Geographically, the zone of mixed forests occupies the territory between the tundra and the subtropical region. Here, both coniferous trees - pines, larch, spruce, and deciduous - beech, chestnut, birch grow. The undergrowth, formed by a dense shrub, is often impassable, and there is less snow under the trees, which allows the animals to find a little food here. Some of the animals that live here hibernate, while others travel long distances in search of food.

Winter in the forest.

In winter, cold, snow and short days hinder the growth and flowering of grasses and shrubs. Many herbivores, lacking food, move to areas with milder climates. Some animals prepare their burrows, dug in the ground or arranged in natural depressions (hollows, caves), to fall into a prolonged sleep (hibernation), which will last all winter months, interrupted only by brief awakenings. Many burrows are filled with food collected during the summer, but sometimes the animals also have enough subcutaneous fat accumulated during the warm season, which allows them to survive a long winter. There are also such inhabitants in the forest who do not go anywhere from their habitable places and do not hibernate: they seek food in dense thickets where there is less snow.

Many animals fill their burrows with acorns and other edible reserves.

In spring and summer, hares feed on young shoots, roots and tender grass, and in winter they are content with bark of shrubs and small trees.

In winter, the forest only seems uninhabited, but in fact it is full of life. Mammals and reptiles and amphibians only hid in their burrows, where they spend cold winters in hibernation in anticipation of the spring awakening of nature.

Badger spends the winter in a burrow underground. Cubs usually remain with their mother, but can take refuge in their own mink.

Canadian forests and groves.

In the north of the American continent is Canada, a large country rich in forests. As you move north, you can see how deciduous trees give way to conifers, more resistant to severe winter cold.

Carnivores live mainly in these areas: common fox and silver-black, wolf, wolverine, as well as bears, which often attack other animals, although they mainly eat fruits.

Northern Canada is very extensive and sparsely populated. There is poor communication and a harsh climate: only three months a year the temperature rises to + 10 0 C, and only during this period nature wakes up. For the rest of the year, hard-growing vegetation is the food of herbivores. Lakes, rivers and seas are covered with ice. Under such conditions, only a few animals lead a sedentary lifestyle. The bulk migrates moving with the onset of autumn to the south.

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

Artiodactyls live in coniferous-deciduous forests: elk, bison, red deer, roe deer. There are also predators, such as a bear, a wolf, a ferret, a badger, a marten and others. For rivers and reservoirs located in the zone of mixed forests, its own fauna is characteristic. So, beavers' huts are built on riverbanks remote from human attention, water rats, muskrats and even otters live. The feathered world of this area is even more diverse.

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

With the proper level of affection and attention, even a wild boar will behave as a person’s best friend. On one of the islands of the Bahamas lives a 12-year-old boar named Kid. 9 years ago, two local residents tamed him.

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

The common badger lives in the forests of Europe and Asia, to the Far East. An adult weighs up to 25 kg. The body reaches 0.9 m and the tail 0.24 m in length. Body color is brownish-gray, blackish to the paws. On the face are white and black stripes. Badger is a night beast. His diet includes animal food (worms, frogs, insects) and edible roots. Lives in self-digging holes. Hibernates for the winter.

Common hedgehog is an insectivorous mammal. It has poor eyesight, but excellent sense of smell and hearing. The back of the animal is densely covered with needles 2 cm long, usually gray with transverse dark stripes. Defending itself from danger, the hedgehog curls into a needle ball. Prefers areas with dense grass cover and undergrowth. Winters and hatches cubs in holes.

