burrows (up to 20 pieces per site), get food in the soil.
Squad Pangolins, or Lizards (Pholidota) (Fig. 6.4).
Rice. 6.4. giant lizard manis gigantean
Includes one family, one genus and 7 species (Africa, Asia). The cover of their horny scales distinguishes pangolins from all other animals. Their tongue is longer than the head and torso combined; during rest, it is in the mouth in a collapsed state. No teeth; Grinding of food occurs in the stomach with the help of gastroliths. They live in burrows or hollows. Food: Ants and termites.
Order Insectivora (Insectivora)(Fig. 6.5).
Rice. 6.5. Representatives of Insectivores of Russia: 1 - common hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus; 2 - eared hedgehog Erinaceus auritus; 3 - common mole Talpa europaea; 4 - big moger mogera robusta; 5 - common muskrat Desmana moschata; 6 - baby shrew Sorex minutissimus; 7 - common shrew Sorex araneus; 8 - common shrew neomis fodiens; 9 - small shrew Crocidura suaveolens; 10 – white-bellied shrew Crocidura leucodon; 11 - putorak Diplomesodon pulchellum
The order includes 7 families, 68 genera, 428 species; in Russia - 4 families, 12 genera, 35 species.
This is the oldest group of placental mammals in Russia; combines all primitive features: a small brain without convolutions, small cone-shaped teeth, simple bones of the inner ear and, at the same time, features of high specialization (adaptation to digging holes, protective spines-needles, poisonous saliva, smell). All insectivores have poor vision and find prey by smell or sound. In addition to invertebrates, they eat seeds, the succulent parts of plants. Hedgehogs, moles, shrews live almost everywhere; flint teeth (America), tenrecs (Madagascar), otter shrews ( Central Africa) have small ranges.
They have a high metabolic rate, are prone to polyphagy.
Detachment Woolly wings (Dermoptera). Represented by 1 family, 1 genus and 2 species; inhabit Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines. The flying membrane connects the neck, limbs, tail and is the longest among the membranes of gliding animals (flying kites). They do not actively fly, but only plan (up to 135 meters), they are helpless on the surface of the earth. Nocturnal rainforest animals; during the day they rest in hollows, or clinging to a tree trunk. The female carries the cub on her belly, her membrane folds in the form of a hammock. Food: leaves, buds, flowers, fruits, juice.
Tupai squad (Scandentia)(Fig. 6.6).
Rice. 6.6. Representatives of the Tupaya squad: 1 - Philippine tupaya Urogale everetti; 2 - feather-tailed tupaya Ptilocercus lovii; 3 - common tupaya Tupaia glis; 4 - big tupaya, tana Tupaia tana
Tupai look like our squirrels, inhabit the rainforests of Asia. The order includes 1 family, 5 genera, 19 species. They are considered primitive placental - the ancestors of primates.
Food: invertebrates, small vertebrates and fruits; eating the extracted food, they take the pose of squirrels. Well adapted for movement in the crowns and along the trunk (sharp claws, long tail). Nests of leaves are located in hollows (the male builds a nest). Monogamous, couples persist throughout life. On average, 3 cubs are born, both parents feed; the territory and even the cubs are marked, strangers can be eaten.
Order Bats (Chiroptera)(Fig. 6.7).
Rice. 6.7. Representatives of Bats: 1 - big angler Noctilio leporinus; 2 - yellow-winged false vampire or African spear Lavia fronts; 3 - pig-nosed bat Craseonycteris thonglongyai; 4 - snub-nosed earflaps Barbastella barbastellus
The order Bats is represented by 2 suborders: fruit bats and bats (18 families, 177 genera, 993 species); in Russia there are representatives of 3 families (smooth-nosed, horseshoe-nosed and bulldog bats: 13 genera and 35 species).
These are the only mammals adapted for active flight (speed up to 50 km/h). Like birds, forest species have wide wings, while open space species have narrow wings. Numerous species bats (a quarter of all mammals), in accordance with their diet, have developed a lot of morpho-anatomical and behavioral adaptations. The main food is insects, which are taken in flight; but in the tropics there are species (the size of a bumblebee) that feed on the nectar of flowers, fruits, fish, frogs, and even other bats, as well as vampires (3 species, able to share food with hungry tribesmen).
Most of them are night views; the day is spent in shelters; fly away for the winter or fall into deep hibernation.
They mate in summer or autumn, fertilization - in spring, childbearing (1 - 3 cubs) - in summer. The cubs are attached to the nipples (the female flies with a "load"). Colonial; many species raise cubs in nursery colonies (the female recognizes her by smell). At rest, they hang upside down, which allows them to immediately "break" into flight.
Order Primates (Primates)(Fig. 6.8).
Fig.6.8. Representatives of Primates: 1 - forked lemur ( Phaner furcifer); 2 - Madagascar rukonokozhka ( Daubentonia adagascaniensis); 3 - vervet monkey ( Chlocebus acthiops); 4 - black howler ( Alouatta caraya); 5 - chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes).
Includes 13 families, 60 genera, 295 species.
Inhabitants of the tropics, and only a few species are found in North Africa, China and Japan.
Adapted to an arboreal lifestyle: eyes on the front of the skull (stereoscopic vision), dexterous, developed hands on the front and hind legs. Have a complex social behavior. While small primates feed at night, hiding from predators, large species are active during the day and form groups for defense or repel attacks together. Some species live in monogamous pairs; others form groups of several females and one male. Permanent groups of 150 geladas sometimes gather in flocks of 600 individuals. A complex social structure is based on clear communication. Primates have, relative to body size, the largest brains of any mammal.
The size of primates varies from pygmy lemur(l=10 cm, weight 30 g) to the gorilla (height 1.5 m, weight 180 kg).
Small primates mainly feed on insects to provide energy for their fast metabolism (nutritious and easily digested). diet large species: leaves, shoots, fruits and occasional feed. In the tropics, primates are provided with food all year round.
The squad is divided into 2 suborders: prosimians (lemurs) and real monkeys. Semi-monkeys live only in the Old World (lemurs of Madagascar, African galagos and pottos, Asian lorises); well adapted to life in the tree canopy, clinging and jumping from branch to branch. Geographical isolation predetermined the divergence of real monkeys in the process of evolution into 2 groups: American broad-nosed and Afro-Asian narrow-nosed monkeys. The former live in trees and have tenacious tails that grab onto branches. The narrow-nosed also lead an arboreal (or semi-arboreal) lifestyle, but do not have a prehensile tail. They differ from lemurs in their “dry”, slightly hairy muzzle and relatively larger brain. Herbivorous geladas live in the highlands of northwestern Ethiopia. Monkeys are more diverse, some make stocks. Great apes (gibbons and hominids) are adapted to sitting and walking in an upright position; they have no tail, a shorter spine, a barrel-shaped chest, and very mobile shoulders and wrists. The diet is varied.
Order Predatory (Carnivora)(Fig. 6.9).
Rice. 6.9. Representatives of terrestrial and near-water predators: 1 - lion ( pantera leo); 2 - tiger ( Felis tigris); 3 - brown bear ( Ursus arctos ); 4 - wolf ( canis lupus); 5 – red fox (Vulpes vulpes); 6 – pine marten (martes martes); 7 - badger ( meles meles); 8 - Humboldt skunk ( Conepatus humboldtu); 9 - sable ( Martes zibellina); 10 - river otter ( lutra lutra); 11 - ermine ( Mustela erminea); 12 - weasel ( Mustela nivalis); 13 - wolverine ( gulo gulo); 14 - raccoon gargle ( Procyon lotor); 15 - striped hyena ( Hyaena hyaena); 16 - yellow mongoose ( Cynictis penicillata).
