Forest animals: photo, description

Forests are a habitat for a large number of birds and animals. This is their house, in which they live, hide and eat, they bring offspring. The forest is their protector.

Elk

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

The ornament of the forest community is the moose, belonging to the family Deer. Individual specimens reach a length of up to three and a half meters, and in height - 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, strangely enough, he swims and dives remarkably. In addition, it has a fine hearing and a good flair. Imagine that the elk can jump over a four-meter pit or a two-meter obstacle without a take-off. This is not the strength of every animal.

He lives exclusively in the woods. On the other territory it can be found only during the spring migration period. At such a time you can face him in the fields, sometimes he even enters the villages. The elk feeds on pine, ashberry, aspen, buckthorn, bird cherry, willow. Also eats and herbaceous plants, mushrooms, moss, berries. Forest animals in winter are forced to seek food. And they are not always easy to find it. Sometimes moose are badly harmed by eating young pine forests and plantations. This happens only in the winter, when it is very tight with food, and a decent number of individuals focuses on a relatively small area.

However, in the forest districts they try to carry out biotechnical measures to create comfortable and satisfying conditions for living these wonderful animals.

Forest beast bear

Brown bear is the most famous forest resident. He is an indispensable hero of most folk tales. And he always acts as a good character. However, it should be noted that bears are predatory beasts of the forest thicket.

They can rightly be called the masters of the forest. The bear has a powerful body, a fairly large head, but small eyes and ears. On the withers, he has a hump, which is nothing more than muscles, which give him the opportunity to deal very strong blows. The tail of the bear is quite small, about twenty centimeters. It is practically not visible in its thick shaggy wool. 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. Each of them has five fingers. Claws on the paws of the beast reach ten centimeters in length.

The habitat of a brown bear

These majestic forest animals used to live in vast areas. Now their range has narrowed considerably. 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 weight of the bears depend entirely on their habitats. The weight of animals living on the territory of Russia does not exceed 120 kilograms. However, Far Eastern bears are much larger. Their weight reaches 750 kilograms.

The favorite place of their dwelling is the impassable areas of the forest covered with windbreaks or places with thick bushes and trees. However, they love the crossed terrain, and therefore they can be found in the tundra and in the high-mountain forests.

What does a predator eat?

I must say that the bear eats almost everything that can only be eaten. Most of its diet is plant food: 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's only at first glance that these forest animals seem very sluggish. In fact, bears, pursuing prey, show the wonders of agility. They are able to reach speeds of up to 55 kilometers per hour.

Bears like to eat and fish. By the autumn they are eating off and percent on twenty gain weight.

Hibernation of the bears

However, the life of forest animals in winter is very much changing. Bears half a year are in their shelter-den, falling into a hibernation. A place for their home they choose in the most inaccessible places. As a rule, they make winter rookery under huge roots of broken down fir trees, in crevices of rocks, in blockages after windbreaks. Inside their house they are lined with dry moss and grass. Sleeping bears are quite sensitive. If he is disturbed, he may well wake up, and then will have to look for a new cozy place to sleep.

When there are very hungry years and the bear can not get enough fat stock, he 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.

Marriage period for bears in May and June. He, as a rule, is accompanied by a strong roar and fights between competing males.

The mare after mating appears cubs after about six months. They are born in the den. As a rule, two babies weighing up to half a kilogram appear in the light. By the time the couple come out of the den, the offspring have reached the size of a dog and are already starting to eat with the adults.

Mom bear cubs live for a couple of years. They reach sexual maturity in three or four years. In general, bears live in the wild until the age of thirty.

Wolf

Forest animals are always associated with predators. One of their representatives is a wolf. In our country they are inhabited by a huge number. Long since the wolves, people are actively fighting, as they cause considerable damage to the household.

It is widely believed that the wolf is a forest beast. However, this is not quite true. They live a lot in the tundra, forest-steppe and steppe. They prefer open spaces. And in people's forests they are forced to leave, actively fighting with them.

Outwardly, the wolf is like a large large dog. He has a powerful physique. The length of his body reaches up to 1.5 meters. Mass varies from 30 to 45 kilograms. Female, as a rule, is smaller than males.

Wolves have strong and hardy paws. They are runners for long distances. In general, this is a highly organized animal and also very intelligent. Looking at each other, the wolves exchange information.

This beast has a well-developed hearing, excellent sense of smell and sight. All information about the world around the wolf is gained through smell. He is able to distinguish the traces of forest animals by smell after many hours after they left them. In general, it is difficult for us to imagine the variety of smells that the wolf can distinguish.

Habits of wolves

Wolves are very strong and hardy animals. They develop speed in pursuit of prey 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, along with their elders, gather in groups and lead a wandering lifestyle. Wolves, like all forest animals, change their way of life in the winter.

Usually the pack consists of ten wolves, who are representatives of the same family. Sometimes several flocks can be combined into one larger one. This is possible during a severe snowy season or in the presence of very large prey.

What do wolves eat?

Since the wolf is a predator, the meat is the basis of its diet. Although sometimes an animal can try vegetative food. A wolf will hunt absolutely for any beast that will be in his power. If he has enough game, he will not come to look at people's villages. Wolves are very intelligent and understand the full extent of the risk.

