Prairie animals. The world of steppes and prairies is alive. The fauna of the prairies is very diverse. Ungulate inhabitants of the Eurasian steppe

The material contains information about unique species animal world. Reveals Interesting Facts about its individual representatives. Allows you to form a complete picture natural features continent.

Animals of Australia

The continent has become home to almost 10% of the diversity species Earth. Thanks to this, Australia is in the list of 17 countries in the world that can boast of their unique and the richest flora and fauna.

Both the kangaroo and the emu are found in nature only on this continent, which is why these animals are depicted on the coat of arms of Australia.

Rice. 1. Emblem of Australia.

The most famous animals of Australia around the world are:

• kangaroo;
• ostrich Emu;
• koala;
• dingo dog;
• camel;
• rabbit.

About 80% of the animal species found in Australia are endemic and found nowhere else in the world.

Rice. 2. Koala.

The marine life of the green continent is as diverse as the land life.

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Near the northeast coast is the largest on the planet Earth coral reef(with an area of ​​more than 344 thousand sq. km). There are also many types of mangroves and seaweed, which serve as a refuge for countless fish and the most amazing views representatives of the marine fauna.

However, there is a danger of losing the pristine state of the animal world of Australia due to interference with natural natural processes person. In Australia and on the adjacent islands, the fauna is extremely diverse and unique. Unusual animals live here, which cannot be seen anywhere else on the planet. In Australia, the originality of the landscape has been preserved, which has not been subject to change.

Most of the mainland lands are occupied by deserts that cannot boast of abundant vegetation. In the endless, central part of the mainland, people and animals are forced to spend a lot of time looking for a source of water. Moisture is sufficient only in areas that are located along the coast. It is there that forests grow and live interesting representatives animal world.

On the Australian mainland there are several natural areas. Animals and birds that live in them, nature endowed unique abilities. This is due to the fact that wet, forever green forests, shrouds and deserts differ in specific climatic features.

All mammals on the mainland are marsupials: mothers carry their offspring everywhere and always in a special bag, which is somewhat reminiscent of a pocket.

Rice. 3. Kangaroo.

Due to its remoteness in the old days, the tropical mainland is not only unusual, but also fantastic. All the variety of flora species and what animals live in Australia fascinates with its originality.

Continent of unique animals

Animal world Australia is interesting and attractive for many reasons. The continent is characterized by generous sunshine and a suitable mild climate. There are practically no sharp temperature jumps in this part of the planet.

The shores of the continent water element separated by mountains.

Briefly describe the fauna of this fertile piece of land will not work. The reason is that the fifth continent is universally declared a continent-reserve.

The emu is considered to be an exclusively Australian inhabitant. The bird is inferior in strength to its African counterpart - the Nanda ostrich, but this does not cease to be less strong. The legs of the bird are so developed that just one blow can cause dangerous fractures. Smaller animals that get in the way of an angry bird run the risk of being killed.

About 2/3 of the presented species of highly developed life are endemic - inhabitants of a limited range, animals that live only and exclusively on this part of the land.

Australia is the habitat of extremely dangerous and poisonous snakes on the planet. To classify snakes according to their degree of danger to humans, the content of poison is compared with poison Indian cobra. australian snakes according to this parameter, they occupy the first lines in the list of dangerous reptiles.

With the approach of civilization to the once wild lands of the mainland, its territories became a haven for a large number of animals brought by colonists and travelers. Among the introduced animals are rabbits, dingoes and camels.

Rabbits were brought to the continent by colonists in order to provide the settlers with meat. But due to the fact that their population began to grow uncontrollably, rabbits flooded the entire continent.

Dingo dogs have evolved into wild predators. The rash actions of the colonists and the first settlers of Australia led to the fact that rare species of the most ancient biological species disappeared forever from the ecosystem of the continent.

What have we learned?

We learned which representatives of the local fauna are called endemics. What caused the spread of rabbits across the mainland. What caused the disappearance of some ancient animal species that previously lived on the continent.

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Ecology

Adaptation in the course of evolution led to the emergence of life forms, which were divided into various recognizable groups with special characteristics. However, in our time, there are animals that have escaped from total weight and evolved in a completely different direction.