The order includes 11 families, 131 genera, 278 species; in Russia - 5 families, 16 genera, 35 species.
Predators are hunters who feed mainly on meat, but many of them eat large invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, carrion, fruits, berries, seeds; there are also predators who have become vegetarians: a giant panda, or a bamboo bear (99% of the food is bamboo, the rest is small mammals, fish, insects), kinkajou is a pronounced sweet tooth (fruits, nectar, honey).
Predators inhabit all continents, but they are most diverse, like birds, in the tropics.
All predatory animals have a relatively large brain with a large number of convolutions, so they are well tamed and amenable to training. They have close-set eyes (with great depth sharpness), due to which the distance is accurately determined; very well developed hearing and sense of smell. Quickness and dexterity of movements are provided by a flexible elastic spine and strong muscles. The paws are adapted for running (the cheetah has a speed of up to 100 km/h); sharp claws on the fingers (developed even in pinnipeds) serve as reliable weapons. Bears and martens are plantigrade, all other representatives of terrestrial predators are digitigrade.
Carnivores are divided into 2 large ecological groups (suborders): terrestrial and aquatic (pinnipeds). Bears (similar in blood serum) were a transitional link to pinnipeds.
Family canine(dogs, wolves, coyotes, foxes, jackals). Widely distributed (not in Madagascar, Hawaii, Philippines, Borneo, New Zealand). Almost all members of the family are polyphages. Monogamous; pairs that persist throughout life can form the basis of a social group (jackals). Wolves live in families; foxes - in pairs or small family groups (South American fox); in many species, couples live together only during the mating season and jointly take care of the offspring. The raccoon dog is the only member of the family that hibernates and does not bark. Many canines are burrowers to one degree or another.
Family bearish- the most herbivorous of predators; only one polar bear feeds exclusively on meat; in baribal, the main part of the diet is berries, nuts and tubers; the giant panda (bamboo bear) feeds exclusively on bamboo; sloth eats mainly insects; Far Eastern bears catch spawning salmon in summer and autumn, on occasion catch sea otters and seals on coastal haulouts, and even go out on the ice, hunting for seals; throughout the forest zone, in the taiga and tundra, brown bears are practically omnivorous, and the Himalayan bear's diet is mainly vegetable.
Bears also live in the tropics, but they are most numerous in the cold northern regions. For the winter, bears climb into a den and hibernate; cubs are born during hibernation. Most bears are solitary animals, but cubs stay with their mother for 2-3 years.
Family Kunya. Found in almost all types of habitats. They can be arboreal, terrestrial, burrowing, semi-aquatic and aquatic animals. Absent in Australia and Antarctica.
Mustelids are medium-sized, short-legged animals with an elongated body and rounded ears. The footprints are five-fingered. In Russia, mustelids are the most numerous of predatory animals, they live in all natural areas(wolverine, sable, pine and stone martens, harza, steppe and black ferrets, weasel, ermine, sololongoy, weasel, American and European mink, ligation, badgers, otter, sea otter or sea otter).
Most mustelids tend to be solitary; animals gather in groups only during breeding.
Many mustelids, mouse-eaters, tarantulas eat large invertebrates, berries, amphibians, and fish. Some species have a pronounced food specialization: badgers are more insectivorous; weasels, ermines, martens, columns, etc. - mouse-eaters; fish-eating otters; skunks and honey badgers are omnivores, etc. most mustelids are norniki and hollow-nesting. Small mustelids pursue their prey underground (in prey burrows) and under snow.
Family raccoons. Distribution limited to the New World. These are medium-sized animals with a wide muzzle and erect ears (raccoon, kinkajou, camomizli, coati). Omnivorous. They show synanthropy. Females mate with one or more males (up to four). Raccoons often sleep in shared shelters; Coati males lead a solitary lifestyle, and females form groups (up to 15 individuals), share care for their offspring and jointly protect themselves from other predators.
Family Hyenas(earthen wolf, brown, striped and spotted hyenas). The closest relatives of cats and civets, although outwardly very similar to dogs. They pick up the remains of the prey of lions and other predators; they unite when hunting for large prey (zebra, wildebeest); The earthwolf feeds on termites. All hyenas live in clans that have a common area. The range of many hyenas is limited to Africa, while the striped hyena extends to the Middle East and South Asia.
Family civet includes civets, genets and linsangs. Relatives of cats and hyenas. They are nocturnal arboreal animals with long tails and retractable claws. Many have scent glands. They live alone or in pairs. Aborigines of most of the Old World; a significant number of species live in Madagascar. Food: insects, squirrels, birds, lizards; the main diet of some species (Ouston's civet) is earthworms.
Family mongoose close to viverram. Usually terrestrial, diurnal animals with short tails (mongoose, mungo, meerkat, etc.). Ratcatchers, snake exterminators. Norniki. They live in small groups (8 - 20 individuals), consisting of a breeding pair, their cubs and other individuals.
Family feline. They eat almost nothing but meat. Occupy the top of many food chains around the globe (except Australia and Antarctica).
Cats have a strong muscular body, a blunt muzzle with large, forward-facing eyes, sharp teeth, retractable sharp claws (the claw of the short 1st finger is the sharpest and can inflict particularly deep wounds). They do not dig holes, they make dens in caves, rock niches, in creases, small species occupy hollows, other people's holes. They hunt mainly at night. During the rut, fierce, noisy fights are arranged. Mating pairs in most species are made only for the breeding season; the female is responsible for the offspring. Leos are distinguished by their close group relationships; the pride consists of 4 - 20 lionesses, males join the pride or live alone, in small bachelor groups. They hunt and take care of their offspring together. When changing the male, the conquerors kill all the little lion cubs, which frees the females for mating.
The cat family is divided into 3 subfamilies: 1. Large cats (tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars); 2. Small cats (lynxes, cats, ocelots); 3. Cheetahs (one species). Large cats have a flexible larynx for roaring when exhaling; small cats can only purr both on exhalation and on inhalation. The cheetah does not have retractable claws.
In Russia, the cat family is represented by 2 genera (panthers: tiger, leopard, Snow Leopard and the type of cat: lynx, reed, forest, steppe, Far Eastern cats, manul).
Suborder pinnipeds includes 3 families (true seals, eared seals and walruses), 21 genera and 36 species (Fig. 6.10).
Rice. 6.10. Representatives of the Pinnipeds: 1- Caspian seal ( Pusa caspica); 2 - harp seal ( Pagophoca groenlandica); 3 - sea hare ( Erignathus barbalus); 4 - ringed seal ( Pusa hispida); 5 - khokhlach ( Cystophora cristata); 6 - fur seal ( Callorinus ursinus); 7 - sea lion ( Eumetopias jubatus); 8 - walrus ( Odobenus rostarus).
They have a flexible torpedo-shaped body, limbs modified into flippers, and insulating layers of fat and hair, i.e. perfectly adapted to life in the water. They return to shore only to breed. They feed on fish, squid and crustaceans, but some eat penguins and carrion.
Most pinnipeds are herd animals and live in large colonies.
Squad of the Siren (Sirenia)(Fig. 6.11).
Rice. 6.11. Representatives of the Siren detachment: 1 - American manatee ( Trichechus manatus); 2 - African manatee ( Trichechus senegalensis); 3 - dugong ( Dugong dugong); 4 - Amazonian manatee ( Trichechus inungius).
