Mountain animals. Highlands Animals living in the mountains
Living conditions in the mountains are very different from the plains. As you climb the mountains, the climate changes: the temperature drops, the wind strength increases, the air becomes more rarefied, the winter is longer.
The nature of the vegetation is also different from the foot of the mountains to the peaks. In the mountains Central Asia desert and steppe foothills are usually replaced by forests, in which deciduous trees predominate at first, and then conifers. Higher up is a stunted, subalpine crooked forest, curved down the slope, and thickets of shrubs. Alpine stunted vegetation begins even higher, vaguely resembling the vegetation of the northern tundra. The Alpine belt of mountains directly borders on snow fields, glaciers and rocks; there among the stones there are only rare grass, moss and lichens.
The change of vegetation in the mountains occurs over a distance of only a few thousand meters, counting vertically. This phenomenon is called vertical zonality or zonality. Such a change in vegetation in the most in general terms similar to latitudinal zonality nature on Earth: deserts and steppes are replaced by forests, forests - by forest-tundra and tundra.
Natural conditions in the mountains change not only with height, but also when moving from one slope to another. Sometimes even neighboring areas of the same slope have different natural conditions. It all depends on the position of the site in relation to the cardinal points, on its steepness and on how open it is to the winds.
The diversity of living conditions contributes to the fact that the mountains are inhabited by many species of animals. In terms of the number of species of mountain animals, the forest belt of mountains is the richest. Highlands are much poorer than them. There, living conditions are too harsh: even in summer frosts are possible at night, there is little food. Therefore, the higher in the mountains, the usually fewer species animals. The most elevated parts of the high mountains are covered with eternal snow and are almost completely devoid of life.
Very high in the mountains - almost up to 6 thousand m - they go mountain goats and sheep; occasionally, after them, a mountain leopard rises here - an irbis. Of the vertebrates, only vultures, eagles and some other birds penetrate even higher. The bearded lamb was seen in the Himalayas at an altitude of almost 7 thousand meters, and the condor was seen in the Andes at an even higher altitude. When climbing Chomolungma (Everest), climbers observed at an altitude of 8100 m choughs - close relatives of our crows.
Some animals, in particular crows and hares, are found in almost all zones of the mountains, but most species live in only a few or even in one zone. For example, bullfinches and yellow-headed kinglets nest in the Caucasus Mountains only in the belt of dark coniferous forests formed by fir and spruce.
Irbis or snow leopard.
On the mountains, each vertical zone has its own animal world, to some extent similar to the fauna of the corresponding latitudinal zones of the Earth. Animals of the forest belt of mountains resemble animals deciduous forests and taiga.
Argali.
The tundra partridge, living on the northern coast of Siberia and on the Arctic islands, is also found in the alpine belt of the mountains of Europe and Asia, where living conditions are similar to those in the Arctic. Some other animals common in the Arctic also live in the Alpine belt of mountains: for example, in the mountains of Southern Siberia and East Asia reindeer lives. Deer habitats in Altai are located in most cases not lower than 1500 m above sea level, that is, mainly in the subalpine and alpine belts of mountains, where reindeer moss and other terrestrial lichens grow in abundance. AT winter time when in reindeer diet great importance moss and other lichens have an important role in the choice of habitat is played by the nature of the snow cover. If the snow is too deep and dense, then ground lichens are inaccessible to deer. In winter, the treeless slopes of the mountains of the alpine belt are most favorable for the life of deer, where the snow is blown away by the winds, and on clear days it melts in the sun.
The fauna of the Alpine belt is very peculiar, where many animals are found that are unknown on the plains: different kinds mountain goats (in Western Europe- alpine ibex, in the Caucasus - tour, in the mountains of Asia - Siberian mountain goat), chamois, Asian red wolf, some rodents, vultures, mountain turkey, or snowcock, alpine jackdaw, etc.
Fauna in the Alpine belt of the mountains of Europe, Asia, North America and northern Africa is generally homogeneous. This is due to the fact that in the highlands of the northern hemisphere, living conditions are very similar.
Many mountain animals live only where there are rocks. musk deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep chibouk, argali and goral antelope are saved in the rocks from predators. Birds - rock pigeon, swifts and red-winged wall-climbers - find convenient places for nesting there. The wall climber crawls along sheer cliffs like a woodpecker along a tree trunk. With its fluttering flight, this small bird with bright crimson wings resembles a butterfly. Keklik is often found in dry sunny areas of the mountains.
In many mountains, screes form; the life of such animals as the snow vole and the mountain pika is associated with them (otherwise it is called a haystack). Starting from the second half of summer, especially in autumn, these animals diligently collect blades of grass and twigs of shrubs with leaves, lay them out on stones to dry, and then carry the hay under a shelter of stones.