These creatures, although they belong to certain groups, slightly different from their relatives. For example, did you know that there are a predatory killer parrot, a vegetarian eagle, a bird with hands on its wings and other amazing creatures in the world?

Kea mountain parrot - a dangerous bird

Parrots are known for being flamboyant colorful pretty friendly tropical birds who love nuts, seeds and fruits. These birds are often kept as pets due to their beautiful appearance, friendliness and ability to imitate various sounds.

However, the New Zealand mountain kea parrot(lat. Nestor notabilis) is different from all of its other relatives parrots. With a weight of about a kilogram and a wingspan of 1.2 meters, the kea is a carnivorous bird and eats small birds, mammals and even in some cases sheep!

Because of this feature, kea is considered a big enemy for farmers and motorists. Kea is able to ruin the headlights of parked cars and even break windows.

Unlike other parrots, kea lives in mountain gorges and roam freely in the snow. Such harsh conditions environment made it smartest of all parrots, and maybe even the most smart bird generally. Tracking prey, kea parrots climb great height, like other birds of prey, and make hawk-like calls, unlike those of parrots. Due to human intervention today, kea parrots are vulnerable.

What does a vegetarian eagle eat?

Another example that one species from the family differs from the rest of its representatives. Meet the Vegetarian Eagle palm vulture, African relative golden eagle, buzzard and hawk, which mercilessly destroys oil palms instead of preying on small animals.

This predator has a specially adapted for plant food digestive system , but otherwise similar to common predatory eagles. A powerful beak easily cracks hard nuts, fishing out fatty pulp. It is nuts that allow the bird to replace meat.

Secrets of bird evolution: convergent evolution works wonders

Songbirds belong to a rather diverse group that puzzles scientists and also offers the opportunity to unravel some of the mysteries of evolution. convergent evolution occurs when two unrelated species develop a similar appearance due to environmental conditions.

In the meadows North America there is a bird called western meadow troupial, which separated in the course of evolution from blackbird who lives to this day. The blackbird has black plumage and lives in trees. However, the troupial is different special plumage, appearance and eating habits.

Western meadow troupial (lat. Sturnella neglecta)

AT West Africa another bird lives in the meadows, unrelated - yellow-throated starling pipit, a descendant of a completely different group of birds - skates, small brown birds that live in open areas.

Yellow-throated starling pipit (lat. Macronyx croceus)

Interestingly, the western meadow troupial and the yellow-throated starling pipit look almost the same and at the same time very different from their relatives. This is one example where the environment influences evolution.

For many years, biologists have gazed up into the sky and observed small, sickle-winged birds flying at incredible speeds overhead. These birds looked almost the same, had the same size and body shape, except for the shape of the tail and flight speed.

Martin

It turned out that swallows, relatives of robins, tits and sparrows, belong to one separate group, and birds that are very reminiscent of swallows, but fly much faster - swifts - genetically belong to a different group.

swift

Swifts are so similar to swallows that they are often confused, since these birds live in the same environment. This is another example convergent evolution. Appearances can be deceiving.

Marsupial mole - a strange animal of Australia

Most often, marsupials are found in Australia, they are not related to any other animal groups and often have distinctive features appearance.

Marsupial mole eating a lizard

In the group of marsupials, however, could appear in the course of evolution their "versions" of mammals. For example, in the group carnivorous mammals once a lion appeared, in the group of marsupials there also existed the so-called marsupial lion, now extinct.

common mole

Thus, in the world there is marsupial mole, which is not related to the common mole, which lives in Europe, Asia and North America. The strangest thing is that the marsupial mole is similar to the common mole in appearance and behavior.

Millipedes and Woodlice

If you turn over a stone in the garden, you will most likely find small gray creatures under it with a segmented body and long antennae - woodlice. Many legs protrude from the segmented body. These living creatures look like centipedes, but in fact nothing in common except resemblance, with them do not have.

Common woodlouse (lat. Armadillidium vulgare)

Armadillo- a terrestrial crustacean, a close relative of shrimp and a cousin of crabs and lobsters. bipedal centipede developed a similar appearance in the course of evolution, having no genetic relationship with the first animal. Millipedes are elongated creatures with many legs, living mainly in the forest.