Sirens are ancient marine animals related to elephants, but outwardly they are more like small whales without a dorsal fin. The front flippers are rounded, movable, sometimes used to support food (like hands). Females have rounded mammary glands on their chests (they were mistaken for mermaids by medieval sailors). The order includes modern tropical dugongs, manatees, as well as a family of sea cows (Steller's cow).
These slow-moving creatures never go to land, they feed on plants in the shallow waters of the seas (warm waters of the tropics and subtropics). The dugong lives only in salty seas, and manatees live in fresh water.
In females, a calf is born every two years (long lactation - 2 years).
Family Cetaceans(Cetacea) (Fig. 6.12).
Includes 10 families, 41 genera, 81 species; of which there are 7 families in Russia (dolphins, narwhals, beaked whales, sperm whales, gray and smooth whales, minke whales).
Rice. 6.12. Representatives of cetaceans: 1 - white-winged porpoise ( Phocoenoides dalli); 2 - white-faced dolphin ( Lagenorchynchus olbirostris); 3 - Pacific short-headed dolphin ( Lagenorchynchus obliguidebs); 4 - killer whale ( Orcinus orca); 5 - blue whale ( Balaenoptera musculus); 6 - herring whale ( Balaenoptera physalus); 7 - sidyan whale ( Balaenoptera borealis); 8 - humpback whale ( Megaptera nodosa); 9 - small whale ( Balaenoptera acutorostrata).
Whole life cycle carried out in water (50 km/h). The nostrils with one opening are shifted to the crown and are equipped with a valve. Monogamy. Every year or every 2-3 years, 1 cub is born (tail first). Well developed vision, hearing, echolocation, use difficult language communication. Public animals; toothed whales form the largest aggregations with complex social structure(they hunt together, driving fish to one place; help each other take care of the cubs. The killer whale, in addition to fish and squid, hunts seals and other whales. Baleen whales (giants) feed by filtering invertebrates and small fish through whalebone plates.
Odd-toed ungulates (Perissodactyla)(Fig. 6.13).
Rice. 6.13. Representatives of equids: 1 - tarpan ( Eguus ferus); 2 - kulan ( Eguus hemionus); 3 – wild donkey (Eguus africanus); 4 - kiang ( Eguus kiang); 5 - onager ( Eguus onager); 6 - mountain zebra ( Eguus sebra); 7 - flat tapir ( Tapirus terrestris); 8 - Sumatran rhinoceros ( Dicerorhinus sumatrensis).
The order includes: horses, donkeys, tropical tapirs and rhinos. In horses and donkeys, the entire weight of the body falls on the expanding to the hoof middle finger each leg, the rest of the fingers are atrophied; tapirs and rhinos have 3-4 more fingers.
Family Equine includes 1 genus and 9 species (tarpan - wild horse, Przewalski's horse, kiang, onager, wild donkey, kulan, Burchel's zebra, mountain zebra and Grevy's zebra). Wild members of the family live in grasslands, savannahs and deserts of Africa and Asia.
Herbivorous. Zebras are highly specialized. The eyes are located on the sides of the head (all-round view). Hearing and sense of smell are well developed. They have sound communication (neighing, shouting loudly, squealing, snorting), visual communication (position of the tail, ears, mouth). They live in permanent groups (shoals), consisting of females with cubs and a male; onagers form temporary groupings; kiangs - herds consisting of mares and foals (up to 400 individuals), which are driven by old females (stallions only follow the herds during the mating season and fight for the right to mate).
Family Tapirs includes 1 genus and 4 species. The range is limited and broken ( North America, Europe Asia). They have a thick, short, streamlined body (they live in dense undergrowth). A sensitive, flexible trunk serves to capture food and smell (under water, it uses it as a breathing tube). Night activity. Food: leaves, buds, shoots, fruits, aquatic plants. Contribute (like birds) to the spread of their food plants. Vision is weak (small eyes), hearing and sense of smell are developed. They lead a solitary life. The mother takes care of the offspring.
Family Rhinos includes 5 types: white and black (Africa, south of the Sahara), Sumatran (Thailand, Burma, Malaya, Sumatra, Borneo), Javanese (Vietnam, Java), Indian (Northeast India, Nepal). These animals are distinguished by the presence of 1 - 2 large outgrowths of fibrous keratin at the end of the muzzle; African rhinos use them in tournaments, Asian species use incisors or fangs for this purpose; have a thick wrinkled skin, the Indian rhinoceros "stands out" combat armor. Vision is poor, but hearing and smell are good. Breeding pairs may stay together for several months. Pregnancy lasts 16 months; the only cub stays with its mother for 2-4 years (until another one is born). Females or immature males sometimes form temporary herds.
Order Elephants (Proboscidae)(Fig. 6.14).
Rice. 6.14. Representatives of Elephants: 1 - African elephant ( Loxodonta africana); 2 - Indian elephant ( Elephas maximus).
Elephants are the largest land animals (weight 6.3 tons); a massive carcass rests on columnar limbs with wide feet; the huge head has large fan-shaped ears and a characteristic long flexible trunk, in which the nose and upper lip are combined; the functions of the trunk are multifaceted. Vegetable food; feeding lasts 18 - 20 hours a day; an adult eats up to 150 kg of plant mass per day and drinks up to 160 liters of water.
They live in family groups headed by a female (related females and their calves); males visit these groups only for mating, the rest of the time they spend alone or in groups of bachelors. Several family groups may form larger herds. Pregnancy lasts 18 - 24 months. The cub continues to suck mother's milk up to 10 years. The grown females remain in the maternal herd up to 10 years, and the males leave it at the age of 13.
The Indian elephant is smaller than the African one. Elephants live in deserts, forests, river valleys, swamps and savannah. Forest elephants live in smaller family groups.
Detachment Damana (Hyracoidea)(Fig. 6.15).
Rice. 6.15. Representatives of Damans: 1 - rocky hyrax ( Procavia capensis); 2 - Bruce's hyrax ( Heterohyrax brucei); 3 - tree hyrax ( Dedrohyrax arboreus).
Includes 1 family, 3 genera and 7 species. Found only in Africa and the Middle East: rock hyraxes are found in rock outcrops, grasslands, and scrub in much of Africa and the Middle East; mountain (gray) hyraxes - in similar habitats of East Africa; tree hyraxes live in the forests of Africa.
These are animals the size of a rabbit, similar in appearance to guinea pigs, but close to ungulates (they have flattened claws on their paws, similar to hooves). The soles of their paws are adapted to create an increased friction force (soft pads are constantly moistened by secretions from special glands, and the muscles form a sucker).
Herbivorous (feed on trees and on the ground); capable of long-distance crossings (1.3 km) in search of food. Colonial (up to 80 individuals) underground (burrowing) inhabitants; very noisy (make unique sounds: chirping, whistling, screeching). At night, tree hyraxes serenades with a loud croak that ends in a screech. The hyrax family contains several females with cubs led by a territorial male; females remain in the family for life, and males settle at the age of 2 years. Active during the day. They love to bask in the sun when they gather together. Mountain and rocky hyraxes inhabit the same biotopes, contact, but do not interbreed, consume different foods (rocky hyraxes eat grass, and mountain hyraxes eat leaves from trees).
Order Aardvarks (Tubulidentata)(Fig. 6.16).