The peculiar natural conditions of life in the mountains affected appearance animals constantly living there, on the forms of their bodies, lifestyle and habits. They have developed characteristic adaptations helping in the struggle for existence. For example, mountain goats, chamois, American bighorn goat large, mobile hooves, capable of spreading widely. Along the edges of the hooves - from the sides and in front - a protrusion (welt) is well defined, the pads of the fingers are relatively soft. All this allows animals to cling to barely noticeable bumps when moving on rocks and steep slopes and not to slip when running on icy snow. The horny substance of their hooves is very strong and grows back quickly, so the hooves never “wear out” from abrasion on sharp stones. The structure of the legs of mountain ungulates allows them to make big jumps on steep slopes and quickly reach rocks where they can hide from persecution.
Siberian mountain goat.
During the day, ascending currents of air prevail in the mountains. It favors soaring flight large birds- bearded lamb, eagles and vultures. Soaring in the air, they seek out carrion or live prey for a long time. The mountains are also characterized by birds with fast, swift flight: Caucasian mountain grouse, mountain turkey, swifts.
It is cold in the summer high in the mountains, so there are almost no reptiles there: after all, for the most part they are thermophilic. Only viviparous species of reptiles penetrate above others: some lizards, vipers, in northern Africa - chameleons. In Tibet, at an altitude of more than 5 thousand meters, there is a viviparous round-headed lizard. Roundheads, living on the plains, where the climate is warmer, lay eggs.
Lush plumage of mountain birds and thick fur of animals protect them from the cold. The one who lives in high mountains The Asiatic snow leopard has unusually long and luxuriant fur, while its tropical cousin the leopard has short and sparse fur. Animals living in the mountains molt much later in spring than animals of the plains, and in autumn their hair begins to grow back earlier.
Hummingbird in the Andean highlands South America nest in caves in large societies, which contributes to the warming of birds. On cold nights, hummingbirds fall into a stupor, thus minimizing the energy consumption for heating the body, the temperature of which can drop to + 14 °.
One of the remarkable adaptations to life in the mountains is vertical migrations, or migrations. With the onset of autumn, when it becomes cold high in the mountains, snowfalls begin and, most importantly, food is difficult to obtain, many animals migrate down the slopes of the mountains.
A significant part of the birds that live in the mountains of the northern hemisphere fly south for this time. Most of the birds that remain to winter in the mountains descend to the lower zones, often to the very foothills and surrounding plains. On the high altitude very few birds hibernate, such as the mountain turkey. It usually stays near places where tours graze. The snow here is torn apart by their hooves, and it is easier for the bird to find food. The loud, alarming cry of a cautious snowcock warns the aurochs of danger.
Partridge partridges.
Deer, roe deer and wild boar, found in the mountains up to the alpine meadows, descend into the forest in autumn. Most of the chamois also go here for the winter. Mountain goats migrate to the forest part of the mountains and settle here on steep rocky slopes. Sometimes they move to the southern slopes, where snow melts in alpine meadows in the very first hours or days after a snowfall, or to steeper windward slopes, where snow is blown away by winds.
Bearded lamb.
Following wild ungulates, predators hunting them migrate - wolves, lynxes, snow leopards.
Diversity natural conditions in the mountains allows animals to find places for wintering near the areas where they live in the summer. Therefore, the seasonal migrations of animals in the mountains are, as a rule, much shorter than the migrations of animals and birds on the plains. In the mountains of Altai, Sayan and North-Eastern Siberia wild reindeer make seasonal migrations for only a few tens of kilometers, and their relatives living on Far North, in order to reach the wintering place, they sometimes make a journey of five hundred kilometers or more.
In the spring, as the snow melts, the animals that descend down migrate back to the upper zones of the mountains. Among wild ungulates, adult males are the first to rise, later - females with recently born, not yet strong enough babies.
Chamois, mountain goats, wild sheep and other ungulates living in the mountains often die in winter and early spring during snowfalls. In the Alps in the winter of 1905/06, one of snow avalanches a herd of chamois was buried - about 70 goals.
When a lot of snow falls in the mountains, it is very difficult for wintering ungulates: snow prevents them from moving and foraging. In the mountains of the Western Caucasus in 1931-1932. was very snowy winter. The snow layer in some places exceeded 6 m. Many deer, roe deer and other animals migrated to the lower parts of the mountains, where snow cover was less. In this winter, roe deer ran into the villages and were easily given into hands. They were caught and kept in barns along with cattle until the snow melted in the mountains and the roe deer were no longer threatened with starvation. At the end of December 1936 in Caucasian Reserve The snowfall continued for four days. At the upper border of the forest, a layer of new loose snow reached a meter. Researchers of the reserve, being in the mountains, they noticed a deep path that went down the slope. They skied down this trail and soon overtook a large tur. Only a head with horns was visible from the snow.
Lama.
Some species of butterflies, bumblebees and wasps that live high in the mountains have dense pubescence on the body - this reduces heat loss. The latter is also facilitated by the shortening of the appendages of the body - the antennae and legs.
Strong winds in the mountains make life difficult for flying insects. The wind often brings them to snow fields and glaciers, where they die. As a result of long natural selection in the mountains, species of insects arose with greatly shortened, underdeveloped wings, which had completely lost the ability to actively fly. Their closest relatives, living on the plains, are winged and can fly.