Bipedal centipede (lat. Glomeris marginata)

Madagascar armlet - a fabulous creature that actually lives

animal creature called ah-ah somewhat reminiscent of Golum, but it is not at all a figment of the author's imagination "Lord of the Rings". These animals are based in Madagascar, a remote island in Indian Ocean, on which in the course of evolution appeared very unusual creatures which are not found anywhere in the world.

Ay-ay or little arms- primates and are relatives of chimpanzees, monkeys and even humans, but reach no more than 30 centimeters. Like chimpanzees, bats feed on termites and other tree-dwelling insects.

To get a treat, the arms do not use a stick at all, as monkeys do, but their own. the middle finger, which has an incredible length, allowing you to fish out bugs and termites from hard-to-reach places.

marine iguana

Evolution is often a series of several steps forward from primitive forms to more sophisticated ones or from marine species to ground. AT Devonian(420-360 million years ago) Earth was dominated by various marine reptiles . They are all long dead.

Later, the lizards of the most different forms and sizes that crawled out of the water onto land. However, one species of lizard for some reason returned to the water.. marine iguana- a giant pinkish lizard that cuts through the waves near the Galapagos Islands, belonging to Ecuador.

These herbivorous creatures are similar to their terrestrial cousins, the green iguanas, and feed on seaweed.

Hoatzin is the most unusual bird that has hands

Of the vast number of species of birds, known to science, just one species has something that looks like hands! Hoatzin- a strange primitive relative of cuckoos, whose homeland is rainforests South America. This unusual bird there is a peculiarity vestige of reptiles.

When hoatzin chicks hatch, it becomes immediately obvious that these birds have kept incredible primitive a trait that some dinosaurs had. The chick has two arms, armed with sharp claws, which protrude from the wing joints and are used to climb trees for safety, as the chicks cannot yet fly.

It is also interesting that hoatzins - the only ruminants, which have developed a digestive system similar to that of a large cattle, which feeds on fermented plant material from the second stomach.

Hoatzin chicks (video)

Are Pronghorns American Antelopes?

Ungulate spotted animals live on the prairies of North America pronghorns. These creatures very similar to antelope and even in Latin they are called Antilocapra americana (American antelope). However, antelopes live only in Africa and Asia and are close relatives of goats.

Pronghorns, in turn, belong to the family pronghorn and are ruminants. These creatures Dont Have family ties with antelopes despite the outward resemblance.

Steppe - endless grassy expanses stretching for several kilometers and not a single tree around. At first glance, the steppe looks like a desert area - only flora and no fauna. But the first impression is wrong! Of course, the fauna of the steppe is not as diverse as in the forests, but there is someone to see here. Hot summers, dry climate, severe cold in winter and the absence of trees leave their mark on the characteristics and behavior of steppe animals. This allows only strong and hardy animals to survive in the steppe. Steppe animals lead mainly night image life.

There is a steppe on every continent, so there are a huge number of species of steppe animals. Each continent has its own characteristics and its own animals.

Steppe animals of Eurasia continent

If we talk about the steppe animals of our continent, rodents are the first to come to mind. Hares, voles, jerboas. Gophers also live in the steppe - one of the largest in Russia - the yellow gopher can reach one and a half kilograms. And also in steppe zone Baibak lives in Eurasia - this is one of the biggest marmots our continent. Its weight can reach 10 kilograms. All rodents live in burrows. They hide there from enemies, heat and frost. Rodents cover their burrows with dry grass, but they spend most of their lives on the surface in search of food - insects and plants. Most rodents hibernate during the winter.

And also in the steppes of the Eurasian continent you can meet badgers.

As for predators, foxes, ermines, weasels and ferrets can be found in the steppe. They feed on small rodents and insects. Found in Transbaikalia steppe cat Manul. Often small predators occupy rodent burrows.

steppe birds

Most of the birds living in the steppe usually fly away for the winter to warmer climes. Speaking of steppe birds, the first thing that comes to mind is an eagle - a beautiful proud predatory bird. The bustard lives in the steppe - a rather large bird, outwardly similar to a turkey. Bustard is now on the verge of extinction and is listed in the Red Book. If we talk about small birds, then come to mind:

• lark;
• thrush;
• quail;
• finch;
• goldfinch;
• seamstress flycatcher.