Rice. 6.16. Aardvark ( Orycteropus afer)
Includes 1 family, 1 genus, 1 species (aardvark). The range is limited to Africa. They tend to colonies of termites. Animals of medium size with a squat body, long snout and large ears; night; lead a solitary lifestyle; burrows. They have a sticky tongue and swallow food without chewing.
Order Artiodactyla (Artiodactyla)(Fig. 6.17).
In artiodactyls, the claws of the 3rd and 4th fingers have turned into hooves; in a number of species, there are also small hooves of the 2nd and 5th fingers (the 1st finger is completely absent). In forest and tundra species, the hooves are usually wide, while in mountain species they are narrow. Herbivorous; have a four-chamber stomach (not chewed food enters the first and second sections of the stomach, where it softens with the help of bacteria, then burps, chews, and only then enters the third and fourth sections of the stomach, where it is digested by gastric juice. Molar teeth are well developed (chewing food ), and the fangs are strongly pronounced only in musk deer (scraping off lichens) and in wild boars (weapons). Many ungulates have horns that serve for tournament fights during the rut. such a predator as wolves, which chase the victim "in a circle."
The order includes 7 families: bovids, deer, giraffes and okapis, camels, pigs, peccaries, hippos.
Family bovids(Fig. 6.17). Widely distributed (in the wild, absent only in Australia and South America. Most numerous in the savannahs, deserts and forests of Africa.
Rice. 6.17. Representatives of the Bovids: 1 - common bubal ( Alcelaphus buselaphus); 2 - white-tailed wildebeest ( Connochaetes gnou); 3 - wildebeest ( Connochaetes taurinus); 4 - blesbuck ( Damaliscus pygargus); 5 - Markhor goat ( capra falconeri); 6 - chamois ( Rupicapra rupicapra); 7 - oryx ( Oryx gazelle); 8 - West Caucasian tour ( capra caucasica); 9 - Siberian mountain goat ( capra sibirica); 10 - argali ( Ovis ammon); 11 - bison ( Bison bonasus); 12 - gazelle ( Gazella subgutturosa); 13 - saiga ( Saiga tatarica).
Pasture bovids are usually of a strong, stocky build (to accommodate a large stomach); those feeding on leaves and tree shoots are more slender. All males and many females of bovids have keratin-coated antlers which they never shed; the shape can be straight, curved or spiral. Flee from danger by running fast; most are herd animals. Individuals of some species live in harems led by a male; others in herds of females and cubs, while males go alone or form schools of bachelors.
Bovids have very well developed sense organs (hearing, sight); the peculiar coloring of the skin helps to disguise itself, "breaking" the silhouette.
Many bovids are characterized by seasonal mass migrations. In Africa, the movement of herds is associated with a change in the rainy and drought seasons. The largest known migration is the movement from the Serengeti (Tanzania) to the Masai Mara (Kenya): about 1.3 million wildebeest, accompanied by about 200 thousand zebras and gazelles, move clockwise, overcoming a path of more than 2900 km per year with obstacles in the form of rivers overflowing with showers. Two-thirds of wildebeest calves alone die during their first migration to the Masai Mara, but there are enough survivors to replenish the huge herds of the species in East Africa.
The family includes 47 genera and 135 species (a number of species of duikers, bubals, impala, antelopes, gazelles, goats, tar, rams, anog, kudu, gaur, bison, yaks, kouprey, etc.) There are 8 genera in Russia: saigas ( 1 species - saiga), gazelles (1 species - Mongolian gazelle), gazelles (1 species - gazelle), gorals (1 species - goral), chamois (1 species - chamois), goats (3 species - Caucasian tur, bearded goat, Siberian goat), sheep (2 species - mountain sheep, bighorn sheep), musk oxen (1 species - musk ox), bison (1 species - bison), bulls (2 species - tour, wild yak).
Family deer, or Carnivores(Fig. 6.18). Includes deer and their relatives, including elk and roe deer. Outwardly, they resemble antelopes: with a long body and neck, slender legs, short tails, large eyes on the sides of the head and high-set ears. They are distinguished by spectacular deer antlers, consisting of bone, having no cavity (dense-horned) and annually discarded. Growing deer antlers (antlers) are covered with delicate skin with velvety hair, which dies and is erased from the surface when their growth is over. Female deer do not have antlers (except for the reindeer).
Rice. 6.18. Reindeer representatives: 1- elk ( Alces alces); 2 - deer ( Cervuselaphus sibiricus); 3 - spotted deer ( Cervus nippon); 4 - fallow deer ( Cervus dama); 5 - musk deer ( Moschus moschiferus); 6 - roe deer ( capreolus capreolus); 7 - muntjac ( Muntiacus mountjac); 8 - ordinary pudu ( pudu pudu); 9 - Peruvian deer ( Hippocamelus antisensis); 10 - northern pudu ( Pudu mephistophiles); 11 - South Andean deer ( Hippocamelus bisulcus).
Deer have never lived in Africa south of the Sahara, but are part of the natural fauna of northwestern Africa, Eurasia and the Americas. Old World deer originated in Asia, while New World deer originated in the Arctic.
All deer are ruminants, but, unlike bovids, they are not adapted to eating coarse grasses, but eat more easily digestible shoots, young leaves, succulent grasses, lichens and fruits.
A number of deer species live alone or in small family groups, others tend to form herds (fallow deer).
The deer group includes the family Cervidae(red deer with subspecies, Indian and maned sambara, lyre deer, barasinga, Roosevelt red deer, David deer, fallow deer, axis, Philippine pig deer, muntjac, crested deer, swamp deer, spotted deer, white-tailed deer, pampas deer, Peruvian deer, South Andean deer, elk, large and red mazama, common and northern pudú, European and Sisbirian roe deer, etc.) and three close families: deer - Tragulidae(Indian, African, large and small rocked), musk deer - Moschidae and pronghorns - Antilocarpidae. In Russia, there are three species of the genus Deer (noble with subspecies, spotted, fallow deer); two species of the genus Roe deer (European and Siberian), two species of the genus Elk (moose, moose), one species of the genus Reindeer, one species of the musk deer family (Siberian musk deer).
Family Giraffes and Okapi(Fig. 6.19).
Fig.6.19. Representatives of Giraffes and Okapi: 1 - giraffe, reticulated subspecies ( Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata); 2- giraffe, Kenyan subspecies ( Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirschi); 3 - giraffe, southern subspecies ( Giraffa camelopardalis giraffe); 4 - okapi ( Ocapia johnstoni).
The giraffe and its closest relative, the Okapi, have long necks, tails, and legs; while the forelimbs are longer than the hind limbs, which makes the back sloping. Small, ever-growing horns are made of bone covered with skin and down. The lips are thin and mobile, the tongue (black) is long and flexible. The eyes and ears are large. Found only in Africa (South of the Sahara). The okapi is shorter in stature and appears more horse-like.
Due to its huge growth, food (acacia leaves) and in drought is always available in abundance for this animal, so the giraffe can breed all year round. To drink, you need to lie down or spread your front legs very wide, assuming an awkward posture. Running reaches a speed of 50 km / h. Inhabiting the savannah, giraffes live in small non-hierarchical groups (up to 12 individuals). Young males gather in groups of bachelors, and in adulthood they switch to a solitary lifestyle. Males fight for the right to the female, repeatedly swinging their necks and inflicting head blows on the opponent's lower abdomen.
Living in a dark rainforest, the okapi has poor eyesight, but a good sense of smell and keen hearing. They lead a solitary lifestyle and mark their territory. Like giraffes, they supplement their diet with mineral nutrition (they eat soil, lick clay, charcoal, chew the bones of corpses). During mating, the female and male walk together for several days.
