What kind of animal is a muskrat? Muskrat - Red Book of the Samara Region
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))((#if:| ))((#if:| ))Muskrat, or Russian muskratThe word “muskrat” in modern Russian is bigender, that is, it can be declined both as a feminine noun (like “mol”) and as a masculine noun (like “tulle”). At V. Vysotsky's muskrat feminine: “The Tsar will give you a fur coat from the shoulder made of natural muskrat”; V. Aksenov has a masculine “muskrat”: “...jeans with piping made from muskrat fur.” The Wildlife Conservation Center held the campaign “Save the Russian Muskrat!” Thus, it is impossible to talk about a gender error., or hokhulya(lat. Desmana moschata) - a mammal of the mole family (order insectivores). One of two species of the subfamily Desmaninae, sometimes recognized as a family; the second species is ((#if: Pyrenean desman|Pyrenean desman ((#if: Galemys pyrenaicus| ( ((#ifexist:Galemys pyrenaicus|Galemys pyrenaicus|Galemys pyrenaicus )) ((#if: | |))))|((#if: Galemys pyrenaicus| Galemys pyrenaicus ((#if: | ((#invoke:Taxonomy/latin|author|))|}}}}}}.
Spreading
Nutrition
Muskrats need a lot of food. An adult mammal can eat an amount of food equal to its weight in one day. In the summer, the muskrat eats mainly only bottom living creatures, which include the larvae of the rainbow beetle, leeches, gastropods, caddis fly larvae, etc. During the winter months, a variety of plant foods and even small fish are added to this food Muskrat // zoopicture.ru
Reproduction
Puberty occurs at the age of 10-11 months. During the spring flood period, muskrats forced out of their burrows unite in pairs. IN quiet days During this period, they make peculiar sounds: males chirp loudly, females make gentle, melodic sounds. The rut is accompanied by fights between males. After 45-50 days of pregnancy, 1 to 5 cubs are born, blind, naked and helpless. The weight of a newborn is 2-3.3 g (almost half that of a newborn rat). The nesting chamber is located at a shallow depth, and the air temperature in it is low in the winter months. The female makes a nest of wet plants collected at the bottom of the reservoir. Returning to the hole after feeding, the female shakes off the water. The fur does not get wet, but film and drops of water, the temperature of which is close to zero, may remain on its surface. This is the situation in which tiny, naked, blind, helpless Russian muskrat cubs find themselves. Peak birth rates occur at the end of May - June and November - December. There are 2 offspring per year. If the female is disturbed, she transports the offspring to another burrow, placing them on her back. The male is present at the brood. At the age of one month, the cubs begin to feed on adult food; at 4-5 months they become independent.
Population status and conservation
Muskrat. Coin of the Bank of Russia - Series: “Red Book”, silver, 1 ruble, 2000
The desman is a rare endemic species, listed in the Red Book of Russia with category 2: a rare relict species declining in numbers. The following factors have led to such a deplorable situation for the muskrat in Russia: deforestation of floodplain forests, pollution of reservoirs where animals live, drainage of floodplain lands, which worsens conditions for food production and protection, construction of dams and dams, as well as development on the banks of reservoirs, creation of reservoirs , grazing near water bodies.
Currently, the muskrat can be preserved thanks to unconventional methods and organizational forms. Namely, the creation of specialized hunting farms, the main principle of which is the rational use and protection of these animals.
Limiting factors
The habitat of the muskrat is small, since there are few bodies of water favorable for it. Natural factors that negatively affect its numbers include long-term winter floods and high water levels. When water rises in winter, muskrat burrows are flooded and they drown. During the dry summer, floodplain reservoirs become shallow and dry up, and muskrats have to look for a new place to live. On land, muskrats are practically defenseless due to their poor eyesight and slowness, although predators rarely eat them due to their strong musky odor. They are sometimes attacked by stoats, ferrets, otters, foxes, stray dogs and cats; among birds - marsh harrier, black kite, osprey, golden eagle, great spotted eagle, eagle owl, gray owl, even hooded crow and magpie. Underwater they are hunted by pike and large catfish. Wild boars tearing up the ground, and even grazing livestock, also harm muskrats. But the greatest pressure on them comes from introduced species - the American mink and muskrat; the latter actively displaces the muskrat, occupying its burrows.