In the forest, this animal hunts almost all the inhabitants, ranging from elk to the chipmunk and voles. Of course, the favorite of its prey, depending on the habitat, is a deer, a reindeer, a roe deer. However, the wolf does not disdain either the fox, the raccoon, the rat, the ferret, the pig, the hare. Hunting habits of wolves are diverse. They can wait for their prey in ambush, and they can drive it for a long time. And their collective hunt is generally a complicated well-coordinated mechanism, where everyone understands each other without words.

Very prudently, they swarm the prey into the water. A wolf is a big predator, but he can fish, frogs, mice, and also likes to destroy bird nests.

But not always only forest animals and birds become 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 the villages and begin to rob. Their prey may be a sheep, a dog, a pig, a horse, a cow, a goose. In general, any livestock to which a predator can only get. Even one individual is capable of causing great damage overnight.

A Fox

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

We are used to the fact that from childhood we call the fox a redhead. And this is true. But only in life she has a white abdomen or grayish. Back and sides are painted in different ways: from light gray to bright red. As a rule, northern foxes have a bright color. And more pale - those that live in the forest-steppe. The most beautiful and expensive is the fur of the fox. Such foxes have been bred for a long time on special farms, since they are extremely rare in wildlife. And people have their fur for beauty is very popular.

In summer, the animal looks a bit awkward because the wool becomes short and stiff in this period. But by autumn the fox has a beautiful winter coat. It only weakens the predator once a year - in the spring.

The habits of the crafty fox

There is a fox not only in the forest, but also in the tundra, mountains, steppes, in swamps, and even in human habitation. She admirably knows how to adapt to any conditions, but still likes more open spaces. Deaf taiga is not to her liking.

In life, as in fairy tales, the fox is very fast and dexterous. She runs very fast, easily catching flying insects. As a rule, she moves unhurriedly. Periodically stops, looks around, looks around. The fox is very careful. When she sneaks up to the prey, she creeps quietly on her belly, almost merging with the ground. But running away from the pursuit of large and sharp jumps, skillfully confusing tracks.

In fox behavior, you can see directly the fabulous episodes. People invented it for good. All the plots are taken from real life. Foxes are really cunning predators, who with a mind approach hunting. They, rather, take prey not by force, but by seduction. No other animal is called by patronymic. And the fox is called Patrikeevna. Why?

Once upon a time there was such a prince, named Patrick. He was famous for his cunning and resourcefulness. Since that time the name Patricks has been associated with cunning. The fox has long been popular among the people as a cheat, because it was called Patrikeevna.

Who do foxes hunt?

Foxes are very active animals. In the winter, its intricate tracks are clearly visible in the snow. Immediately you can see where the cheat was hunting. It is generally accepted that foxes feed on hares. But this is a great error. She is not able to catch up with such a quick booty. Of course, if she stumbles somewhere on the defenseless, they will certainly take advantage of the opportunity. That is why hares are a very rare dish in her diet. She just can not keep up with them.

Foxes feed on various insects, birds and animals. But the basis of their menu are rodents. Predators remarkably destroy voles. In addition, they are able to fish in shallow water. Sometimes animals are tasty with berries.

Hares

Forest life of animals is very interesting for study. All representatives of the animal world are very different, some escape, others hunt. Earlier we examined some predators. And 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. Their hind legs are much longer and more powerful than the forelegs. In winter, it is clearly visible on the snow that the prints of the hind legs are ahead of the forelegs. It is caused by the fact that during the run they bring them forward.

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

A lot of fairy tales have been written about forest animals, but the hare has always been a favorite hero. He and in life, leaving the chase, cunning and trying to confuse the tracks, jumps one way, then another, as in children's stories. He is able to run at a speed of 50 kilometers per hour. Not every predator will hunt for such quick prey. In general, in the arsenal of hares, there are many ways to get away from the persecution. These are such cunning forest dwellers. The animals know how to run and defend themselves, and in each case they use the most optimal tactics - they have developed a flair so much.

But not so much saves the hares their cunning, as they take their quantity. Annually they have four or five litters each. In each of which there may be from two to five borrow.

The hares of hares and whites are best known. They weigh up to seven and a half kilograms and in length reach 70 centimeters. Their main difference is the color of the fur coat. Rusak in winter do not change their color. But in summer these varieties are much more difficult to distinguish.

In general, hares are characterized by a settled life. Of course, they skip through the fields and meadows, moving to fairly long distances. But then they return to their habitat. Very rarely they can migrate. This happens only in especially cold and snowy winters.

Who else lives in the forest?

We listed only the most famous animals, since it is difficult to pay attention to all forest dwellers. They are really very many: boars, badgers, hedgehogs, moles, mice, squirrels, chipmunks, sables, martens, raccoons, deer, roe deer, lynx ... As they say, from small to large. All of them are very different and interesting. In addition, it would be unfair not to mention the birds, who also live in our forests.

Forest birds

Not only are the forest animals diverse, photos of some of which are listed in the article, but also birds. The world of the winged is no less interesting. They are inhabited in the forests of a huge number of species. Here you can meet: woodpeckers, larks, zapornok, Oriole, crook, nightingale, porridge, magpie, duck, wagtail, swift and many others.