The coniferous forests of the Northern Continent are the longest areas of continuous forest cover on Earth. Coniferous trees feel good in high latitudes because they are evergreen, and photosynthesis can begin immediately as soon as the conditions are favorable for growth, without the need to grow leaves in the beginning, as is the case with deciduous forests. In this way, conifers compensate for the shortness of the growth season, which lasts from 50 to 80 days, depending on geographical latitude. Seed ripening and propagation are also related to climate. Conifers, unlike deciduous trees, do not form fruiting organs, which are pollinated and ripen within one year. Fertilization in a female cone may take a year or more to complete, and it may take up to three years for the cone to develop and the seeds to ripen for propagation.
   The result of the absence of leaf litter and the prevalence of cold climatic conditions that slow down the natural decomposition of the carpet from fallen needles, material that is difficult to decompose in any case, results in only a very thin layer of soil and a small, if not completely undergrowth. The mammals that inhabit these places are mostly herbivorous and live on a diet of moss, pine needles, bark and cones. Insectivorous birds are rare compared to those that feed on the seeds and buds of conifers. In these places, forest fires are infrequent, and usually occur in the spring, when there is little juice in the trees. At this time, vast territories may be devastated.
Deciduous trees - birch, alder and mountain ash begin to re-populate, which only after some time are replaced by climax vegetation - spruce, larch, cedar * or pine.
   The tall and pointed shape characteristic of conifers is ideal to withstand the severity of snow falling in winter and allows the snow to slip quickly when it begins to melt in spring. The superficial root system is perfectly adapted to the thin layer of soil that is characteristic of this habitat.
   In the north of the regions, where the underlying soil layers remain frozen all year round and are therefore impervious to water, many rivers, streams and swamps arise with their local flora of mosses and sedges. The forest is becoming more rarefied and mingling with the neighboring tundra. Large sections of tundra mosses and lichens grow on higher ground. Near rivers in the transition region, the forest remains dense and invades far north, into the tundra, along river valleys. On the southern edge of the taiga zone, conifers are gradually replaced by deciduous forests.
   Worldwide, small areas of coniferous forests are found outside their main latitudinal distribution, especially on mountain slopes, where altitudinal zonation creates climatic conditions similar to those formed near the poles.
   Throughout the Age of Man, coniferous forests have suffered significant damage due to clearing for agricultural and industrial forest use. As a result, large tracts of land were subjected to wind and rain erosion, which destroyed the soil structure and, naturally, reduced its ability to retain moisture. It took some time for the coniferous forests to recover from the damage caused, since the normal process of succession cannot take place immediately.

* It should be remembered that in the northern coniferous forests there is no real cedar (genus Cedrus). The English word “cedar” can mean juniper, Siberian cedar pine (most often called that), thuja and cypress. - V.P.

VEGETARIAN ANIMALS

Helmets evolution

Beasts that feed on woody vegetation are the largest inhabitants in areas covered by coniferous forests. In summer, they feed mainly on young shoots and needles, and exist on the diet of bark, mosses and lichens for the rest of the year. Throughout the northern continent, the most numerous species are those descended from gigantelopes of the African subcontinent. These northern animals, although heavier than their distant antelope ancestors, do not even stand next to the size of African gigantelopes. Only shaggy forms from the Far North that live in the tundra can be compared with them in size.
   The difference in size between the two different northern forms stems from two different periods of settlement. The first of them took place about forty million years ago, before giant mountain ranges were erected between Africa and Europe, and at about the time that the rabbits drove the antelopes from their original home - from the African plains. Gigantilopes, then still in the early stages of their evolution, were forced to settle north, in coniferous forests, where they later began to flourish and turned into helmets Cornudens spp.
   The second wave of migration took place closer to the present, about ten million years ago, when the African gigantelopes reached their current elephant proportions. The erosion of the mountain range that once separated the Indian subcontinent from the rest of Asia opened up new routes to the north, and led to the gradual settlement of the tundra and the evolution of the woolly gigantilope Megalodorcas sp.
   Soon after the appearance of these animals in coniferous forests, the jaw and horns of the ancestral forms of helmet-horn began to evolve in accordance with their new habitat. As with ruminants almost completely extinct by now, many of these animals did not have upper incisors. They plucked grass using the lower incisors and a bone plate in the upper jaw. But such a system is not too effective to tear branches from forest trees. The first change that occurred was the forward growth of the horn plate on the head, which formed a kind of beak. The lower lip became muscular and stretched forward to equalize
   with it, thereby stretching the oral cavity forward a certain distance from the front teeth. Such a primitive structure is still found in some species, for example, in the head-mounted helmet. Cornudens horridus. In more advanced forms, however, the lower jaw also extended forward so that the front teeth aligned with the horny beak. These adaptations are the result of evolutionary pressure, which allowed to survive only those species that could successfully feed on the branches and bark of conifers, as well as lichens. Fancy horn formations above the eyes are also used for protection.
   The structure of the horns developed one step further at the water helmet Cornudens latirostris, which inhabits lakes and riverbanks. For this creature, the horn plate is stretched forward in the form of a wide rake-like formation, with the help of which this animal collects soft water plants, which he searches for at the bottom of ponds and streams. On each leg he has two wide hooves, widely spread apart and connected by a skin membrane, which protects the animal from getting stuck in soft mud and sand. In its way of life, the water helmet, most likely, resembles hadrosaurs - duckbill dinosaurs of the last half of the Reptile Age.