Family camels(Fig. 6.20).
Rice. 6.20. Representatives of the Camel family: 1- two-humped camel ( Cfmelus bactrianus); 2 – humped camel (camelus dromedaries); 3 - guanaco ( lama guanicoe); 4 - vicuña ( Vicugna vicugna).
Some authors present the Camel family as an independent detachment - calluses (Tulopoda). Two types of camels are easily visually distinguished by the number of humps: one-humped (North Africa and the Middle East) and two-humped (Northern Asia); both species are domesticated. The remaining 4 species live in South America (wild guanaco and vicuna; domesticated - llama and alpaca).
All camels are adapted to the conditions of arid regions. Camels step on a callused cushion (an adaptation for walking on soft loose sand); in South American species, the foot is narrow, adapted for walking in rocky gorges. They amble. They form harems. Vegetable food (herbs, shoots); are able to do without water and food for a long time, using the accumulation of fat in the humps.
Male guanacos have several sharp, hook-shaped teeth that are used as weapons in battles with rivals. Vicuñas are exclusively grazing animals, with sharp, constantly growing incisors adapted for cutting low-growing grass.
Family Pigs(Fig. 6.21). All members of the family (boars, pigs, babirussa, warthog) are omnivorous compared to herbivorous (herbivorous) other artiodactyls. In addition to plants, they eat insects, worms, small vertebrates, and even carrion, food waste. Their nostrils on an elongated muzzle are closed with a cartilaginous disk (patch) - an excellent tool for digging in the process of foraging. The upper and lower fangs are sharp and long and can be used as weapons (the elongated, curved fangs of the male babirus, as well as other species, demonstrate its status).
Males tend to live alone or in a group of bachelors, and females with piglets in a close family group (herd). The core of such a group is the older female with her brood, and others more or less constantly join her. The herd often adheres to permanent places for rest, swimming in mud puddles (baths). Group members know each other and communicate with each other (various sounds). The female with piglets are arranged in a common prepared bed.
Babirussa has a more specialized diet than pigs (leaves, fruits, mushrooms). The bush pig often follows the monkeys, picking up the fruit they drop.
Rice. 6.21. Representatives of the Pigs, Bakers and Hippos families: 1-boar ( Sus scrofa); 2 - warthog ( Phacochoerus africanus); 3 - babirussa ( Babyrousa babyrousa); 4 - big forest pig ( Hylochoerus meinertzhageni); 5 - hippopotamus or hippopotamus ( Hippopotamus amphibious); 6 - pygmy hippopotamus ( Hexaprotodon liberiensis); 7 - Chak peccary ( Catogonus wagneri); 8 - bushy-eared pig ( Potamochoerus porcus); 9 - bush pig ( Potamochoerus larvatus); 10 - collared peccary ( Pecari tajacu).
The family includes 5 genera and 14 species; the greatest species diversity is characteristic of Africa. In Russia, there is one widespread species - a wild boar.
Family Bakers. Represented by three genera and three species: white-lipped, collared, Chaksky peccary; distribution is limited to the American continents.
Like pigs, peccaries are omnivorous, but some food preference can be traced (the Chak peccary feeds mainly on cacti). Animals are social, sometimes live in large herds; social ties are expressed (rubbing against each other's scent glands, grunting, squealing, clicking their teeth).
Family hippos. Includes 2 genera and 2 species: hippopotamus (tropics and subtropics of Africa), pygmy hippopotamus (West Africa). Both species are closer relatives of whales than other ungulates. They lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle, resting in the water all day and only at night they go to land in search of food. They have a large head, barrel-shaped body and short legs. The semi-aquatic hippopotamus is 7 times heavier than the pygmy hippopotamus feeding in the forest.
The hippopotamus does not have sweat glands (regulates body temperature by plunging into water). It swims and dives well, walks along the bottom; paws are provided with membranes; nostrils and ears close under water; eyes, nostrils and ears are high (see and hear without protruding high from the water); cubs are born and fed with milk, also under water. Herd. Dominant males are territorial and mate with those females that wander into their territory. Herbivorous.
The pygmy hippo is usually solitary; hides in swamps or in coastal alien (otter) burrows. The diet is more varied (roots, fruits).
Order Rodents (Rodentia)(Fig. 6.22).
Includes 29 families, 442 genera, 2010 species; inhabited almost all habitats of the planet and account for almost 40% of all mammalian species. Capable of rapid reproduction in large numbers; are the oldest placental mammals. They show pronounced synanthropy. The number of individuals exceeds the number of all other mammals combined. The smallest representative of the detachment is a baby mouse (4.5 - 6 g), the largest is a guinea pig from South America (65 kg). The most characteristic feature of rodents is the structure of the dental system: 2 pairs of sharp incisors that constantly grow and sharpen against each other; rodents have no fangs, and the molars are separated from the incisors by a toothless gap (diastema), which allows the lips to close while chewing food so that its inedible parts remain outside the mouth. Most rodents are herbivorous (leaves, fruits, nuts, seeds, young shoots, bark, rarely invertebrates), but there are several species that feed mainly on meat and even omnivores. Many are burrowers. Relate to the various environmental groups. A smaller part lives alone, and the majority is sociable (thousands of individuals).
Rice. 6.22. Representatives of rodent families: 1 - caliber ( Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris); 2 - river beaver ( Castor fiber); 3 - gray squirrel ( Sciurus carolinensis); 4 - aplodontia ( Aplodontia rufa); 5 - spiketail Derby ( Anomalurus derbianus); 6 - Gopher Botta ( Thomomys bottae); 7 - long-legged ( Pedetes capensis); 8 - prickly jumper ( Liomys irroratus); 9 - forest mouse ( Sicista betulina); 10 - red-tailed gerbil ( Meriones lybicus); 11 – forest dormouse (Dryomys nitedula); 12 - American flying squirrel ( Gaucomys volans); 13 - Eversman's hamster ( Cricetulus eversmanni); 14 - Norwegian lemming ( Lemus lemus); 15 - Brandt's vole ( Microtus brandti); 16 - speckled ground squirrel ( Citellus suslicus); 17 – water vole (Arvicola terrestris); 18 - large gerbil ( Rhombomys opimus); 19 - small earth hare ( Allactaga elater); 20 - Malayan porcupine ( Hystrix branchyura); 21 – mole rat (Spalax microphthalmus); 22 - ordinary zokor ( myospalax myospalax).
The role of rodents in ecosystems corresponds to their species diversity and abundance: first of all, they are the main food for predatory animals; contribute to the spread of seeds of forest plants, tree symbiont fungi, incl. mycorrhiza formers and many others. others
Detachment Rodentia in accordance with the structure of the chewing muscles, they are divided into 3 orders: proteinaceous, mouse, porcupine; this division is widely used, although genetic studies give grounds for reducing the number of suborders to two.
Suborder proteinaceous in accordance with the structural features of the dental system (powerful anterior bite, one or two premolars remain in each row), includes the families of beaver, aplodont, squirrel, gopher, saccular, spiny-tailed, long-legged, flying squirrel. Tree squirrels and nocturnal flying squirrels forage (fruits, nuts, seeds, shoots, leaves, invertebrates) and make their homes in the tree canopy of the forest; squirrels living on the surface of the earth (ground squirrels, prairie dogs, marmots, chipmunks) prefer various herbs; beavers are best suited for an aquatic lifestyle and the use of woody fodder; gopher, sac-skipper, aplodont and long-legged are burrowing rodents.