On the high altitudes insects are found only in places where living conditions are most favorable for them.
Tundra partridge.
Animals of the mountains have not yet been studied enough, a lot interesting pages from their life has not yet been read and is waiting for young inquisitive naturalists. Exceptional opportunities for observing the life of wild animals in the mountains are the reserves: Caucasian, Crimean, Teberdinsky, Aksu-Dzhabagly (Western Tien Shan), Sikhote-Alinsky and others.
As we already said in the article about the mountain climate, it is fundamentally different from the plain climate, therefore the living conditions of both plants and animals in the mountains and on the plain are different. Not every animal is able to survive in the mountains. This is due, first of all, to the rarefied air, and secondly, to the change of vegetation, which is necessary for feeding many lowland animals.
Despite the hard-to-reach rocky places, steep cliffs and descents, the fauna of the mountains is very diverse. In the middle belt of mountains, where there are forests and the climate is milder, the number of animal species is much greater than on the plain. 
Above the subalpine edges, the number of animal species begins to noticeably decrease. And the tops of the mountains, covered with eternal snows, are almost devoid of life. On the top of Mont Blanc (4807 m) traces of chamois were seen; mountain goats, yaks and some types of sheep also go high into the mountains (up to 6000 m). Occasionally at such a height you can meet an irbis - a snow leopard.
Birds manage to climb above all mountain animals. On Everest, climbers observed alpine jackdaws, in the Nepalese Himalayas at an altitude of 5700 m, a nest of snow partridge was found. In the Andes they saw a condor, in the Himalayas (7500 m) - a bearded lamb.
Each mountain zone is characterized certain kind animals, based on commonality with the fauna living in the corresponding latitudinal zone. 
For example, in the mountains of southern Siberia in the tundra belt, there is a reindeer, a horned lark, a tundra partridge, for which the native zone is the northern tundra. The mountain belt of Europe, Asia, North America is homogeneous in general terms, since in the alpine belt of mountains the lifestyle of the fauna is similar and it is common center her appearance.
For many animals, for example: mountain goat, bighorn sheep, argali, goral and musk deer, rocks are the most comfortable habitat, as they can escape from predators. Rocks are also a shelter from bad weather for birds, and a convenient place for nesting. The red-winged wall-climber got its name because it moves along a sheer cliff, like a woodpecker on a tree. Pigeons and swifts familiar to us also nest in rocky niches with pleasure.
A mountain pika, also called a snow vole, scurries back and forth in stony screes. On stones she dries thin twigs, straws, blades of grass, leaves, and then takes them to stone shelters: she uses them as hay.
Summer in the mountains is cold, so you rarely see reptiles there (they are thermophilic), with the exception of viviparous - lizards and vipers, and in northern Africa - chameleons. Hummingbirds have adapted to endure the cold in a peculiar way: during the day they gather in groups in caves, thus warming each other, and at night they fall into a stupor, saving energy for heating the body.
Deer, roe deer, wild boars and other wild ungulates descend from the mountains to the forest in summer, where the snow has melted and it is easier to get food. They are followed by predators - wolves, snow leopards, foxes. The natural conditions in the mountains are so diverse that they allow animals to winter near those areas where they live in summer.
The insects of the mountainous regions are so diverse in their appearance and lifestyle that deserve a separate encyclopedic article and special attention inquisitive naturalists.
The high mountains are sparsely populated by people. The cultivation of the land is difficult here, and it can only be used in summer as a pasture for domestic animals. In the last century, the mountains have become a popular place for entertainment - first they were chosen by climbers, later by skiers. The laying of ski tracks, the construction of lifting devices, hotels and recreation centers sometimes cause adverse changes in the natural environment.
High in the mountains, even on the rocks, flowers of extraordinary beauty grow, such as aquilegia.
The highest city in the world is Lhasa (China), located in Tibet at an altitude of 3,630 meters.
Mountains of North America.
The Rocky Mountains are located in the western part of North America, stretching from north to south - from Alaska to Mexico - for a distance of 3,200 kilometers. The conditions of the local climate are not conducive to development Agriculture, but quite favorable for summer pastures of fat herds of large and small cattle.
During the last ice age As glaciers occupied more and more of the earth's surface towards the equator, animals retreated south in search of warmer areas. In Europe and Asia, they met on their way an insurmountable obstacle in the form of mountains stretching from west to east. Some species of animals became extinct, never being able to cross the mountains.
In America, the mountains are located in a different direction - from north to south - and this contributed to the survival more various kinds.
The most high peak North America - Mount McKinley - 6194 m, Alaska.
snow sheep
The bighorn sheep is larger than the ordinary sheep, its skin is dark in color, and it has long twisted horns. Snow sheep arrange such loud battles with their horns that they can be heard from afar.
snow goat
The mountain goat is a big fan of salt and often travels miles in search of salt deposits, which she licks greedily. Its food is very diverse - from willow to herbs and conifers.