As in any other habitat, animals of coniferous forests are included in the familiar plexus of food chains of predators and their victims, with carnivores forming the last link. Here, as in deciduous temperate forests, the most ferocious and ordinary hunters are predatory rats. They hunt in small flocks under the trees, hunting down a rabbit or helmet, separating weak and aging individuals from the herd, and driving them to exhaustion. Predatory rats do this before the attack, then tearing the prey with strong front teeth. Helmets have powerful horns, so if they are chased, it can be just as dangerous for the predator as it is for the one they are chasing.
   Predator unique to coniferous forests Vulpemustela acer, a large animal similar to a weasel, one of the few still living representatives of real predators. Its size - up to two meters in length - makes it the largest predator living in these places, and perhaps it owes its survival to its low muscular body and its ability to easily run through a rare undergrowth, suddenly appearing in front of its prey. The portraits live in small family groups and are usually hunted in pairs.
   Not all predators are mammals; birds also gain their share in small animal populations. Big beak Pseudofraga sp., one of the largest birds of prey, has a wingspan of about a meter and lives in the western forests of the Northern Continent. It came from a starling that developed to fill the gap left when many ancient birds of prey died out in the Age of Man. It has a rounded tail and wide, dull wings, thanks to which it flies quickly and maneuverably between frequently growing trees. He has a straight strong beak and strong claws, which he uses to grab prey. The closest of the living relatives of Bolsheklyuva, Parops
   lepidorostris   - a completely different creature. It is only ten centimeters long and feeds mainly on insects, which it pulls out of the tree bark with its thin beak.
   With so many predators in the coniferous forest, it is not surprising that small mammals must have many protective devices to ensure their survival. Needle-tailed squirrel Humisciurus spinacaudatus   is a great example of their ingenuity. She has a long, wide and flat tail with spines developing on its underside, which rests on the ground at rest. However, when the animal is alarmed, it throws its tail on its back, and with a sharp increase in skin tension raises the needles. This becomes an almost insurmountable barrier, and can be used to repel an attack from either side.
   The beaver was a large rodent that, in the Age of Mammals, adapted to a semi-aquatic lifestyle in part to protect it from predators. After man beaver Castor spp.   became even better adapted to life in water. Its tail and hind legs merged together into one large rowing surface, which, set in motion by the spine, produces strong rowing movements up and down. His ears, eyes and nose are shifted high up on his head and remain on the surface when the rest of the animal’s body is immersed in water. Surprisingly, the rowing surface does not interfere with the movement of the animal on the ground, and is used as a grabbing limb, allowing it to climb trees, expanding the range of possible sources of food and building material.