Dangerous reptiles live in the steppe: these are steppe viper. Its color allows it to remain unnoticed and its poison is dangerous to humans, although not fatal. Therefore, walking through the steppe expanses, you should carefully look at your feet. It should be noted that the number of this species is rapidly declining from the plowing of steppe lands. steppe viper feeds on small lizards, frogs, insects, rodents, and is not averse to eating eggs and chicks of small birds.

Ungulate inhabitants of the Eurasian steppe

Not so long ago, several hundred years ago, in the expanses of the Eurasian steppe, bison and wild donkeys, tarpans and saigas grazed in huge herds. Today they numbers have been significantly reduced. Now most of them are at the stage of extinction, and, for example, the tarpan has already been exterminated by man.

Saiga can be found in the steppes of Russia. This is a small sand-colored antelope. A feature of the saiga is the structure of its muzzle - humpbacked, which ends in a short trunk with a pair of nostrils. It acts as a heater - when running fast in winter, due to the enlarged nasal cavities, the inhaled air is warmed. They can reach speeds of up to 70-80 km per hour.

African steppe

Savannah - African steppe- have an interesting fauna. She is very diverse. Here you can meet giraffes and elephants. On the expanses of the savannah graze huge herds antelopes and zebras. They are prey for bloodthirsty, merciless, strong and fast predators. Here lives the king of beasts - lion, most strong predator savannas. The competition here is the fastest predator on the planet - the cheetah. Its main prey is the antelope. A cheetah-like leopard can prey on baboons and warthogs. Not all savannah predators obtain their prey by stalking or ambushing. The hyena just eats up someone else's prey. But at the same time, if necessary, she is able to hunt and kill, for example, a zebra.

The savannah is inhabited by white and black rhinoceros. Both species are on the verge of extinction. Therefore, activists scientists create reserves to make the rhinos feel safe and protected from poachers. By doing so, scientists hope to preserve and increase the populations of the black and white rhino.

There are many types of birds in the savannah. The first bird that you want to pay attention to is, of course, an ostrich. it unique bird. This is not a flying bird, but a "running" one. The ostrich is the largest bird on the planet. An ostrich can weigh up to 150 kilograms.

In the savannah you can find:

• storks;
• vultures;
• vultures;
• horned ravens;
• and many, many other types.

In Africa, animals are revered. Images of animals can be seen on the coats of arms of many African countries.

Animals of the steppes of Australia

Due to its isolation, Australia has preserved its ancient and peculiar fauna. In Australia you can find many species of endemic animals These species are not found on any other continent.

The brightest and well-known representatives Australia are, of course, kangaroos. Kangaroos are marsupials, have long strong hind legs and a powerful tail for balance. In height, kangaroos can reach one hundred and seventy centimeters and weigh up to 40 kilograms. Kangaroos move exclusively by jumping and can reach speeds of 60 to 90 kilometers per hour.

Another cute endemic living in the vastness of Australia is wombat. A cute appearance, reminiscent of an teddy bear cub, a mobile and emotional muzzle, at first sight, evoke tenderness. This unique animal has been preserved in its original form, having not undergone any radical changes over 18 million years. Like other endemics of Australia, the wombat belongs to the marsupial family and is a herbivore. The wombat spends a significant part of its life underground. The lifestyle is nocturnal. The wombat feeds on roots, berries, roots, grass shoots and mushrooms.

Animals of the steppe - a huge list of species from ungulates and predators to reptiles and reptiles. You met many of them in the steppes of Russia. But due to the fact that the steppe lands are used for agriculture, many species of steppe animals have either already died out or are on the verge of extinction. It is worth taking care of nature and not forgetting that this heritage is not only ours, but also that of our descendants.

This part of the world is interesting because, stretching for many thousands of kilometers from extreme north far, fits everything on its territory climatic zones that are on the planet.

That's North America. There really is everything here: deserts that breathe icy cold and burn with the heat of the heat, as well as full of a riot of nature and colors, famous for blessed rains, rich vegetation and kingdom animals,forests of North America.

The mainland includes the coldest areas of the world's land, since, closer than all other continents, it almost came close to the north to the Earth's pole.

The Arctic deserts are firmly shackled by the thickness of glaciers, and only in some places in the south are covered with lichens and mosses. Moving further, to more fertile areas, one can observe expanses.