Grizzly
Grizzlies are once a very common species in the Rocky Mountains; currently preserved only in Alaska and in the mountains of Canada.
Wolverine
Wolverine. This animal, similar to a small bear, is found in northern forests. She leads a solitary life and every evening digs a hole in which she spends the night. Wolverine is a predator, moves by trotting or jumping and attacks open space, so her intended victim often manages to escape. However, the wolverine does not refuse from animals killed by a bear or a cougar.
Andes.
In the western part of South America is the world's longest Mountain chain. These are the Andes (Andean Cordillera) - high mountains stretching from north to south. The highest peak of the Andes is Mount Aconcagua, its height is 6,959 meters.
The mountains of the Andean Cordillera are very high and steep, most of them all year round covered with snow. And only to the north, where the climate is somewhat milder, people live on the plateaus. The Andes were formed in a relatively recent geological epoch as a result of large displacements earth's surface, thanks to which they rose from the depths of the sea. For this reason, in the Andes there are many active volcanoes, one of them is Ojos del Salado with a height of 6,863 meters.
Condor This large bird of prey is found at any altitude, up to 5,000 meters above sea level. Like other vultures, he lives in the company of his relatives, and not as a hermit like an eagle.
andean condor- the largest of birds of prey, its mass reaches 12 kilograms, and its wingspan is 3 meters.
spectacled bear
Spectacled bear. This small bear black suit is named like this unusual name because of the yellowish ring around the eyes in the form of glasses. Found in the Northern Andes.
Lama
This animal has been considered the property of the Andes since the time of the Incas, whose culture reached its peak here by the middle of the 15th century. The llama has a dense and very delicate coat, which is the best suited to the cold weather. mountain climate. A disturbed lama defends himself in a very peculiar way: he vigorously spits at the enemy, completely discouraging him.
The llama looks like a small camel, only without the hump.
Vicuna. The smallest representative of camelids, usually weighs no more than 50 kilograms. The vicuña is bred for its beautiful soft coat.
Guanaco. wild ancestor llamas. This is the largest mammal in South America - its mass reaches 75 kilograms.
Alpaca is a hybrid of guanaco and vicuña.
Mountains of Asia.
On the roof of the world.
The roof of the world - this is the name of the Pamir, a mountain system in Central Asia, which occupies almost 100 thousand square meters. km. and is located on the territory of Tajikistan, Afghanistan and China. The average height of the plateaus exceeds 3,000 meters, the ridges reach a height of more than 6,000 meters. There are deep gorges and glaciers, alpine deserts and steppe areas, river valleys and lakes.
The highest peak in the world: Everest (Chomolungma), height 8,846 meters.
The largest glacier in the mountains of Asia: Siachen, 75.5 km.
white-breasted bear
White-breasted bear. He has a black coat with a light stripe on his chest, resembling a collar. It feeds on plants, berries, fruits, as well as invertebrates and small crustaceans, which it catches in rivers. It lives mainly in forests, where there is more than enough food for it and where it quickly climbs trees.
four-horned antelope
Four-horned antelope. Large, almost like gazelles, these animals form mating pairs or live alone. Males have four horns, and the front ones are very small. This antelope is found in the wooded mountains of India, near water bodies.
musk deer
Musk deer. An atypical representative of the deer family: it has no horns, and the upper fangs are very developed, like those of predators. It lives in wooded and steep mountains from Tibet to Siberia. One of its glands, the so-called musky sac, produces a secret with a very strong odor.
diamond pheasant
Diamond pheasant. It has colorful plumage and a long tail. Lives in the mountains at an altitude of 2,000 - 3,000 meters in dense thickets of bamboo, which feeds on buds.
Takin and yak.
Like a bull, Takin is more massive and clumsy, and in addition, he has adapted to life at an altitude of 2,500 to 4,000 meters, only in winter he descends lower due to lack of food. And the yak lives even higher up to 6,000 meters. locals yaks have been bred since time immemorial. In the wild, these animals are preserved in Tibet.
If a hunter frightens off a takin, he hides in a forest thicket and lies down, bending his head low to the ground. He is so sure that now no one will see him that you can quietly approach him. Little Takin is born after 8 months of intrauterine development.
The yak has a very thick black skin, which, high in the mountains, protects it from the cold. Domestic yaks are bred in the highlands of Asia as working and, in part, dairy cattle.
Irbis
This representative of the cat family is also called the snow leopard. The length of his body along with the tail is more than 2 meters. It has wide paws so as not to fall into the snow, and a thick skin, the color of which merges with the color of the rocks among which it lives. The irbis is extremely dexterous: it can chase its prey by jumping along the steep slopes of mountains, and is the only one among the cats capable of jumping 15 meters.
Usually, a female snow leopard gives birth to two cubs. After they cease to feed on milk, the mother takes them with her to hunt, arranging an ambush in this case on elevated places in order to expand the field of view. In summer, snow leopards live very high in the mountains, and in winter they descend into the valleys.