Squirrels include 8 families, 71 genera and 383 species. I have a wide distribution. In Russia, there are two species of beavers (river and Canadian), one species of Asian flying squirrels (flying squirrel), two species of squirrels (common and Persian), one species of chipmunks (Asian chipmunk), ten species of ground squirrels (long-tailed, American, small, Elbrus, speckled , Dahurian, reddish, yellow, red-cheeked), five types of marmots (steppe, gray, Mongolian, Baikal, black-capped).
Suborder Mouse. More than a quarter of mammalian species belong to the murine group. They have a characteristic structure of chewing muscles; they have the largest number of molars (three in each row). There are 3 families: mouse (over 1000 species), dormice and jerboas.
Mouse representatives have occupied almost all terrestrial habitats in the world (from polar regions to deserts). These are often small nocturnal animals that feed on seeds. Some of them spend most of their time in water or underground. Mice and rats are very diverse: from climbing trees to foraging in the water (fish), but most are terrestrial inhabitants living in forests or meadows. Voles and lemmings found throughout the Northern Hemisphere have adapted to tough grass diets; many of them spend the winter in burrows under the snow. Eurasian hamsters have mastered the fields and lead a solitary lifestyle. Gerbils live mainly in arid regions of Africa and Asia. Mice prefer grassy and shrubby thickets.
Family Dormouse and Jerboas more specialized.
Dormouse (forest, garden, hazel, polchok) differ in the characteristics of the diet: forest and garden dormice prefer mainly animal food (insects, eggs and chicks of birds, snails, mice, as well as fruits, berries, nuts, acorns), but forest more massively uses caterpillars and butterfly pupae as food. Shelf and hazel dormouse are more herbivorous (nuts, buds, young bark, etc.). Preparing for winter, they store food in a nest or hole; hibernation spend up to 9 months a year. These are typical arboreal animals.
Jerboas - inhabitants of open spaces; adapted even in deserts with the most harsh conditions. Having longer hind legs, they move by jumps. Norniks lead a solitary lifestyle. They go into hibernation. They feed mainly on seeds, bulbs, rhizomes of plants, gourds. They lead a nocturnal lifestyle. In Russia, the genus of Earth hares is represented by 3 species (large, small, jumper); of the desert species are common: tarbagan, upland jerboa, common lizard and a very rare five-fingered pygmy jerboa.
Suborder Porcupines.
Representatives of this group of rodents are distinguished by: a large head, a rounded body, short legs and a tail. Unlike other rodents, they give birth to a small number of well-developed young. Porcupines have mastered a variety of habitats, resulting in a huge variety of their life forms.
To the group Caviomorpha not only porcupines, guinea pigs and other species similar to them are included, but also maara - a long-legged grazing animal; semi-aquatic capybara (most large rodent); chinchillas and viscachas (live only in the highlands); agouti (fast animal with long thin limbs); tuko-tuko (inhabitant of a complex system of holes); as well as an ecological analogue of prairie dogs; hutia (easily climbing trees); paka (a nocturnal animal that rests during the day in a shallow hole); pakarana (the third largest living rodent); mole rats (eternal diggers, naked mole rats, colonial underground animals with a clear social structure, have reached the heights of digging skills); bamboo and reed rats; rock rat (a rock dweller adapted to life in narrow crevices), etc.
Most modern porcupines are found in Central and South America, where they lead tree image life (with the help of a tenacious tail they deftly climb trees). They share many features with Old World porcupines, but the latter are mostly burrowing animals.
The family of mole rats in Russia is represented by two species: the common mole rat (lives in the forest-steppe and tall grass steppes), the giant mole rat (the semi-deserts of the Caspian Sea).
Order Lagomorpha (Lagomorpha)(Fig. 6.23).
Combines hares, rabbits and pikas. Unlike rodents, lagomorphs have a second pair of smaller upper incisors behind the first pair of incisors, known as "peg teeth".
Lagomorphs are distributed almost throughout the world; they are not only in the south of South America and on many islands.
Lagomorphs are divided into two families: hares ( Leporidae) and pikas ( Ochotonidae). The eyes are located on the sides of the head; relatively large ears (very long in hares and rabbits and short, rounded in pikas) provide acute hearing. Hares and rabbits run fast (long hind legs), pikas have short legs, but they perfectly hide in case of danger in mountain crevices, in cavities under heaps of large stones.
They give numerous offspring, allowing rapid restoration of numbers.
Rice. 6.23. Representatives of Lagomorphs: 1 - European Hare ( Lepus europaeus); 2 - white hare ( Lepus timidus); 3 - American hare ( Lepus americanus); 4 - antelope hare ( Lepus alleni); 5 - California hare ( Lepus californicus); 6 - tolai hare, or sandstone ( Lepus tolai); 7 - tailless hare ( Lepus townsendii); 8 - striped hare ( Nesolagus netscheri); 9 - bristly hare ( Caprolagus hispidus); 10 - African hare ( Poelagus marjorita); 11 - European wild rabbit ( Oryctolagus cuniculus); 12 - tailless rabbit ( Rompoligus diazi); 13 - steppe, or small pika ( Ochotona pusilla); 14 - Altai pika ( Ochotona alpine); 15 - big-eared pika ( Ochotona macrotis); 16 - red pika ( Ochotona rutila); 17 - American pika ( Ochotona princes).
Pikas (Altai, steppe, Dahurian, American, Indian, big-eared, red, black-lipped) form colonies, but males and females of the American pika occupy separate (adjacent to each other) territories. A number of species prepare food for the winter. Family members communicate using a wide repertoire of calls, groom each other, rub their noses, and play together.
Hares (hare, hare, tailless, American, antelope, tolai, black-tailed, African, etc.) lead a solitary lifestyle, but during severe winters they can gather in large flocks (hare).
Rabbits (Central European, Brazilian, Florida, Idaho, Californian, tailless) lead both terrestrial and burrowing lifestyles. An example of the latter is the European wild rabbit, which lives in permanent territorial breeding groups.
Jumping order (Macroscelidae)(Fig. 6.24).
Rice. 6.24. Representatives of the Prygunchikovs: 1 - spotted proboscis dog ( Rhynchocyon cirnei); 2 - red jumper ( Elephantulus rufescens); 3 - four-fingered jumper ( Petrodromus tetradactylus).
Recently allocated to a special detachment. They have a relatively long movable proboscis; acute hearing and vision; long, slender limbs that allow jumping. They feed on insects and other invertebrates.
They live in monogamous couples, i.e. share the same territory, support the path network. Strangers are expelled, but the members of the couple themselves rarely communicate.
Jumpers (spotted proboscis, red, four-toed jumper, etc. - a total of 15 species from 4 genera) are found in most of Africa (deserts, savannas, meadows, plains, tropical forests).
Following the discovery of the platypus, news came of another creature with a beak, only now it is covered with needles. This is an echidna. For a long time, scientists argued about which class to classify these two creatures. And they came to the conclusion that the platypus and echidna, egg-laying mammals, should be placed in a separate detachment. This is how the detachment One-pass, or cloacal, appeared.
Amazing platypus
A unique creature of its kind, leading a nocturnal lifestyle. The platypus is distributed only in Australia and Tasmania. The animal lives half in the water, that is, it builds holes with access to the water and to land, and also feeds in the water. A creature of small size - up to 40 centimeters. It has, as already mentioned, a duck nose, but at the same time it is soft and covered with skin. Only in appearance it is very similar to a duck. There is also a 15 cm tail, similar to a beaver's tail. The paws are webbed, but at the same time they do not prevent the platypus from walking on the ground and digging holes perfectly.