And further south is located, still cold, the forest-tundra, where snow completely frees the earth, except perhaps for a month, in July. Further inland, vast expanses stretched, overgrown with coniferous forests.

Representatives of the fauna of this territory have some similarities with the types of life living in Asia. In the center are endless areas of prairie, where a couple of centuries ago wildlife of North America flourished in all its diversity until rapid development civilization did not affect the representatives of the local fauna in the most sad way.

southern part the mainland almost rests on the equator, in view of this, the central regions of America, located in this area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe continent, are distinguished by the climate of the tropics. Fertile humid heat reigns in Florida and in Gulf of Mexico.

Forests occasionally irrigated warm rains, characteristic of the Pacific coast, immersed in greenery, south of Mexico. Stories about local nature with enumeration animal names of North America, characteristic of this area with a favorable climate, gave rise to the writing of many scientific papers, books and encyclopedias.

The Cordillera became an important part of the landscape of the mainland. A series of rocky mountains stretches from Canada to the territory of Mexico, obscuring the humid air coming from the Pacific Ocean from the west, so the eastern part of the continent receives little rainfall.

And only closer to the coast in the southeast, flows of fertile moisture come from the Atlantic Ocean. All this and other features affected the diversity flora and animals of north america. A photo representatives of the fauna of the continent and descriptions of some of them will be presented below.

Coati

A mammal related to raccoons and representing the family of these animals. It has a short coat of a dark brown or orange hue, a narrow head and small size, rounded ears.

Of the remarkable features of the appearance of the coati, one can name the stigma-nose, which is so prominent, mobile and funny that it was he who became the reason for the name of the genus of such representatives of the fauna -.

With their nose they get their livelihood, diligently tearing up the ground for them, in search of beetles, scorpions and termites. On the mainland north america animals of this kind are found in the lowland forests of the tropics, among shrubs and rocks in Mexico and in southern regions USA.

Pictured animal coati

Red Lynx

This creature is outwardly similar to its relatives, but is approximately two times smaller in size (body length is not more than 80 cm), has short legs and narrow paws.

Refers to the type animals of north america, what kind They live in cactus-covered deserts, on mountain slopes and in subtropical forests. have brown-red fur (in some cases it can be gray or even completely black).

Red lynxes are distinguished by a white mark located at the tip of the black tail. They feed on small rodents, catch rabbits and squirrels, and are not averse to eating even porcupines, despite their thorns.

Pictured is a red lynx

Pronghorn

Ruminant is an ungulate animal that has lived on the territory of the continent since ancient times. It is believed that there were once about 70 species of such representatives of the fauna.

Outwardly, these creatures have some resemblance to, although they are not. Their neck, chest, flanks and belly are covered with white fur. are among rare animals of north america.

The Indians called them: cabris, but by the time the Europeans arrived on the continent, there were only five species left, most of which had already disappeared.

pronghorn animal

Collared peccary

artiodactyl mammal, which has a black-brown color, complemented by a black stripe running along the back, another white-yellow stripe runs from the throat through the back of the head, looking like a collar, which gave rise to the name of the animal.

They have black, gray and brown scales, as if strewn with mother-of-pearl beads. A similar visual effect is created by yellow and white spots on each of the scales covering the body, often they merge into various complex patterns.

In the mountainous regions of the south of the continent, one of the varieties of such creatures lives - the Arizona snake, some individuals of which reach a meter in length. They also feed on small rodents, they are distinguished by an almost white head and a peculiar coloring: black-edged, rings on a red background of the body itself.

king snake

Green rattlesnake

A venomous snake found throughout North America, representing the viper family. These creatures have a gray-green color, against which transverse spots stand out.

This kind is characterized by: a large and flat head, a strong body and a short tail. They live in steppes and deserts, often hiding in rock crevices. Their poison has a detrimental effect on nervous system person.

green rattlesnake

toad lizard

By outward signs has some resemblance to a toad, which was the reason for this name. These creatures are distinguished by an angular, not too long head, decorated on the back of the head and on the sides with horn spikes of impressive size.

Their skin is covered with horny scales. These, of which about 15 species are known in the United States and Mexico, are inhabitants of rocky areas, mountains, plateaus and semi-deserts. They feed on insects and. In order to frighten their enemies, they are able to inflate themselves.

toad lizard

Zebra-tailed iguana

An inhabitant of deserts and areas with a rocky landscape. This herbivore is grey, sometimes with brown tint, the background of the body, has a curled tail with black and white colors. Able to change color, which becomes brighter with increasing air temperature. Prefers heat and loves to soak up the hot sand.