LIFE ON TREES

Birds and animals that feed on trees and on trees of coniferous forests

Throughout the Age of Mammals, rodents have been one of the most successful animal groups in coniferous forests. Their powerful teeth helped them cope with the hard plant material they found there, and their warm, fluffy skins helped keep their body warm during hibernation. *
   Chisel Tenebra vermiforme, a rodent, a relative of the moth squirrel from the deciduous forests of the temperate zone, is highly adapted to life in the coniferous forest. Its huge incisors and worm-shaped body allow him to drill deep tunnels in a living tree, where in winter it is reliably protected from the cold. Although in some respects this animal is at an advanced stage of development, its parasitic lifestyle is rather primitive. The basis of his diet is the bark of trees, which he peels off completely, leaving the tree bare. This, combined with the serious damage that he inflicts when making moves, destroys the tree for several years.
   Since only live trees inhabit the chisels, they must constantly move, and every spring, after hibernation, young individuals of a new generation migrate in search of new lands. During migration, they are very vulnerable, and many of them are hunted by predators before they finish their journey. The balance between the woodbite and the predator is extremely fragile, and only a small decrease in the number of predators is enough for the number of woodbites to increase, which could lead to the complete destruction of the coniferous forest in vast areas.
   Not a single small rodent of a different species among the inhabitants of coniferous forests is so destructive. Many feed on shoots, bark, and seeds found in cones. Many species inhabit the earth and extract forage from cones when they fall. Other species are easily folded and nimble enough to climb branches where cones grow.
   One large vole-like rodent, travel Scandemys longicaudata, unusual in that it has a grasping tail. He is too heavy to reach the cones growing on the thinnest branches, and instead he feeds on them, hanging on his tail on a stronger branch growing nearby, and reaching for them with his front paws. Like other rodents of about the same size, he collects more feed than necessary to meet his one-time needs, and stores the leftovers for the hungry winter months. Its nest for hibernation is a long hanging structure woven from grass, strips of bark and pine needles. Hanging from the end of the branch, it is large enough to accommodate the animal along with a sufficient supply of food for a successful wintering.
   Among many birds that feed on seeds and live in coniferous forests, the largest is the common pine nutcracker ** Paraloxus targa. The two sexes of this bird are very different both in appearance and in lifestyle. The male has a more powerful build and is armed with a massive beak, which he uses to break pine cones and get seeds out of them. The female, smaller and dull colored, is completely devoid of the male’s heavy beak and is a scavenger, including carrion, insects, larvae and bird eggs in its diet. It is most likely that the ancestor of an ordinary pine nutcracker was a bird that looked like a modern female, and the male’s distinctive features evolved primarily for mating, and his eating habits are a secondary device.

Animals living in mixed forests are generally characteristic of the entire forest zone of Russia. Hares, foxes, hedgehogs, and even wild boars can also be found in forests well developed by man. Squirrels already feel great not only in the wild, but also in an ordinary city park. On the rivers far from settlements and now you can see beaver huts. There are also such animals of mixed forests as a bear, marten, wolf and badger. Moose also quite often go on the roads and the outskirts of villages.

Inhabitants of mixed deciduous forests

In the mixed broad-leaved forest, representatives of the fauna of taiga forests feel great: hare, squirrel. In parallel, the most typical animals of mixed forests live: elk, badger.

Moose

European moose is not for nothing called a forest giant. It is one of the largest animals living in the mixed deciduous forest zone. Its average weight reaches three hundred kilograms. Huge horns adorn the head of the male. The coat of this animal is usually gray or black-brown.

These inhabitants of mixed forests feed mainly on shoots of young trees, preferring aspen, willow or mountain ash. In winter, moose chooses needles, mosses and lichens as the main food. These animals are great swimmers. An adult can safely swim for a full two hours at a fairly good speed (up to 10 km / h). The end of spring and the very beginning of summer is the time when the elk brings posterity. As a rule, this is one or two calves that live with their mother throughout the summer period.

