Fauna of the Republic of Belarus: features, examples and photos of animals. Nature, plants and animals of Belarus Rare animals of Belarus presentation

The modern fauna of terrestrial vertebrates in Belarus includes 434 species, including 73 species of mammals. Of these, artiodactyls (6 species), carnivores (16 species), and hare-like species (2 species) are of great hunting and commercial importance. According to the role that wild mammals play in nature and human economy, they can be conditionally divided into several groups. The first group consists of fur-bearing animals, which are widespread on the territory of Belarus and give beautiful fur, being valuable fur-bearing hunting animals. These are the common fox, pine marten, black polecat, otter, common squirrel, as well as hare and hare hares (which are more valuable for their meat). Ungulate animals (elk, wild boar, red deer, roe deer) provide high-calorie and tasty meat. The third group is made up of rather small species, the distribution of which in the territory is rather limited, also having valuable fur, these are: lynx, stone marten, European mink, as well as ermine and weasel. There are also species, the number of which on the territory of Belarus has been greatly reduced and they are practically under the threat of extinction: brown bear, European bison, as well as badger - hunting for them is prohibited.

The fauna includes a number of small species from the order of rodents, which, on the one hand, are harmful to humans and their economy, and, on the other hand, are carriers and keepers of pathogens of a number of natural focal diseases of domestic animals and humans. These are small mouse-like rodents: gray rats, different kinds mice and voles, as well as representatives of the order of insectivores (hedgehog, various shrews). Some acclimatized species have also taken root in Belarus, such as the raccoon dog, raccoon, American mink, and muskrat.

Belarus is famous for its wide variety of forests, steppes and lakes. At least a thousand of them are reserved for specially protected areas. natural areas occupying about 7.8% of the country's area. But many representatives of the nature of Belarus are endangered due to human activities. For their protection, the Red Book of the country was created.

The total number of wild animals inhabiting these territories, according to the 3rd Red Book of the Republic of Belarus (RB) of 2004, is 188 species.

1 Perhaps one of the brightest representatives of this book is the European lynx: a short body, long legs with large pubescent feet, as if a docked tail and tassels of black hair on the ears, create a portrait of this predator of the feline family. In size, an adult male lynx resembles a large dog. Females are somewhat smaller than males. The color of the lynx is varied and ranges from reddish-brown to ash-blue.

2 The place of the largest predator is occupied by a brown bear. And it’s not without reason, since the length of the body of the beast in full growth can be 2.5 meters, with the weight of this giant - at least 200 kg. The body of the handsome brown is massive, the head is wide with small ears and a short muzzle. The limbs are of medium length, ending in long, sickle-shaped claws that do not retract. Females are much smaller than males and much slimmer. The color of the bear's hair is extremely variable - from dark brown, almost black, to brownish-ash.

3 The largest representative of the endangered Belarusian fauna is the European bison. Outwardly, he is very reminiscent of a bull, but much large sizes and with short but thick horns on the head. However, with its seemingly majestic volumes: the height at the withers of an adult bison is about 2 meters and weighs up to a ton, the animal is extremely shy and immediately runs away when it meets a person. This reaction is natural, because because of their thick brown fur and meat, bison have long been hunted by people. Today, work on the renewal of this species is carried out in close cooperation with Poland.

As for the smaller representatives of the fauna, their number is also on the verge of extinction. Thus, according to unspecified data for 2014, representatives of the European mink and badger actually disappeared from the territory of the Republic of Belarus. According to recent information, the Ministry natural resources and protection environment is going to release the 4th edition of the Red Book, which is scheduled for release in 2015. Among the species that are under threat of being excluded from the Red Book is the white heron, which, according to scientists, causes significant damage to fisheries. And in the event of a further decrease in their numbers, hares and black grouse may be included in the Red Book.

5 egret

The Republic of Belarus is in Eastern Europe. The borders of this Republic pass through Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Russia and Ukraine.

Each city of Belarus is historically important for the whole world. Coming here, tourists try to visit every corner of this country: Minsk, Gomel, Polotsk, Vitebsk, Brest. These cities keep many historical secrets. Ancient buildings are the attraction of each of them - the Brest Fortress, Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Gorodnenshchina, various palaces and national parks.

Flora of Belarus

Belarusian flora is quite beautiful and diverse. Forest vegetation prevails over other plant species. Here you can see wide pine forests, as well as small areas occupied by other forest formations.

Forest-forming trees are: pine, gray alder, birch and oak. Maples, lindens, ash and aspens also grow in the forest expanses.

Pribuzhsky Polesye is famous for the fact that sandy meadows and floodplain forests are found on its territories. Such vegetation is very rare in Belarus. As a rule, they are represented by taiga forests, juniper woodlands and moorlands.

In the floodplains, one can see preserved eutrophic and power meadows.

The lands of the Pribuzhsky Polesye are suitable for the growth of various vascular plants - the majestic purest and the common scutellum. There is also a forest mytnik and Australian mistletoe.

Of the subarctic species, bearberry and wild rosemary are found, of the Pontic species - mountain clover, silver cinquefoil, steppe timothy, Polessky fescue. Representatives of boreal species are: female kochedyzhnik, trefoil watch, blueberries, blueberries, lingonberries, annual club moss, brittle willow and common spruce. Nemoral species are represented by common hornbeam, smooth and rough elm, linden.

The vegetation of the swamps is also diverse. Forb-sedge, grass-sedge and large-sedge species grow here. The main marsh plants are: willow, black alder, downy birch, as well as wild rosemary, cranberry, marsh myrtle, hypnum mosses.

A lot is growing in Belarus medicinal plants, the main representatives of which are: sage, calendula, sea buckthorn, coltsfoot, medicinal valerian, dog rose, peppermint, plantain, medicinal lungwort, thyme, immortelle and marsh cinquefoil.

Poisonous Belarusian plants - common belladonna, milestones, spotted hemlock, May lily of the valley and wolf's bast.

Interesting is the insectivorous plant - Aldrovandus vesicularis.

Fauna of Belarus

The Belarusian fauna is also distinguished by a variety of species.

Forests are the most populated ecosystems of the Republic. The main representatives of the forests are: elk, wild boar, red deer, roe deer. Also here you can see hares, hedgehogs, weasels and martens. Rare representative of the Red Book of Belarus European bison.

But not all forest animals are common. Rare species include lynx, badger and brown bear., marten. Of the rare and protected species of animals, there are: bison (inhabitant of Belovezhskaya Pushcha).

In broad-leaved forests there are green and white-backed woodpeckers, stockheads, barnacle flycatchers and small flycatchers, spruce crossbills, bullfinches, nutcrackers, fly owls and others.

In the areas of rivers and lakes there are bitterns, white-cheeked black and white-winged terns, gray-cheeked grebes.

In the reeds and reedbeds, you can see the small rutting, the mustachioed tit and the nightingale cricket.

In water areas rare view ducks - white-eyed black. A rare bird species that lives in the meadows is the great godwit.

Predatory representatives of birds are: white-tailed eagle, osprey, golden eagle, hobby.

Among the bats representatives of Belarus, the most common are: European broad-eared and Natterer's night bat.

The main inhabitants of the swamps are turtles, toads, frogs, lizards, snakes and vipers.

The world of invertebrates is very wide, but little studied. It is known that in the hollows of trees there is a wax hermit, and in the swamps - a black Apollo butterfly and a large floating spider.