Zebra-tailed iguana

sea ​​otter

The sea otter is an inhabitant of the coast of North America. These animals are distributed from Alaska to California, and inhabit bays rich in kelp thickets, rocky coves and sea strips along steep coasts.

Their appearance is reminiscent of why they are called, as well as sea beavers. Adapted to life in the aquatic environment. They have an elongated body and short legs. The head of the animals is small, the ears are long. The color can be the most diverse: from red to black. The weight is about 30 kg.

Pictured is an animal sea otter

California condor

The bird species is considered rare. These are birds representing the American family. The main background of the plumage is black. In accordance with the name, they are found in California, in addition, they live in Mexico and the states of Utah and Arizona in the USA. They feed mainly on carrion.

California condor bird

California ground cuckoo

Desert dweller. The coloring is interesting: the head, back, as well as the tuft and long tail are dark brown, strewn with whitish specks; the belly and neck of birds are lighter.

Such birds are able to run perfectly, developing impressive speed, but they practically do not know how to fly, because only for short moments they have the ability to rise into the air. fish, starfish and, as well as other creatures and invertebrates that inhabit the waters of the ocean coast.

western gull

virgin eagle owl

Of the representatives of the owl family, this bird is considered the largest on the continent. Their color can be black, gray or reddish.

Birds can take root in the tundra and deserts (such individuals usually have a lighter color), and specimens found in forests are usually darker. These are distinguished by orange-dark eye color and emit buzzing hollow sounds, sometimes similar to coughing or rumbling.

In the photo is a virgin owl

Virginia ptarmigan

Having plumage on top Brown color and a lighter bottom, small in size (weighing up to 200 g). She lives in rare forests and in meadows overgrown with shrubs. they prefer to gather in small groups, and at night they sleep on the ground with their heads out to be always on the alert.

Pictured is an American partridge

hairy woodpecker

Hairy, tiny, weighing less than 100 g, with long tail. The main background of the plumage is black and white, the males have a red spot on the back of the head. There are such birds in forests, gardens and parks. Their food is fruits, nuts, berries, bird eggs, tree sap and insects.

hairy woodpecker

Turkey

A purely American bird belonging to the pheasant genus was domesticated on the continent about 1000 years ago and is a relative. Has a number interesting features appearance: leathery growths on the head and peculiar appendages on the beak of males, reaching a length of about 15 cm.

From them you can accurately judge the mood of the birds. When they start to get nervous, the appendages increase significantly in size. Adult domestic turkeys can reach a weight of 30 kg or more.

Pictured is a turkey bird

Turkey vulture

The most widespread bird of prey on the continent. Enough large sizes, the head is disproportionately small, naked and highlighted in red. Cream-colored short beak is bent down.

The main background of the feathers of the body is brown-black, the legs are short. Prefers to settle in open spaces. Such birds are distributed almost everywhere on the continent, but are rare in the tropics.

bird vulture turkey

scorpions

Dangerous arachnids with a venomous sting at the tip of their tail. it terrible weapon creatures use in the fight against predators and against their own victims. In the deserts of Arizona and California, there are about six dozen species of such poisonous creatures.

One of them is woody, whose toxic poison affects the human nervous system like an electrical impulse, often with fatal. Less dangerous are the desert hairy and stripedtal scorpions, but their bites are still quite painful.

Pictured is a scorpion

sharks

The waters of the two oceans that wash the shores of the continent are home to many dangerous sea ​​creatures. These include bull, tiger and, ranked as cannibal predators.

Cases of attack by these terrible, possessing sharp teeth, in an instant biting through human flesh, fatal water monsters have been repeatedly noted in California and Florida. Similar tragedies also took place in the states of Carolina and Texas.

Steppes covering the whole central part North America are called prairies. For a long time the prairies were considered huge lifeless territories, and only at the end of the last century, American colonists discovered that this land was fertile, and the fauna was rich and diverse. Thus began the development of the prairie, most of which has now been turned into farms and cattle ranches.