Panda
Giant panda, or bamboo bear, is a symbol World Fund wildlife. It is found only in the mountains of Southeast China and Western Tibet. The giant panda is endangered and strictly protected by law.
There are only a few hundred giant pandas in the world.
The body length of a newborn bamboo bear is 10 centimeters!
Mostly giant panda It feeds on shoots and leaves of bamboo, roots, and only occasionally changes its vegetarian habit by eating small rodents.
The red panda is less well known than the bamboo bear, and much smaller. Her back and tail are red, and her belly and paws are black.
Argali, tar and markhor.
On the "roof of the world" various types of hard-horned herbivores live freely, outwardly similar to goats. They are very agile: they can easily jump over sheer cliffs or stop to nibble grass in places where it would seem impossible to climb. Some species, such as the taru, are threatened with extinction, although they do not have many enemies, except for humans.
markhor
Markhor. He has unusual twisted horns, directed vertically upwards. Markhor can climb steep cliffs to feast on tender tree leaves.
Tar can jump up to 10 meters without hurting himself. He did well in America.
Argali
Argali. In another way, it is called a wild Altai goat. Lives in herds. Males have very developed horns. Sometimes fierce battles are fought between them, while they butt with force, but they never seriously injure each other.
Alpine arc.
The Alps are the oldest mountain range in Europe. This is a mountain range in the form of an arc, stretched from west to east, about 1100 long and about 250 kilometers wide. The borders of such states as Italy, France, Switzerland and Austria pass along it. Many alpine peaks are covered with eternal snow, and often melting ice and glaciers from them. Broad-leaved and coniferous forests. At an altitude of 2000 meters, the forests disappear, giving way to dense shrubs and meadows. The animal world is also diverse, and the number of various animals is constantly growing, despite the presence of humans in the Alps, due to the fact that hunting and fishing are strictly controlled. Recently, the lynx has reappeared in Italy, having disappeared here more than two centuries ago.
The highest peak of the Alps: Mont Blanc - 4,810 meters.
Redwing wall climber
Red-winged wall climber. This bird has gray plumage on the body, and black-red on the wings. She quickly moves her nimble paws over sheer cliffs, exploring cracks in search of insects that she feeds on.
Viper
Viper. This snake does not lay eggs in the ground, they develop directly in its body, and therefore the cubs are born alive. Never attacks first unless disturbed.
black grouse
Grouse. AT mating season Male black grouse attract females with certain behavior: they scream, bounce, mutter, bowing their heads and fluffing their tails, and sometimes they will fight. The place where this happens is called a lek, and the behavior of males is lekking.
Golden eagle
Golden eagle. It lives in the highest and inaccessible areas of the Alps. Lives alone and only during incubation of eggs and feeding of chicks - with a female. Soaring high in the sky, the golden eagle surveys its territory, looking for prey and driving out alien relatives. The golden eagle, hunting for artiodactyl cubs, grabs them and takes them to its nest.
It is the horns and hooves that allow many mountain animals, the so-called artiodactyls, to survive. Horns are an important defensive weapon against predators and an effective means to assert their dominance in the herd. Hooves that look so slippery are actually well adapted to their habitat - sheer, often snow-covered rocks; they allow animals to climb the steep and move with amazing ease. The enemies of artiodactyls are wolves and lynxes, which, after many years, return to the Alps again.
Chamois
Chamois. Found at heights where there is no longer woody vegetation; in winter it descends lower and visits the forest thickets. Lives in small herds. The female gives birth to only one cub, which after a couple of hours can independently follow the mother. When the chamois rests on the foot, the hoof spreads out and forms an ideal footing both on the ground and on the snow. The horns of the chamois are short and bent back almost at a right angle.
Mountain goat
The mountain goat is a massive artiodactyl animal with a short beard and large horns, which in males can reach one meter.
mouflon
Mouflon. The only wild sheep living in Europe. The male is easily recognizable by the horns, wide at the base and twisting in a spiral. The mouflon's horns grow throughout its life. Mouflon is a herbivore, sometimes gnaws at the bark of young trees.
Marmot
Marmots are large alpine rodents. The mass of this rodent, depending on the season, ranges from 4 to 8 kilograms. Like all rodents, the groundhog has very developed incisors that do not stop growing throughout their lives, and in cubs they are white, and in adult rodents they are yellowish. The groundhog has been known since ancient times: even the Roman writer Pliny the Elder (23 - 79 AD) called it an alpine mouse, noting that "it lives underground and whistles like a mouse" in winter, the groundhog hibernates in a hole, prudently filled food, which he will gnaw during short awakenings. He will leave his hole only in the spring.
The groundhog has a short tail covered with tousled hair and small paws. Under the groundhog's skin there is a thick layer of fat that protects it from the cold and serves as an energy reserve. The inhabitants of the Alps are convinced that this fat - good remedy for the treatment of respiratory organs.