Badger

The common badger is found throughout the mixed forests. In size, this animal can be compared to a small dog. The body length reaches 90 cm, and the average weight of the badger is approximately 25 kg. He hunts insects exclusively at night, digs up nutritious roots and various worms along the way. He loves frogs very much. Badger is a nocturnal animal; he spends daylight hours in his hole.

Badger hole - a very interesting structure. It usually has several floors and a huge number of inputs and outputs. Sometimes their number reaches 50. The central hole can reach a length of up to 10 meters and is located at a depth of 5 meters. The badger is a very clean animal: he always buryes all sewage in the ground. They live in colonies. The badger spends winter hibernation.

Common hedgehog

Hedgehogs are animals living in mixed forests. This small animal has very low vision, but its hearing and sense of smell are superbly developed. In case of danger, the hedgehog collapses, taking the shape of a ball. And then not one of the predators can cope with it (this animal has about 5,000 needles, the length of which is 2 cm).

On the territory of the mixed forests of Russia, hedgehogs are most often found, the needles of which have a gray tint and dark cross strips are clearly visible.

As a food, the hedgehog prefers insects and invertebrates: earthworms, slugs and snails. Hunts frogs, snakes, ruins the nests of birds living on the ground. Sometimes he eats wild berries.

An ordinary hedgehog has two burrows: summer and winter. The winter hole serves him for sleep, which lasts from mid-autumn until April, and the summer version of the dwelling is used to give birth to offspring. Hedgehogs are born naked, a little later (within a few hours) soft needles of white color appear, which within 36 hours change their color to their usual color.

Mole

Quite a lot in the mixed forests of moles. These completely blind animals spend most of their lives underground. They feed mainly on insects, larvae, and earthworms. Moles do not fall into hibernation, as at this time of year they do not experience problems with a lack of food.

Mixed Forest Animals

Hare

The habitat of this animal is not limited only to the zone of mixed forests. It can be met both in the tundra and in the steppe shrubs. In winter, the color of his skins becomes completely white. Only the tips of the ears are still black. Feet overgrown with more fluffy fur. In summer, these animals of mixed forests have the usual gray color.

The white hare feeds on grass, shoots and tree bark: willow, birch, aspen, maple, oak and hazel. A hare does not have a permanent hole. At the slightest danger, this animal prefers to flee.

A hare twice during the summer period brings up 6 rabbits. Young animals become adults after wintering with their mother.

Bison

The fauna of the mixed forests of Russia recently boasted such magnificent animals as They were found everywhere in the northwestern regions of Russia. But, unfortunately, the bison population was almost completely exterminated. To date, a lot of work has been done to restore the number of these animals in the country.

River beavers

The fauna of mixed forests is represented by such an interesting and unusual animal as a river beaver. Previously, they were found almost everywhere. But because of their very valuable furs, they were almost completely exterminated.

Beavers prefer to choose quiet forest rivers for their homes, the banks of which are covered with dense thickets. These animals feed on young shoots of trees and their bark.

It’s called a hut. As a building material, beavers use tree branches. The size of the hut has no strict limits. Each beaver builds it in its own way, but it is necessarily repaired every year.

Of particular interest are dams, which these animals masterfully know how to erect. Beavers build dams in case the water level in the river drops very sharply. The finished dam can easily withstand the weight of an adult.

A wild boar

Wild boar is a very strong and fast beast. Despite a certain external clumsiness, he easily and quickly moves on his strong legs. Wild boars live in small herds, which consist of males and females with piglets. The eyes of a wild boar are small and, moreover, this beast is somewhat blind. Therefore, the main sensory organs for the boar are hearing and smell. This fully explains the typical behavior of a wild boar in case of possible danger: he raises his nose to the top, sniffing and at the same time guarding his ears.

Wild boars are forests, as they are active mainly at night. Boars spend daylight hours in hard-to-reach places. Wild boars are absolutely omnivorous.

But in mixed forests not only herbivores live, but also forest predators: bears, wolves, foxes and martens.