Since the genitourinary system and intestines exit the animal into one hole, or cloaca, it was attributed to separate species- Cloacal. It is interesting that the platypus, unlike ordinary mammals, swims with the help of its front paws, and the hind legs serve as a rudder. Among other things, let's pay attention to how it reproduces.
Platypus breeding
Interesting fact: before breeding, the animals hibernate for 10 days, and only after that the mating season begins. It lasts almost the entire autumn, from August to November. Platypuses mate in the water, and after a two-week period, the female lays an average of 2 eggs. Males do not participate in the later life of offspring.
The female builds a special hole (up to 15 meters long) with a nest at the end of the tunnel. Lines it with raw leaves and stems to maintain a certain humidity so that the eggs do not dry out. Interestingly, for protection, she also builds a barrier wall 15 centimeters thick.
Only after the preparatory work, she lays eggs in the nest. The platypus incubates eggs by curling up around them. After 10 days, babies are born, naked and blind, like all mammals. The female feeds the babies with milk, which flows from the pores directly through the fur into the grooves and accumulates in them. Babies lick milk and thus feed. Feeding lasts about 4 months, and then the kids learn to get food on their own. It was the method of reproduction that gave this species the name "egg-laying mammal".
extraordinary echidna
Echidna is also an egg-laying mammal. This is a land creature of small size, reaching up to 40 centimeters. It also lives in Australia, Tasmania and the islands of New Guinea. In appearance, this animal looks like a hedgehog, but with a long narrow beak, not exceeding 7.5 centimeters. Interestingly, the echidna has no teeth, and it catches prey with the help of a long sticky tongue.
The body of the echidna is covered on the back and sides with spines, which were formed from coarse wool. Wool covers the belly, head and paws of the animal. Echidna is fully adapted for a certain type of food. It feeds on termites, ants and small insects. She leads a daytime lifestyle, although it is not easy to find her. The fact is that she has a low body temperature, up to 32 degrees, and this does not allow her to endure a decrease or increase in ambient temperature. In this case, the echidna becomes lethargic and rests under trees or hibernates.
Echidna breeding method
Echidna is an egg-laying mammal, but it was only possible to prove this at the beginning of the 21st century. The mating games of echidnas are interesting. There are up to 10 males per female. When she decides she's ready to mate, she lays down on her back. At the same time, males dig a trench around it and begin to fight for supremacy. The one who turned out to be stronger copulates with the female.
Pregnancy lasts up to 28 days and ends with the appearance of one egg, which the female moves to the brood fold. It is still not clear how the female moves the egg into the bag, but after 10 days the baby appears. The cub comes into the world incompletely formed.
Young
The birth of such a baby is very similar to the birth of young marsupials. They also pass their final development in the mother's pouch and leave her already adults, ready for independent living. An interesting fact: marsupials are also common only in Australia.
How does the baby echidna appear? He is blind and naked, his hind limbs are not developed, his eyes are covered with a leathery film, and fingers are formed only on the front paws. It takes a baby 4 hours to get to milk. Interestingly, in the mother's pouch there are 100-150 pores that secrete milk through special hairs. The kid just needs to get to them.
The baby is in the mother's pouch for about 2 months. He gains weight very quickly due to nutritious milk. Echidna's milk is the only one that has pink color due to the large amount of iron in it. Feeding continues up to 6.5 months. After the young growth learns to get food on its own.
prochidna
Prochidna is another egg-laying mammal. This creature is much larger than its counterparts. The habitat is the north of New Guinea and the islands of Indonesia. The size of the prochidna is impressive, up to 80 centimeters, while its weight is up to 10 kilograms. It looks like a echidna, but the beak is much longer and the needles are much shorter. She lives in mountainous areas and feeds mostly on worms. The structure of the oral cavity of the prochidna is interesting: her tongue has teeth, and with the help of it she is able not only to chew food, but, as has been noted, even to turn over stones.
This species is the least studied, as it lives in the mountains. But at the same time, it was noticed that the animal does not lose mobility in any weather, does not hibernate and knows how to regulate its own body temperature. Reproduction of egg-laying mammals, to which the prochidna belongs, occurs in the same way as in the other two species. She hatches only one egg, which is placed in a bag on her stomach, and feeds the cub with milk.
Comparative characteristics
Now let's look at the types of mammals that live on the Australian continent. So, what is the difference between oviparous, marsupial and placental mammals? To begin with, it must be said that all mammals feed their offspring with milk. But the birth of babies has huge differences.
Oviparous animals have one thing in common. They lay eggs like birds and incubate them for a certain amount of time. After the birth of the offspring, the mother's body produces milk, which the babies eat. It should be noted that the cubs do not suck milk, but lick it from the grooves on the female's stomach. The absence of nipples distinguishes oviparous from other mammals.
Marsupials have a brood pouch, hence their name. The pouch is located on the abdomen of females. A newborn baby, having reached it, finds a nipple and, as it were, hangs on it. The fact is that babies are born unformed and spend several more months in their mother's pouch until they are fully developed. It must be said that oviparous and marsupial mammals are similar in this respect. Echidna and prochidna babies are also born underdeveloped and placed in a kind of brood fold.
What about placental mammals? Their babies are born fully formed due to the presence of a placenta in the uterus. Due to it, the process of nutrition and development of the cub takes place. The majority of animals are placental.
Such a variety of species exists on one continent.
lesson type - combined
Methods: partially exploratory, problem presentation, reproductive, explanatory-illustrative.
Target: mastering the skills to apply biological knowledge in practical activities, to use information about modern achievements in the field of biology; work with biological devices, tools, reference books; conduct observations of biological objects;
Tasks:
Educational: the formation of a cognitive culture, mastered in the process of educational activities, and aesthetic culture as an ability to have an emotional and valuable attitude towards objects of wildlife.
Developing: development of cognitive motives aimed at obtaining new knowledge about wildlife; cognitive qualities of the individual associated with the assimilation of the foundations of scientific knowledge, mastering the methods of studying nature, the formation of intellectual skills;
Educational: orientation in the system of moral norms and values: recognition high value life in all its manifestations, health of one's own and other people; ecological consciousness; education of love for nature;
Personal: understanding of responsibility for the quality of acquired knowledge; understanding the value of an adequate assessment of one's own achievements and capabilities;
cognitive: the ability to analyze and evaluate the impact of environmental factors, risk factors on health, the consequences of human activities in ecosystems, the impact of one's own actions on living organisms and ecosystems; focus on continuous development and self-development; the ability to work with various sources of information, convert it from one form to another, compare and analyze information, draw conclusions, prepare messages and presentations.
Regulatory: the ability to organize independently the execution of tasks, evaluate the correctness of the work, reflection of their activities.
Communicative: the formation of communicative competence in communication and cooperation with peers, understanding the characteristics of gender socialization in adolescence, socially useful, educational, research, creative and other activities.
Technology : Health saving, problematic, developmental education, group activities
Activities (elements of content, control)
Formation of students' activity abilities and abilities to structure and systematize the studied subject content: collective work - study of the text and illustrative material, compilation of the table "Systematic groups of multicellular organisms" with the advisory assistance of expert students, followed by self-examination; pair or group execution laboratory work with the advisory assistance of a teacher with subsequent mutual verification; independent work on the studied material.