These animals spend a lot of time near their burrow, looking for food. Older marmots sit on their hind legs and carefully study the surroundings. Noticing the danger, they warn other marmots about it with a characteristic whistle.
One of the groundhog's enemies is the raven, an agile predator that attacks groundhog cubs. If crows usually attack in flocks, then the golden eagle flies quietly alone. From a height, he outlines the prey and swoops down on it. Approaching, it slows down the fall, stretching out its paws, releases its claws and grabs the unfortunate victim, not giving it the slightest opportunity to escape. The golden eagle preys not only on marmots, but also on rabbits, hares, snakes, artiodactyl cubs.
The marmot feeds on roots, leaves, and grass; while eating, he sits on his hind legs, and holds food with his front legs.
Whistling for marmots is not only a signal warning of approaching danger, but also a means of communication. In case of alarm, as soon as they hear the whistle, all the marmots immediately take refuge in their burrows, not even making sure that they are actually threatened. It seems that the chamois perceive the whistle of the marmot alarming them as a warning of danger.
St. Bernard.
St. Bernard is a large dog with very long hair in black-red-white color. Back in the 17th century, they were bred by the monks of the monastery of St. Bernard, located on one of the Alpine passes. They used these dogs to search for travelers caught in a snow fall or avalanche. The St. Bernards found the unfortunate and pulled them out from under the snow, raking it with their paws.
Despite the fact that this is one of the largest dogs - it weighs about 8 kilograms, its character is meek and docile.
Barry is the nickname of the most famous St. Bernard; in 12 years he saved about 40 people.
The third honor of land, almost 50 million square kilometers, is occupied by mountains on earth. Conditions in the mountains are significantly different from the plains: much colder, large quantity precipitation, long winters, frequent winds, rarefied air and little vegetation.
The main feature of the mountains is low pressure and lack of oxygen in the air, which is a very serious obstacle to the habitation of living beings.
Starting from 4 thousand meters above sea level, most living beings, including humans, feel the so-called oxygen starvation. A living organism deprived of sufficient oxygen cannot withstand normal stress, and in some cases can lead to death.
And yet, these places are by no means lifeless. In these extreme conditions, life has not stopped, and enough animals live in the mountains. a large number of animals and birds adapted to these conditions.
On the different continents peculiar ones live in the mountains. So in South America in the Andes at an altitude of more than 4000 meters live, alpacas, guanacos, vicuñas. These are peculiar relatives of camels known to us. They have the same long legs and neck, but only there are no humps, and they are smaller in size.
Several species of mountain goats and aurochs live in the mountains of Europe, Asia and America. These are wild animals and are mainly hunting species, now, of course, not commercial, but purely amateur. The mountain goat is considered honorary hunting trophy most hunters.
In the mountains of Europe and Asia, you can see snow leopards, beautiful and fast. big cats which, being predatory, there in the mountains find their prey. Because of its beautiful fur, Snow Leopard For many years it has been a desirable prey for hunters. Now this animal is on the verge of extinction, listed in the Red Book.
In the mountains of Tibet and Pamir lives another amazing view mountain animals. These huge buffalo-like animals, covered with long fur, generally prefer to live only in mountainous areas. Their body is so different from the lowland animals that they are not able to survive at a lower altitude.
Large lungs and heart, as well as a special composition of blood with high hemoglobin, provide oxygen to the body of the yak when it is deficient in the air. A thick layer of subcutaneous fat and the absence of sweat glands provide him with the ability to tolerate low temperature, but at the same time create overheating of the body at temperatures above 15°C. Under familiar conditions, yaks are much more enduring than ordinary bulls, and females, in comparison with cows, give more milk of high fat content.
People have noticed the features of mountain animals and their endurance for a very long time. One of the first people domesticated a wild goat and began to receive fluff and milk from it. Several millennia ago, Indians living in the South American Andes tamed llamas and used them as beasts of burden. Alpacas and vicuñas began to be bred in order to obtain excellent fur, which is mainly for export, guanaco for the most part semi-wild and serve as a source of meat and wool for the local population.
The inhabitants of Tibet and the Pamirs domesticated yaks and began to use them both as pack animals and for meat, milk and wool. In order to give the special qualities of a yak to a domestic large cattle, yaks were crossed with Mongolian cows and got a hybrid, the so-called haynaks, which have the calm disposition of an ordinary cow and the endurance and productivity of a Tibetan yak. Hainaks can also live in flat conditions, so they began to be bred in Russia, Buryatia and Tuva.
Living conditions in the mountains are very different from the plains. As you climb the mountains, the climate changes: the temperature drops, the wind strength increases, the air becomes more rarefied, the winter is longer.
The nature of the vegetation is also different from the foot of the mountains to the peaks. In the mountains of Central Asia, desert and steppe foothills are usually replaced by forests, in which deciduous and then coniferous species predominate. Higher up is a stunted, subalpine crooked forest, curved down the slope, and thickets of shrubs. Alpine stunted vegetation begins even higher, vaguely resembling the vegetation of the northern tundra. The Alpine belt of mountains directly borders on snow fields, glaciers and rocks; there among the stones there are only rare grass, moss and lichens.