However, the main reduction in the range and number of muskrats occurs due to anthropogenic factors: net fishing, economic transformation of floodplains (drainage, water withdrawal for irrigation, deforestation), livestock grazing, and pollution of water bodies.
Economic importance and protection measures
In the past, the muskrat was a valuable commercial species. Until the third quarter of the 17th century, it was mined exclusively for its musky smell. On
Photo of the Russian desman - Number of individuals of the Russian desman
Russian muskrat (second name - Ukrainian) is an unusual endemic animal from the order of insectivores, living near water bodies in Central Russia. Muskrat is also a relict species, which existed in the same form about 30-40 million years ago. Currently, the number of muskrats is very small, so it is included in the list of animals from the Red Book of Russia.
Reproduction of the Russian desman
Muskrats can give birth to offspring in spring and autumn.
Pregnancy lasts about a month and a half, then up to 5 cubs are born, which are absolutely helpless and weigh 2-3 grams. After about six months, the cubs become independent, and after 11 months they reach reproductive age. Under natural conditions, muskrats live for about 4 years, and in captivity they live up to 5.
Protection of the Russian muskrat
The Russian muskrat is included in the list of animals from the Red Book of Russia with the status of a rare relict species, declining in number.
Currently, 4 reserves and about 80 reserves have been created in which this animal is studied by scientists. Measures are being taken to protect these animals and restore their population. In 2000, a special project was created called “Let's save the Russian muskrat”, which is engaged in assessing the number of muskrat individuals and developing measures for its conservation.
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The Russian muskrat (khokhulya) is a rare relict animal. You can meet this animal only in a small part European Russia. In the Don and Volga basins, as well as in some tributaries of the Dnieper. This animal is not found anywhere else.
At a certain period they tried to introduce the Russian muskrat into other habitats, but nothing worked out. Today, these animals can only be found in the wild in the above-mentioned places. All other habitats are created artificially and they live there in captivity.
Appearance
Russian desman description: This animal is an insectivore, and is also the largest representative of this class. The body length of the animal is from 18 to 22 cm, and the tail length is from 17 to 21 cm. With these sizes, animals most often weigh between 380 and 520 grams.
Few people know what a muskrat looks like due to the low distribution and lifestyle of these animals. These animals have a dense build, and the neck is almost invisible from the side. The head has a conical shape, on which the nose-trunk is located. They have rudimentary eyes and well-developed eyelids.
These animals do not have external ears, and the auditory openings, which are presented in the form of slits 1 cm long, close when diving under water. The same thing happens with the nasal openings, which are closed with the help of nasal valves. The animals have rather short legs, they themselves are five-fingered, and the hind legs are larger and wider than the front ones.
They have well-developed claws, which are curved towards the end. At the same time, between the fingers up to the claws there is a well-developed swimming membrane. Special attention should be paid to the fur, which is very thick and silky, and at the same time very durable.
The color of the fur is not the same. The back of the animal has a dark gray tint, and the belly has a light gray tint. The tail of these animals is quite long and flattened on both sides. On each side, along the edges of the tail, there is a cornea, as well as hard hairs. At the base of the tail, these animals have a gland that produces musk, which prevents the fur from getting wet.
Habitats
Where does the muskrat live? This relict species is found, in addition to some places in Russia, also in certain places in Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Lithuania and Belarus.
A relict species in Russia has settled in the following places:
- In the Dnieper basin, these animals occupied such rivers as Iput, Vyazma, and Oster.
- In the Don basin they can be found in rivers such as Voronezh, Bityug, Khoper.
- In the upper reaches of the Volga, these animals are found in places such as Kotorosl and Uzha. This animal was also seen in downstream Klyazma, Moksha and Tsne.
- IN Chelyabinsk region places where the muskrat lives: the bottom of the Uy River in the Kurgan region, as well as in the Tobol floodplain.
