Interesting animals on the planet. The role of animals in the life of the Earth
Our planet includes a variety of living forms. Today, many of them have already become extinct; it is very difficult to count them. Particular attention is paid to beautiful animals, children love them, they are shown on TV, you can meet them in the zoo, or read them in a book. But there are animals on earth that are very difficult to meet. These rare species are hidden from human eyes. The alerts that reach us indicate that these animals are endangered or on the verge of extinction. Who are they, the rarest animals on the planet?
Far from the eyes, far from the microscope. This is an inverted pyramid: at the top are the largest inhabitants of the depths, at the base of the smallest. The larger the size, the more species science can describe. Take mushrooms: today we know of 000 species. This seems like a very high number, but it's nothing compared to those down there. In the most conservative hypothesis, the scientific community thinks there may be about one and a half million species of fungi, more extreme than 5 million.
Will we ever give a name to every inhabitant of the soil? But the difficulties don't stop here: Once we find something new, we need to identify it, and making it a DNA sequence may not be enough. These organisms must be grown in the laboratory.
Baiji river dolphin
This mammal lives only on the Yangtze River. Many people confuse it with the Chinese white dolphin, but they are completely different. Baiji is considered officially dead. Researchers tried to find at least one in the river in 2006, but failed. But, a year later, a certain photographer was able to capture these river animals. It is not known how many of them remain. But even if they did not become extinct, there are very few of them left.
However, few survive from their habitat. This is "dirty medicine". To those on the outside looking in, scientists' efforts to discover and describe new subsurface species can seem baffling. However, research in this area concerns us all and could help save millions of lives over the next few decades. And from the ground it is also a bacterium that made it possible to discover a new antibiotic, Teishobactin, which is still effective against Staphylococcus aureus and Koch's bacillus, which causes tuberculosis in humans.
The discovery of a new antibiotic is important, but even more so since bacteria resistant to this compound have not yet been found. IN last years, in essence, medicine is compared to dangerous enlargement. Ever since he began farming the land, the man had major allies in the small suburb. Fungi and bacteria are “the good mouth,” explains Alberto Orghiazzi, who is also a soil biologist, who feeds plant debris and breaks it down into simpler compounds, helping to form the organic matter that makes the soil more fertile.
Pinta Island turtle
On Pinta Island, there were a lot of turtles. But a local fisherman brought goats in 1958 to feed his family. And after 10 years there were a lot of goats, and they ate all the vegetation, depriving the turtles of food. Pinta Island turtles may be considered an endangered species. Now this turtle can only be admired in photographs. The last living of this species is named Lonesome George. This turtle is a hundred years old, it has become a living symbol Galapagos Islands. We spent a very long time looking for a female for George, but the search yielded nothing. Genus Galapagos tortoises interrupted.
No other organism is capable of doing something like this. Also important are the bacteria that colonize legume roots: they capture nitrogen that is in the atmosphere and fix it in the soil, enriching it with the fundamental element. This is why peas, beans and beans make very good "rotation" crops: they are a kind of natural fertilizer that farmers put in front of other more demanding crops such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants.
There are other animals that live on the surface, but have “settled” underground. This applies to bees: 70% of species essentially build their nests in the soil. And to remain in the case of animals whose society is organized in caste, the only mammal of this type is the naked etherocephalo, the so-called “bald moth.” It, of course, also lives underground.
That's all left for today. Javan stands out among them due to his rarity. It is a close relative of the Indian rhinoceros, but much smaller in size. These species once lived in South-East Asia. But human hunting for these animals has put this species at risk of extinction. Today there are less than 60 individuals left.
In addition to describing the Earth's animals and microorganisms, the Atlas focuses on the factors that threaten subsurface biodiversity, and there are many of them: deforestation, intensive cropping, cementation, and the use of pesticides and herbicides. “Anything that threatens biodiversity on the surface also threatens the subsurface,” Orgiazzi summarizes. How more trees they knock, the fewer varieties they cultivate, and the fewer the organisms below decrease in number.
Based on the reasoning, the soil, along with the oceans, is a reservoir of more carbon dioxide on Earth. The more soil that is trapped, the less carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. And what are the living beings of the subsoil if not carbon? Between agriculture, climate, water quality and pollution, our fate is tied to the disease of insects, fungi and bacteria of which we know very little.
What exactly is an okapi? Zebra? Giraffe? In fact, it is the only species of its kind. It is similar in build to the one, and its limbs are colored like a zebra's with stripes. Their fur is brown with reddish tints. But at the same time, the neck and legs are long, but not as long as those of a giraffe. Okapi are found in Democratic Republic Congo. They live in dense tropical forests. It is impossible to count the number of okapi, since they are timid and wary of humans. But with deforestation, the species was on the verge of extinction.