The most numerous inhabitants of the prairies - prairie dogs - relatives of squirrels Warning each other of danger, these rodents make barking sounds, for which they got their name. They live in large colonies, digging complex burrows up to 5 m deep underground. Several colonies form an underground town, the population of which could previously reach tens of millions of individuals. BUT total prairie dogs on the prairies exceeded the entire population of our planet. Such a number of small rodents ate a lot of grass, and farmers began to destroy prairie dogs, believing that they harm crops. In a short time, only a few million remained of these animals throughout North America. In fact, prairie dogs are of great benefit - loosening the ground, they contribute to better growth of grasses and their diversity. These rodents play an important role in the ecosystem as a whole: the existence of many other animal species depends on them.

In steppe conditions, where there is nowhere to hide from predators or bad weather, prairie dog burrows serve as a refuge, and sometimes a permanent home for many species of animals. And these rodents themselves are the main food for a number of predators: badgers, black-footed ferrets, coyote, Mexican falcon, hawks, rabbit owls, rattlesnakes. The destruction of prairie dogs led to a decrease in the number of other animals.

Black-footed ferrets, agile predators that prey mainly on these rodents, suffered the most from the destruction of prairie dogs. For a long time, ferrets were considered completely extinct, but recently a small colony of these predators was discovered. Thanks to the efforts of scientists, they were preserved and bred in captivity. Now black-footed ferrets are returning to the prairies.

coyotes - meadow wolves- live and hunt in packs. Coyotes eat not only prairie dogs, but also hares, badgers, birds such as prairie grouse, and carrion. Unlike wolves, they are easily tamed and can serve a human instead of a dog.

Uninvited neighbors may appear in the holes of prairie dogs - rattlesnakes. They are called rattlesnakes because at the end of their tail they have a ratchet, or rattle, consisting of horn plates. The snake scares off enemies by shaking a rattle that makes a loud sound. These Poisonous snakes feed on rabbits, birds and bird eggs, rodents, including prairie dogs. Therefore, if the prairie dogs smell a snake in one of their passages, they will try to fence off this tunnel from the rest of the property.

Small rabbit owls breed in abandoned prairie dog burrows. Unlike other owls, rabbit owls can hunt not only at night, but also during the daytime. They are the longest of all owls and move by hopping. These birds stand in columns at the entrance to their hole and look out for prey.

Just like prairie dogs, armadillos also live in burrows. The nine-banded armadillo is the only species of armadillo found in North America. He hunts at night for insects, amphibians, reptiles, regales on the fruits and seeds of plants. Armadillo V's body and tail are covered with a shell, consisting of separate stripes and shields, which allows it to curl up into a ball in case of danger.

Once huge herds wild bulls bison and pronghorn inhabited the prairies of North America. The indigenous people - the Indians - hunted them. Animal meat was used as food, clothing was used to stud skins, veins were used instead of threads and as bowstrings for farts, tools were made from bones, skins were stretched over the bones of the spine and sleighs were made from them - nothing was wasted. But everything changed with the advent of Europeans, who competed among themselves who would kill more bison. Hundreds of these animals were shot not for food, but for fun, leaving unnecessary carcasses to rot in the steppe. Bison and pronghorns are on the brink of extinction. Now these animals are under protection, their number is gradually increasing, but they are found mainly in nature reserves. Since the prairies were destroyed by wolves, bison and pronghorn have no natural enemies in nature.

This is a separate family of artiodactyls. They got their name from their forked horns. Pronghorns gather in large herds, and during the breeding season, the herds break up into separate groups: a male and several females. Pronghorns are excellent runners, capable of speeds up to 95 km/h.

Not only large herbivores have suffered from human activity. Meadow and steppe black grouse, as well as wild turkeys, became easy prey. Wild turkeys are much larger than black grouse. These large birds rarely fly, preferring to move on the ground.

Huge herds of bison left traces of their stay on the Great Plains - "buffalo pits". In the summer heat, the bison wallowed in the mud to cool off and protect the body from insects. Tok formed small pits that deepened and expanded by several generations of bulls. When it rains, these pits fill with water, providing shelter for the large number of waterfowl that visit the Great Plains every year, migrating from south to north. "Buffalo pits", ditches and swamps in the prairies - a temporary habitat for brown pelicans Canada goose wild ducks and geese.