Lifestyle and habits
The best conditions for the habitat of this animal are floodplain reservoirs and oxbow lakes, where the water surface area occupies at least one hectare, the depth is at least 5 meters, and along the banks there are small ledges on which a lot of aquatic vegetation can be found. It is also desirable to have a floodplain forest on the banks of such reservoirs.
Animal muskrat most spends time in his hole. The burrows of these animals always have only one exit, but finding it is problematic, since it is always hidden under the water column. However, the rest of the burrow is most often located somewhere above the water level and has a horizontal duration of about 3 meters. These animals also set up separate small chambers in their burrows.
Animals experience minor problems during spring floods. At this time, their burrows are completely flooded and the animals have to leave them during the flood. During this period of time, they settle either in temporary burrows, which are dug in non-flooded areas of the coast, or on floating trees or in sediments from branches. Closer to the bottom of the reservoir, between two adjacent burrows, you can find a tunnel, which is laid between them under a layer of silt, to the very base of sand.
In the summer, these animals settle separately from each other. However, in winter period It also happens that up to 12-13 individuals live nearby. Their temporary burrows can be located 20-30 meters from each other. The muskrat covers this distance in about a minute of swimming. This is a comfortable time for the animal to stay under water. Although the maximum for these animals is 4 minutes.
These animals have many differences with ordinary mammals, but at the same time they have a very important advantage - they can stay under water for a long time. While the muskrat moves under the bottom trench, it inhales the air that was drawn into the lungs in the form of small bubbles.
In winter, these bubbles can be used to determine the location of the bottom trench, since air bubbles will float up and freeze into the ice. However, the presence of such a porous base under the ice will make it not very durable. At the same time, such aeration will attract a large number of mollusks or leeches to such places.
Nutrition
What does a muskrat eat underwater? The diet includes mollusks, leeches, crustaceans, and larvae. Despite the fact that the size of these animals is very small, they eat very, very much. On the entire planet, the muskrat is considered one of the largest species of insectivorous animal.
The muskrat can attract crustaceans, larvae and mollusks by releasing air bubbles when moving under water. Aquatic life flocks to such places much more actively in order to continue breeding here. In this case, all that remains for the animal to do is to swim and eat everything.
Reproduction
Sexual maturity of the animals occurs at 10-11 months after birth. Pairing in these animals occurs during the spring flood. When water drives them out of their holes. At this time, fights between males are quite possible. The gestation period ranges from 45 to 50 days. After birth, the cubs are completely naked, blind and helpless. The number of cubs ranges from 1 to 5, and the weight of each is about 3.3 grams.
The place for raising offspring is chosen at not too great a depth, but in winter it is quite cold there, and therefore the female lines her nest with wet plants, which she collects in the same reservoir. One female can give up to two offspring per year.
It is noteworthy that if the female detects some kind of danger, or something constantly worries her, she will transport her offspring to another hole on her back. Males do not swim far from their offspring. By the age of one month, babies begin to try to eat adult food, and fully mature by 4-5 months of age.
Enemies
The movement of these animals on land is very difficult, and therefore this animal has quite a lot of enemies on land. These include animals such as foxes, otters, wild cats, ferrets and in some cases kites.
These animals have to leave the water surface during the spring flood. The time of their reproduction also falls during this same period.
Reasons for disappearance
The muskrat is listed in the Red Book. The number of these animals by 1973 was about 70 thousand throughout the USSR. Basically, the reduction in the number of these animals occurred due to the fact that their fur is very, very valuable.
In the early and mid-19th century, the hunt for these animals was in full swing, and approximately 100 thousand animals were destroyed every year. Due to such widespread persecution of these animals, as well as violation of their habitat (draining of water bodies), their numbers have dropped sharply.
Security
Currently, hunting these animals is prohibited everywhere and they are protected. Such reserves as Khopersky, Voronezhsky, Lugansky, Mordovian, Okskomsky were created for them. These animals also live in 40 reserves. The maintenance of these animals in captivity is going well, but reproduction is noticeably worse than in the wild.
Video
Look interesting video about this unique animal.