The change of vegetation in the mountains occurs over a distance of only a few thousand meters, counting vertically. This phenomenon is called vertical zonality or zonality. Such a change in vegetation in the most general terms is similar to the latitudinal zonality of nature on Earth: deserts and steppes are replaced by forests, forests by forest-tundra and tundra.
Natural conditions in the mountains change not only with height, but also when moving from one slope to another. Sometimes even neighboring areas of the same slope have different natural conditions. It all depends on the position of the site in relation to the cardinal points, on its steepness and on how open it is to the winds.
The diversity of living conditions contributes to the fact that the mountains are inhabited by many species of animals. In terms of the number of species of mountain animals, the forest belt of mountains is the richest. Highlands are much poorer than them. There, living conditions are too harsh: even in summer frosts are possible at night, there is little food. Therefore, the higher the mountains, the usually less species of animals. The most elevated parts of the high mountains are covered with eternal snow and are almost completely devoid of life.
Mountain goats and sheep come very high into the mountains - almost up to 6 thousand meters; occasionally, after them, a mountain leopard rises here - an irbis. Of the vertebrates, only vultures, eagles and some other birds penetrate even higher. The bearded lamb was seen in the Himalayas at an altitude of almost 7 thousand meters, and the condor was seen in the Andes at an even higher altitude. When climbing Chomolungma (Everest), climbers observed at an altitude of 8100 m choughs - close relatives of our crows.
Some animals, in particular crows and hares, are found in almost all zones of the mountains, but most species live in only a few or even in one zone. For example, bullfinches and yellow-headed kinglets nest in the Caucasus Mountains only in the belt of dark coniferous forests formed by fir and spruce.
Irbis or snow leopard.
On the mountains, each vertical zone has its own fauna, to some extent similar to the fauna of the corresponding latitudinal zones of the Earth. Animals of the forest belt of mountains resemble animals of broad-leaved forests and taiga.
Argali.
The tundra partridge, living on the northern coast of Siberia and on the Arctic islands, is also found in the alpine belt of the mountains of Europe and Asia, where living conditions are similar to those in the Arctic. Some other animals common in the Arctic also live in the alpine belt of mountains: for example, reindeer lives in the mountains of South Siberia and East Asia. Deer habitats in Altai are located in most cases not lower than 1500 m above sea level, that is, mainly in the subalpine and alpine belts of mountains, where reindeer moss and other terrestrial lichens grow in abundance. In winter, when reindeer moss and other lichens are of great importance in the diet of reindeer, the nature of the snow cover plays an important role in choosing a habitat. If the snow is too deep and dense, then ground lichens are inaccessible to deer. In winter, the treeless slopes of the mountains of the alpine belt are most favorable for the life of deer, where the snow is blown away by the winds, and on clear days it melts in the sun.
The fauna of the Alpine belt is very peculiar, where many animals are found that are unknown on the plains: various types of mountain goats (in Western Europe - the Alpine ibex, in the Caucasus - the tour, in the mountains of Asia - the Siberian mountain goat), chamois, the Asian red wolf, some rodents, vultures, mountain turkey, or snowcock, alpine jackdaw, etc.
The fauna in the alpine belt of the mountains of Europe, Asia, North America and northern Africa is generally homogeneous. This is due to the fact that in the highlands of the northern hemisphere, living conditions are very similar.
Many mountain animals live only where there are rocks. Musk deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep chubuk, argali and goral antelope are saved in the rocks from predators. Birds - rock pigeon, swifts and red-winged wall-climbers - find convenient places for nesting there. The wall climber crawls along sheer cliffs like a woodpecker along a tree trunk. With its fluttering flight, this small bird with bright crimson wings resembles a butterfly. Keklik is often found in dry sunny areas of the mountains.
In many mountains, screes form; the life of such animals as the snow vole and the mountain pika is associated with them (otherwise it is called a haystack). Starting from the second half of summer, especially in autumn, these animals diligently collect blades of grass and twigs of shrubs with leaves, lay them out on stones to dry, and then carry the hay under a shelter of stones.
The peculiar natural conditions of life in the mountains were reflected in the appearance of the animals constantly living there, in the forms of their body, lifestyle and habits. They have developed characteristic adaptations that help in the struggle for existence. For example, mountain goats, chamois, American bighorn goats have large, mobile hooves that can move apart widely. Along the edges of the hooves - from the sides and in front - a protrusion (welt) is well defined, the pads of the fingers are relatively soft. All this allows animals to cling to barely noticeable bumps when moving on rocks and steep slopes and not to slip when running on icy snow. The horny substance of their hooves is very strong and grows back quickly, so the hooves never “wear out” from abrasion on sharp stones. The structure of the legs of mountain ungulates allows them to make big jumps on steep slopes and quickly reach rocks where they can hide from persecution.
Siberian mountain goat.