Planned results
subject
understand the meaning of biological terms;
describe the features of the structure and the main processes of life of animals of different systematic groups; compare the structural features of protozoa and multicellular animals;
recognize organs and systems of organs of animals of different systematic groups; compare and explain the reasons for similarities and differences;
to establish the relationship between the features of the structure of organs and the functions that they perform;
give examples of animals of different systematic groups;
to distinguish in drawings, tables and natural objects the main systematic groups of protozoa and multicellular animals;
characterize the direction of evolution of the animal world; give evidence of the evolution of the animal world;
Metasubject UUD
Cognitive:
work with different sources of information, analyze and evaluate information, convert it from one form to another;
write a thesis different kinds plans (simple, complex, etc.), structure the educational material, give definitions of concepts;
make observations, set up elementary experiments and explain the results obtained;
compare and classify, independently choosing criteria for the indicated logical operations;
build logical reasoning, including the establishment of cause-and-effect relationships;
create schematic models highlighting the essential characteristics of objects;
identify possible sources of necessary information, search for information, analyze and evaluate its reliability;
Regulatory:
organize and plan their educational activities - determine the purpose of the work, the sequence of actions, set tasks, predict the results of work;
independently put forward options for solving the tasks set, foresee the final results of the work, choose the means to achieve the goal;
work according to a plan, compare your actions with the goal and, if necessary, correct mistakes yourself;
own the basics of self-control and self-assessment for making decisions and making a conscious choice in educational and cognitive and educational and practical activities;
Communicative:
listen and engage in dialogue, participate in a collective discussion of problems;
integrate and build productive interaction with peers and adults;
adequately use speech means for discussion and argumentation of one's position, compare different points of view, argue one's point of view, defend one's position.
Personal UUD
Formation and development of cognitive interest in the study of biology and the history of the development of knowledge about nature
Receptions: analysis, synthesis, conclusion, transfer of information from one type to another, generalization.
Basic concepts
Diversity of mammals, division into orders; general characteristics of detachments, the relationship between lifestyle and external structure. The importance of mammals in nature and human life, the protection of mammals.
During the classes
Knowledge update ( concentration of attention when learning new material)
Choose the correct answer in your opinion.
1. What is the common feature of all vertebrates?
the presence of a spine
habitation air-ground environment
multicellularity
2. How is the brain of vertebrates protected?
sink
shell
skull
3. How many types of vertebrates are there?
4. What special body respiration in fish?
leather
5. What are the respiratory organs of amphibians?
lungs and skin
6. What vertebrates first appeared on earth?
reptiles
Amphibians
7. How do reptiles reproduce?
give birth to cubs
spawn
lay eggs
8. What is the distinguishing feature of birds?
inhabit the air-ground environment
body covered with feathers
only they lay eggs
9. Which group of vertebrates is the most organized on earth?
mammals
10. How do mammals differ from other vertebrates?
feed babies with milk
breathe with lungs
warm-blooded
Learning new material(teacher's story with elements of conversation)
Monotreme mammals: general characteristics, features and origin .
Amazing organisms that lay eggs and feed their young with milk are monotreme mammals. In our article, we will consider the systematics and features of the life of this class of animals. General characteristics of the class Mammals.
The class Mammals, or Beasts, includes the most highly organized representatives of the Chordata type. Them hallmark is the presence of mammary glands in females, the secret of which they feed their cubs. The external features of their structure include the location of the limbs under the body, the presence of hairline and various derivatives of the skin: nails, claws, horns, hooves
Most mammals are also characterized by the presence of seven cervical vertebrae, a diaphragm, exclusively atmospheric breathing, a four-chambered heart, and the presence of a cortex in the brain.
Subclass of the First Beasts. This subclass of Mammals includes a single order called Monotremes.. They got this name due to the presence of a cloaca. This is one opening into which the ducts of the reproductive, digestive and urinary systems open. All these animals reproduce by laying eggs. How can animals with such features be representatives of the class Mammals? The answer is simple. They have mammary glands that open directly to the surface of the body, since monotremes do not have nipples. Newborns lick it off their skin. The primitive features of the structure, inherited from reptiles, are the absence of the cortex and convolutions in the brain, as well as the teeth, the function of which is performed by the horny plates. In addition, their body temperature fluctuates within certain limits depending on its changes in environment from +25 to +36 degrees. Such warm-bloodedness can be considered quite relative. The egg-laying of monotremes cannot be called real. It is often referred to as an incomplete live birth. The fact is that the eggs do not immediately leave the genital ducts of the animal, but linger there for a certain time. During this period, the embryo develops already by half. After leaving the cloaca, monotremes incubate eggs or carry them in a special leathery bag.
Mammals are monotremes: fossil species Paleontological finds of monotremes are rather few. They belong to the Miocene, Upper and Middle Pleistocene epochs. The oldest fossil of these animals is 123 million years old. Scientists have come to the conclusion that the fossil remains practically do not differ from modern species. Monotreme mammals, whose representatives are endemic, live only in Australia and on the adjacent islands: New Zealand, Guinea, Tasmania.
Echidnas First Beasts- represented by only a few species. The echidna is a monotreme mammal. Due to the fact that its body is covered with long hard needles, outwardly this animal resembles a hedgehog. In case of danger, the echidna curls up into a ball, thus protecting itself from enemies. The body of the animal is about 80 cm long, its front part is elongated and forms a small proboscis. Echidnas are nocturnal predators. During the day they rest, and at dusk they go hunting. Therefore, their eyesight is poorly developed, which is compensated by an excellent sense of smell. Echidnas have burrowing limbs. With the help of them and a sticky tongue, they extract invertebrates in the soil. Females usually lay a single egg, which they hatch in a skin fold.
prochidni These are also representatives of the class Mammals, detachment Monotremes. From their closest relatives, echidnas, they differ in a more elongated proboscis, as well as the presence of three fingers instead of five. Their needles are shorter, most of them hidden in the wool. But the limbs, on the contrary, are longer. Prochidnas are endemic to the island of New Guinea. The basis of the diet of these monotremes is made up of earthworms and beetles. Like echidnas, they catch them with a sticky long tongue, on which numerous small hooks are located.
Platypus. This animal seems to have borrowed its body parts from other representatives of this kingdom. The platypus is adapted to semi-aquatic image life. Its body is covered with dense thick hair. It is very rigid and practically impermeable. This animal has a duck's beak and a beaver's tail. The fingers have swimming membranes and sharp claws. In males, horny spurs develop on the hind limbs, into which ducts of poisonous glands open. For a person, their secret is not fatal, but it can cause severe swelling, first of a certain area, and then of the entire limb.
No wonder the platypus is sometimes called "God's joke". According to legend, at the end of the creation of the world, the Creator had unused parts from various animals. From them he created the platypus. It is not just an Australian endemic. This is one of the symbols of the continent, the image of which is found even on the coins of this state. This mammal hunts well in the water. But it builds nests and burrows exclusively on land. He swims at a considerable speed, and grabs his prey almost at lightning speed - within 30 seconds. Therefore, aquatic animals have very few chances to hide from a predator. Thanks to valuable fur the population of the platypus has been significantly reduced. At the moment, hunting for them is prohibited.
V.V. Latyushin, E. A. Lamekhova. Biology. 7th grade. Workbook for the textbook by V.V. Latyushina, V.A. Shapkin "Biology. Animals. 7th grade". - M.: Bustard.
Zakharova N. Yu. Control and verification work in biology: to the textbook by V. V. Latyushin and V. A. Shapkin “Biology. Animals. Grade 7 "/ N. Yu. Zakharova. 2nd ed. - M.: Publishing house "Exam"
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