Wolves

The most dangerous animals of mixed forests are, of course, wolves. They always brought a lot of trouble, but nevertheless, the call for the complete extermination of the population of this animal is completely unjustified. The wolf is a predatory animal, but it destroys mainly sick or very weakened animals. In doing so, it helps to improve the population of animals living in the area. In areas where the number of these predators is relatively small, there is virtually no harm from this animal.

Pine marten

Marten is another bright representative of predatory animals that live in mixed forests. This animal arranges nests in hollows of trees, choosing rather high places for this. Leading a nocturnal lifestyle, the marten quite often ruins squirrel nests. The squirrel is active in the daytime, and at night sleeps soundly in the hollow, so it becomes very easy prey for the marten. But the marten also eats food of plant origin: fruits or berries. He loves to feast on wild honey. Because of this weakness, it can live for quite a long time directly next to the bee's nest. Sometimes in one place several martens can gather at the same time.

Fox

The fox is a very cautious predator. The body length of this beast reaches a meter and almost the same size and the famous fox tail. The fur of this animal most often has a red color, the breast and abdomen are light gray in color, but the tip of the tail is necessarily white.

These animals prefer mixed forests that alternate with clearings, ponds and meadows. The fox can be seen on the outskirts of villages, and in groves among meadows.

Vision of the fox is quite poorly developed, therefore, on the ground, it is guided by the sense of smell and excellent hearing. The fox uses abandoned badger burrows as a home. Sometimes it independently digs a hole, the depth of which reaches 4 meters. Be sure to have several emergency exits.

Foxes prefer to lead. These are nocturnal predators. The fox feeds on rodents, hares or birds. In very rare cases, it attacks a roe deer. no more than 8 years.

Lynx

Lynx is another representative of predators living in mixed forests. Lynx hunts from an ambush. It can track the prey for quite a long time, hiding among the branches of trees or dense shrubs. This predator has long powerful legs that help the lynx to jump long enough.

The main prey of the lynx is roe deer or deer. But she does not disdain small mammals. With pleasure she will drive a hare or catch a bird. The lynx equips its hole in advance in order to calmly give birth to offspring. Usually the number of kittens in the litter ranges from 2 to 4 cubs. They live with their mother for 9 months.

Animals of the mixed forests of Russia

Thus, mixed forests have a fairly diverse fauna. Among the inhabitants of this natural zone there are both predators and herbivores, both inhabitants of taiga forests and the “indigenous” inhabitants of the forest-steppe zone. Many animals fall into deep hibernation, while others, on the contrary, lead an active lifestyle all year round.

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

Moose

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

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

He is very strong and, oddly enough, swims and dives remarkably. In addition, it has a delicate ear and good instinct. Imagine that an elk without a run can jump over a four-meter hole or a two-meter obstacle. Not every animal can do this.

It lives exclusively in forests. In another territory, it can be found only during the spring migrations. At such a time, you can encounter him in the fields, sometimes he even enters the villages. Elk eats shoots of pine, mountain ash, aspen, buckthorn, bird cherry, willow. Also eats and grassy plants, mushrooms, moss, berries. Forest animals in winter are forced to look for food. And not always they are so easy to find it. Sometimes moose is badly damaged by eating young pine trees and forest plantations. This happens only in the winter, when it is very tight with food, and a decent number of individuals focus on a relatively small area.

However, in forestries, they are trying to conduct biotechnological events in order to create comfortable and satisfying conditions for these wonderful animals to live.

Forest beast bear

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

They can rightly be called the owners of the forest. The bear has a powerful body, but enough small eyes and ears. At the withers he has a hump, which is nothing more than the muscles that enable him to deliver very strong blows. The tail of the bear is very small, about twenty centimeters. It is practically not visible in its thick shaggy coat. The color of the beast varies from light brown to almost black. Of course, the most typical color is brown.

The animal has very powerful paws. Five fingers on each of them. The claws on the paws of the beast reach ten centimeters in length.