Studying their knowledge and protecting it is our concern. Private playback. The world underwater is no less impatient than the one above it. When you visit it, you won't be able to fight the urge to take something from it unusual place. The secrets of the depths of the sea can hardly be revealed, much less.
Here are some of the most beautiful and little-known sea creatures. Some of them look like a beautiful portrait, but they are really real. A species of sea snail also known as the blue angel, sea damselfish, or Dutch Atlantic. It reaches a length of up to 3 cm and has an exceptionally beautiful shade of blue, gray and white stripes. It can be found in almost all oceans of medium depth.
Today, the existence of this species is in danger. There are two residential areas on the island of Grenada, one in the southwest of the island and the other on west coast. Recently, Grenadian pigeons have decreased by 50%. After Hurricane Ivan hit Grenada, the pigeon population plummeted.
Such a wonderful sea creature is, in fact, an extremely cruel predator. The impact of its clamps is so powerful that it can even break double-glazed aquariums. Short and bloated, the octopus is named for the small fins that grow on its head, reminiscent of a Disney cartoon elephant. Dumbo lived in extremely deep waters and used his tentacles and "ears" to move along the sea floor.
Rarely seen, it has jelly-like flesh slightly thicker than seawater. Thanks to this, the fish can easily swim on the seabed in search of food. It lives in the deep waters of Tasmania and Australia. The Yeti crab is blind and spends its life eating small shrimp and algae. It is 15 cm long and is also called “Kiwaidaye”.
Blue Macaw
Most rare view parrots Its weight is 400 grams and its length is 57 cm. Macaws live in Brazil. They settle in palm groves, on plains with tall trees or in thorny bushes. Unfortunately, this species is considered extinct. They cannot be seen in wildlife. The last male was seen in 2000. The cause of the death of the macaw in nature was the trapping of birds and the cutting down of trees. To preserve this species, they began to be bred in captivity.
Parrotfish live in tropical waters and come in a variety of colors. Her teeth are tightly connected to each other, which mimics the shape and structure of the beak, which is where her name comes from. We've all heard about endangered animals. For example, the famous black rhinoceros is famous, and there are species of which only a few specimens remain. And what are the most endangered plants? They may not be as exciting and beloved as animals, but they are just as important to the ecosystem, and humanity relies on this ecosystem, without which life on Earth would be almost impossible.
Queen Alexandra's sailboat
The province of Ora is home to the world's largest butterfly, the Queen Alexandra's Swallowtail, whose wingspan reaches 30 cm. It is considered a very rare butterfly. They are on the verge of extinction.
Here are eight of the most endangered plants today. They grow in some of the most inaccessible and remote corners of our planet. They are threatened by habitat destruction, illegal collection, poaching and competition from other species. The Atonboro corn plant grows only on the relatively inaccessible Mount Victoria on the island of Palawan, in the Philippines. It is believed that there are only a few hundred copies. Forge plants are carnivorous plants that capture animals trapped in liquid-filled cups called pitchers.
He was baptized by the British naturalist and author of a number of science fiction films, David Attenborough. The suicide palm is a giant palm that is found only in parts of northwestern Madagascar. It lives for about 50 years, blooms only once, and dies soon after. There are about 90 of them in the wild.
Far Eastern leopard
The largest subspecies of leopards from the cat family. Lives in Primorsky Krai Khasansky district. It is endangered. There are 37 individuals left in the wild. Hunting of leopards has been prohibited since 1956.
This unusual orchid spends its entire life underground and even blooms underground in late May and early June, producing over a hundred creamy, reddish flowers with a strong scent. The orchid lives only in Western Australia. There are believed to be fewer than 50 underground orchids left and the species has been declared critically endangered. The white cactus, called "golf ball" because of its shape, is found only in the mountains of Queretaro state in Mexico. Its beautiful pink colors have made it especially popular with gardeners, and many wild cacti have been collected illegally.
Florida cougar
This animal is on the verge of extinction due to extermination by humans. Settlers sought to protect their horses by sending dogs to hunt the pumas. Several cougars are in the area National Park Everglace. The cougar is protected in some parts of Florida. But there are very few of these animals left, and it is unlikely that if not, we will be able to see them.
As a result, its population has fallen by more than 95% over the past 20 years. It gets its name from its fruit, which looks like a jellyfish when it breaks. The tree grows only on the island of Mahe on Seychelles. Only 86 mature jellyfish trees remain, and some have already stopped reproducing.
Parsley from Ascension Island. This little fern is a plant that looks like a miniature parsley. This only occurs on Ascension Island - a volcanic island in the southern part Atlantic Ocean. To save them, scientists take care of them for weeks. Once the plants began producing spores, the team cut out small portions of the spores and sent them to botanical gardens In Great Britain. However, this fern is rare, with only about 40 specimens.