During the day, ascending currents of air prevail in the mountains. This favors the soaring flight of large birds - bearded lamb, eagles and vultures. Soaring in the air, they seek out carrion or live prey for a long time. The mountains are also characterized by birds with fast, swift flight: Caucasian mountain grouse, mountain turkey, swifts.
It is cold in the summer high in the mountains, so there are almost no reptiles there: after all, for the most part they are thermophilic. Only viviparous species of reptiles penetrate above others: some lizards, vipers, in northern Africa - chameleons. In Tibet, at an altitude of more than 5 thousand meters, there is a viviparous round-headed lizard. Roundheads, living on the plains, where the climate is warmer, lay eggs.
Lush plumage of mountain birds and thick fur of animals protect them from the cold. The snow leopard, which lives in the high mountains of Asia, has unusually long and lush fur, while its tropical relative, the leopard, has short and rarer fur. Animals living in the mountains molt much later in spring than animals of the plains, and in autumn their hair begins to grow back earlier.
Hummingbirds in the Andean highlands of South America nest in caves in large communities, which helps keep the birds warm. On cold nights, hummingbirds fall into a stupor, thus minimizing the energy consumption for heating the body, the temperature of which can drop to + 14 °.
One of the remarkable adaptations to life in the mountains is vertical migrations, or migrations. With the onset of autumn, when it becomes cold high in the mountains, snowfalls begin and, most importantly, food is difficult to obtain, many animals migrate down the slopes of the mountains.
A significant part of the birds that live in the mountains of the northern hemisphere fly south for this time. Most of the birds that remain to winter in the mountains descend to the lower zones, often to the very foothills and surrounding plains. Very few birds winter at high altitudes, such as the mountain turkey. It usually stays near places where tours graze. The snow here is torn apart by their hooves, and it is easier for the bird to find food. The loud, alarming cry of a cautious snowcock warns the aurochs of danger.
Partridge partridges.
Deer, roe deer and wild boar, found in the mountains up to the alpine meadows, descend into the forest in autumn. Most of the chamois also go here for the winter. Mountain goats migrate to the forest part of the mountains and settle here on steep rocky slopes. Sometimes they move to the southern slopes, where snow melts in alpine meadows in the very first hours or days after a snowfall, or to steeper windward slopes, where snow is blown away by winds.
Bearded lamb.
Following wild ungulates, predators hunting them migrate - wolves, lynxes, snow leopards.
The variety of natural conditions in the mountains allows animals to find places for wintering near those areas where they live in summer. Therefore, the seasonal migrations of animals in the mountains are, as a rule, much shorter than the migrations of animals and birds on the plains. In the mountains of Altai, Sayan and North-Eastern Siberia, wild reindeer make seasonal migrations of only a few tens of kilometers, and their relatives living in the Far North, in order to reach their wintering grounds, sometimes make a journey of five hundred kilometers or more.
In the spring, as the snow melts, the animals that descend down migrate back to the upper zones of the mountains. Among wild ungulates, adult males are the first to rise, later - females with recently born, not yet strong enough babies.
Chamois, mountain goats, wild sheep and other ungulates living in the mountains often die in winter and early spring during snowfalls. In the Alps in the winter of 1905/06, one of the snow avalanches buried a herd of chamois - about 70 heads.
When a lot of snow falls in the mountains, it is very difficult for wintering ungulates: snow prevents them from moving and foraging. In the mountains of the Western Caucasus in 1931-1932. it was a very snowy winter. The snow layer in some places exceeded 6 m. Many deer, roe deer and other animals migrated to the lower parts of the mountains, where the snow cover was less. In this winter, roe deer ran into the villages and were easily given into hands. They were caught and kept in barns along with cattle until the snow melted in the mountains and the roe deer were no longer threatened with starvation. At the end of December 1936, snowfall continued for four days in the Caucasian Reserve. At the upper border of the forest, a layer of new loose snow reached a meter. The researchers of the reserve, being in the mountains, noticed a deep path that went down the slope. They skied down this trail and soon overtook a large tur. Only a head with horns was visible from the snow.
Lama.
Some species of butterflies, bumblebees and wasps that live high in the mountains have dense pubescence on the body - this reduces heat loss. The latter is also facilitated by the shortening of the appendages of the body - the antennae and legs.
Strong winds in the mountains make life difficult for flying insects. The wind often brings them to snow fields and glaciers, where they die. As a result of long-term natural selection in the mountains, species of insects arose with greatly shortened, underdeveloped wings, which had completely lost the ability to actively fly. Their closest relatives, living on the plains, are winged and can fly.
At high altitudes, insects are found only in places where living conditions are most favorable for them.
Tundra partridge.
Mountain animals have not yet been studied enough, many interesting pages from their life have not yet been read and are waiting for young inquisitive naturalists. Exceptional opportunities for observing the life of wild animals in the mountains are the reserves: Caucasian, Crimean, Teberdinsky, Aksu-Dzhabagly (Western Tien Shan), Sikhote-Alinsky and others.