Brown bear habitat

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

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

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

What does a predator eat?

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

Bears love to eat fish too. By the fall, they eat up and gain twenty percent by weight.

Winter hibernation of bears

However, the life of forest animals in winter varies greatly. For half a year, the bears are in their lair, hibernating. They choose a place for their home in the most inaccessible places. As a rule, they make a winter rookery under the huge roots of broken fir trees, in crevices of rocks, in rubble after windbreaks. Inside their house they are lined with dry moss and grass. Bears sleep quite sensitively. If you disturb him, then he may well wake up, and then he will be forced to look for a new cozy place to sleep.

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

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

After mating, the she-bear has cubs after about six months. They are born in a den. As a rule, two babies weighing up to half a kilogram are born. By the time the family couple leaves the den, the offspring reaches the size of a dog and already begins to eat with adults.

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

Wolf

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

It is widely believed that the wolf is a forest animal. However, this is not quite true. They live a lot in the tundra. They prefer open spaces more. And a man forces them to go into the forests, waging an active struggle against them.

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

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

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

Wolf habits

Wolves are very strong and hardy animals. They develop speed in pursuit of production up to 60 kilometers. And in the throw, this value increases to 80.

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

Typically, a pack consists of ten wolves, which are members of the same family. Sometimes several flocks can merge into one larger one. This is possible in severe snowy times or in the presence of very large prey.

What do wolves eat?

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

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

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

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

Fox

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

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

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

The habits of a sly fox

The fox is found not only in the forest, but also in the tundra, mountains, steppes, in swamps, and even in human housing. She perfectly knows how to adapt to any conditions, but still loves more open spaces. The deaf taiga is not to her liking.

In life, as in fairy tales, the fox is very fast and agile. She runs very briskly, easily catches insects flying by. As a rule, she moves unhurried trot. Periodically stops, looks around, looks around. The fox is very careful. When she sneaks up to prey, she crawls quietly on her belly, almost merging with the ground. But he escapes from pursuit by big and sharp jumps, skillfully confusing the tracks.

In fox behavior you can see just the same fairy tale episodes. People invented them for a reason. All stories are taken from real life. Foxes are really cunning predators that are wise to hunt. Rather, they take prey not by force, but by seduction. No other animal is called by patronymic. And the fox's name is Patrikeevna. Why?

Once upon a time there was such a prince named Patrichey. He became famous for his cunning and resourcefulness. Since then, the very name Patrickey has been associated with sly ones. The fox has long been popularly known as a rogue, and therefore it was christened Patrikeevna.

Who do foxes hunt for?

Foxes are very active animals. In winter, its tangled tracks are clearly visible in the snow. You can immediately see where the cheat hunted. It is generally accepted that foxes feed on hares. But this is a big mistake. She is not able to catch up with such a quick catch. Of course, if she stumbles on a defenseless hare somewhere, she will certainly seize the opportunity. And therefore hares are a very rare dish in her diet. She just can’t keep up with them.

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

Hares

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

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

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

Many fairy tales have been written about forest animals, but the hare has always been a favorite hero. In his life, avoiding the chase, he is cunning and tries to confuse the tracks, jumping in one direction and then in the other, as in children's stories. He is able to run at a speed of 50 kilometers per hour. Not every predator will catch up with such quick prey. In general, in the arsenal of hares, there are many ways to get away from persecution. These are these cunning forest dwellers. Animals can both run away and defend themselves, and in each case they use the most optimal tactics - they have so much sense of flair.

But their cunning does not so much save the hares, as they take in their quantity. Each year they have four to five litters. In each of which there can be from two to five rabbits.

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

In general, a hare is characterized by a settled life. Of course, they jump through the fields and meadows, moving away over fairly large distances. But then they return to their habitat. Very rarely can they migrate. This happens only in particularly cold and snowy winters.

Who else lives in the forest?

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

Forest birds

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