Tarsiers can be found on the islands of Southeast Asia. They live in Cambodia, Thailand, and the Philippines. But these primates are not found in large numbers there either. The height of tarsiers is from 9 to 16 cm. Moreover, their legs are twice as long as their body. They have very interesting eyes, which are the size of their brains. These animals are very jumping. They pounce on the victim and bite through the skull with their sharp teeth. Tarsier breeding is in a deplorable state. Even humans cannot influence this, since tarsiers do not reproduce in captivity.
The coral tree with bright red flowers is found only in the remote forests of Tanzania. Now in nature there are less than 50 specimens in one unprotected area. Bush with this interesting name grows only in the Limpopo province South Africa. Like the cactus, it is very endangered because many people pick it up and sell it for ornamental purposes, and this reduces its population dramatically.
It's hard to believe how incredible and different creatures live on our planet! We invite you to take a look at 11 rare animals you've probably never heard of before. The diversity of our beautiful world never ceases to amaze us! This sweet and incredibly rare animal is also known as the "magic bunny." Or Pike was recently filmed for the first time in twenty years. Chinese mountain Tien Shan was first discovered in China.
Among tigers, this is the rarest albino species. The color in tigers is caused by a recessive gene. The golden tiger can only be found in captivity. These tigers come from Bengal. They are relatives of the Amur variety. The golden tiger, like the white one, is genetically contaminated with the genes of the Amur white tiger Tony. Today, there are about 30 animals with this coloring in captivity in zoos.
When a male frog tries to attract a female or senses danger, his extended nose rises up. A few years ago, scientists discovered 14 species of hand-shaped fin fish. On this moment nine of them are endangered. These rather small white Americans live in Helician foliage, eat fruit, and can grow up to 5 inches in length. GRIMPOTEUTHYS.
This strange deep-sea animal gets its name because it has a membrane between its legs that resembles the ears of Dumbo the flying elephant from the famous animated film. This grasshopper grasshopper lives in the Müller area. These fantastically beautiful, colorful crabs were discovered in Indonesia last year.
Seychelles white-tailed bat
These mice live in the Seychelles and can be found in Madagascar. The islands are home to bats. Animals are at risk of extinction. Once upon a time there were a lot of these winged creatures, but when humans changed their natural environment, it was noticeably reflected in mice. There are about a hundred individuals left in their habitat.
These small turtles use their long necks and tube-like nostrils to breathe underwater. He is turning into an internet sensation like "Yoda Bat" due to its similarities to the films " star Wars» Jedi. Juvenile Amazon River dolphins, also known as dolphins pink rivers, are light gray, but some turn pink as they grow. These dolphins are not friendly and do not exercise, so they rarely behave in captivity.
Wants to know how many bones there are in human body? How much water is there on planet Earth? We assume that you are not always ready to deal with the answers. Over the years, the market has become increasingly diverse, interactive and entertaining. Due to the more unusual approach to providing information, most children do not ignore encyclopedias at the expense of a tablet or laptop. Publishers and authors appreciate this and do everything possible to maintain their interest. This doesn't just apply to visual layout.
These animals are very beautiful and cute, however, they are endangered. The wombat is a large mammal that is facing extinction. Its length is about one meter, its nose is covered with wool, its fur is white or brown, and is very soft to the touch. The nose resembles a pig's snout. Northern wombats have silky and fine fur. These qualities have led to human hunting of these animals. The northern hairy-nosed wombat lives in colonies in the northern United States. There are about 130 of them left.
Many more animals are under threat of complete extinction!
Perhaps the time has come now to come to your senses and make every effort to save what can still be saved. Unfortunately, we are only interested in endangered animals, but we make no effort at all to save them.
Rare animals of the planet:
Red Wolf, Sao Tome Shrews, Giant Earwig, Orange Toad, Komodo Dragon, Elephant Tortoise, California Condor, New Zealand Owl Parrot, Red-footed Ibis, Lepidoptera Mojo, Japanese Crane, Kouprey, Przewalski's Horse, Far Eastern leopard, Snow leopard (irbis), Iriomotean cat, Oryx, Aye-aye, Sumatran rhinoceros. In a few years, these animals will disappear completely.
Many species of animals have already disappeared from the face of the earth - some as a result of natural processes, some due to natural disasters. But we have lost many animals due to our cruelty and carelessness. And we still have a lot to lose.
Characteristics of the platypus, external description, features, venom of the animal. Lifestyle, nutrition, reproduction, enemies. Platypus as a symbol of Australia.
general characteristics ant. Lifestyle, classes in the colony, reproduction, nutrition, construction. The main advantages and disadvantages of ants.
Characteristics of bats, external description. Flight, lifestyle, nutrition, reproduction, relationships with people. Do they drink? the bats human blood?
Characteristics, external description of a kangaroo. Habitats, lifestyle, nutrition, reproduction, enemies of marsupials. Kangaroo as a symbol of Australia, relationships with people.
Characteristics of the scarab beetle, external description, features. Lifestyle, nutrition, reproduction, benefits for the environment, relationships with people.
Characteristics and features of crocodiles. Body temperature, nutrition, reproduction, habitat, extinction, life in captivity. The connection between man and reptile.
Characteristics of killer whales. Features of the species, reproduction, nutrition, habitat, way of life, possible dangers. Relationship with a person, life in captivity.
Characteristics and external description of dolphins. Habitats, habitual way of life, reproduction and nutrition of animals. Relationships between dolphins and people.
They can be different - cute, mischievous, calm, menacing, of various shapes, sizes and colors. At the same time, they lead a lifestyle that suits them best, live exactly where they want, and move as conveniently as possible - by land, air, water, trees.
That is why representatives of the fauna can be seen anywhere on the globe, while objects of the animal world live not only on land, but also in fresh water bodies, seas and oceans. In a word, the animal world of our planet is so diverse, beautiful and incredible that the realization of this fact takes your breath away.
The role of animals in the life of the Earth
The fauna of the Earth has such an active influence on the environment that it is impossible to overestimate its role. Objects of the animal world pollinate plants and distribute their seeds, actively participate in the formation of soil, introducing various organic substances into it and contributing to the formation of humus.
Using and destroying the corpses of other animals, wilted plants and fallen leaves, the fauna, among other things, actively plays the role of orderlies of our planet (an important role is also given to representatives of the fauna that inhabit the expanses of water, which by all means available to them purify the water, which is clean for the environment no less important than air purity). In addition, objects of the animal world form the so-called food chain: plants - herbivores - predators.
Animals of our planet
Representatives of fauna are one of the main components of the ecological systems of the surrounding world. At the same time, not a single scientist is able to give a clear answer to a rather seemingly simple question: exactly how many species of animals does the fauna of our planet consist of?
Approximate calculations by scientists carried out in 2010 give only a small idea of exactly how many living creatures inhabit our planet. At the same time, there is no doubt that at the moment the fauna of our planet exceeds 1.5 million species.
Vertebrates – about 62,305 species
The fauna of vertebrates has been quite well studied - it includes fish, reptiles, birds and mammals. Their skeleton is based on a spinal column, consisting of bones and ending with a skull (only the lower forms of this type of animal have a dense longitudinal rod - a notochord - instead of a ridge).
Among the representatives of this group, birds are the best studied by zoologists - they are active, noisy, beautiful, easy to find and easy to count (in total, there are about 8.5 thousand species of birds and tens of thousands of subspecies on our planet).
As for mammals, according to preliminary data, there are about 3.5 thousand of them on Earth. However, this number is far from final: the animal world is very rich, and the fauna has been little studied. Zoologists annually discover about forty species of these animals (mostly small rodents or bats, since large animals are much easier to count and they are few in number compared to small animals).
Invertebrate animals - a little more than 1 million 300 thousand.
Insects live the most on Earth - no one knows exactly how many there are, but there are assumptions that ¾ of the fauna of our planet consists of these representatives of the animal world. Some entomologists, relying on species known to science, claim that there are about 1.5 million in total. Others, given that a huge number of species have not yet been discovered, are convinced that their number exceeds 10 million. It is interesting that only one percent of insects are pests. All the rest are extremely valuable for the life of the environment.
Threats to wildlife
This data is not final, if only because zoologists are constantly discovering new species of animals (this especially applies to representatives of aquatic fauna or small specimens, among them a huge number of insects). At the same time, the animal world of our planet is dying out. For example, scientists’ calculations showed that from 1600 to 1975, about 1.2% of species of higher vertebrates became extinct:
- 64 species and 44 subspecies of mammals;
- 74 species and 87 subspecies of birds.
Despite all the efforts of zoologists, the fauna of our planet (animal world) continues to decline on a catastrophic scale. Scientists claim that every hour on Earth one biological species disappears (primarily, this is due to deforestation and the destruction of other places where fauna live).
At the same time, given that the animal world is an important component of the environment, recently all large quantity people are trying to do everything possible to protect and save useful, rare and endangered species of animals.
website: the most interesting things about animals
The fauna of our planet is so large that we, of course, are unlikely to be able to tell you about absolutely all of its representatives. At the same time, on our website we have collected information about the most interesting and unique animals.
On our portal you can read about both the largest animal on our planet and the most large rodent world, its size significantly exceeding that of an average-sized dog. You will also learn about the existence among mammals of those specimens that are capable, in defense, of poisoning their enemies if something threatens their life, and much more.