The muskrat animal is a rare and amazing animal that lives in Russia and is listed in the Red Book. It belongs to the family of mammals in the order of insectivores.
Most experts classify the muskrat as a mole, but there are also those who classify them as a separate family. Currently in wildlife There are only two types of muskrat: the Russian muskrat or desman (Latin: Desmana moschata) and the Pyrenean muskrat (Latin: Galemys pyrenaicus). The muskrat is also popularly called the water mole, for its excellent ability to swim and dive, as well as make long burrows underground.
Where does the muskrat live?
This animal lives near rivers with a slow flow and shallow depth. Loves a low sandy beach with a nearby forest. The habitat of the muskrat is very scattered, it is mainly concentrated near the Don, Volga, and Dnieper rivers. It is also found on the Ural River in Siberia. In the basins of other rivers, the number of muskrats is very small.
What does a muskrat look like?
The appearance of this animal is very interesting. A narrow elongated muzzle, long mustache and five-fingered paws with membranes and strong claws, a flat powerful tail. The entire appearance of the muskrat speaks of its aquatic life.
The oval, streamlined body with small ears and eyes is covered with waterproof thick fur, and the membranes on the paws help the animal not only dig holes underground, but also swim well and quickly and dive deep in search of food.
An adult muskrat usually does not exceed 50 centimeters in length, and half of this length is occupied by the tail. It weighs mostly about half a kilogram.
The fur of the animal has a very interesting structure. The wool hairs at the base are slightly thinner than at the top, which provides greater thermal insulation to the body and strength to the fur. By color: on the back the fur is darker and acquires a dark brown or gray color, and the belly is painted silver-gray.
The special pride of the muskrat is its tail. It is flat, long and slightly compressed at the sides. The tail of this animal performs several functions at once. During swimming and diving, it replaces the steering wheel, and in the hot season it regulates the heat exchange of the whole body.
Unlike the body, the tail is covered with horny scales, and along the top there is a strip of stiff hair, which serves as a keel. At the base of the tail there are also “scent” glands. The muskrat swims well mainly due to its powerful tail and hind legs. The front legs are shorter and are almost not involved in swimming. Therefore, when she swims, she tucks her front legs to her chest.
A long muzzle with an elongated nose allows the muskrat to take in more air into its lungs while swimming and diving, without appearing with its entire body on the surface. And the peculiar nasal valves and the special structure of the palate do not allow water to enter the windpipe while eating at the bottom of the river. Like all moles, the muskrat has very poor eyesight, but an excellent sense of smell and touch.
Habits and lifestyle of the muskrat
The muskrat is a very hardworking animal. Although its main habitat is water, it builds its burrows underwater in the ground. Not just one. Typically, a muskrat has one main burrow, where the nesting chamber is located, and several spare, temporary ones, where the animal rests and dries out after water hunting.
Usually, muskrats live in their burrows alone, or in small families, and only by winter, up to 12 individuals of different sexes and ages can gather and spend the winter in one burrow. The main chambers are lined with grass and leaves, and “smelling” trampled trenches lead to the temporary ones.
What does a muskrat eat?
Despite its small weight, the muskrat eats a lot. The muskrat is one of the largest insectivorous animals on the planet. It feeds on insect larvae, crustaceans, mollusks, fry, and leeches. When moving along a trench, the animal releases the collected air and small bubbles appear in the water. Since the water here is more saturated with oxygen, insects themselves tend to come here to lay their larvae. So all the muskrats have to do is collect them and eat them.
In the spring, when the snow melts, muskrat burrows are often flooded, so the animals must quickly look for other places to survive. And during the dry summer, when the river becomes shallow, they also lack water, and they are forced to look for another place to live.
Enemies of muskrats in nature
The Russian muskrat is an excellent swimmer Muskrats are very slow and do not move well on land, so they have a lot of enemies. This
Russian muskrat (lat. Desmana moschata) is a mammal that belongs to the order of insectivores. These animals are classified as moles, but they are assigned to a separate subfamily Desmaninae.
At present, the natural habitat of Russian muskrats is considered to be the territory limited by such rivers as the Don, Dnieper, Ural, and Volga. Sometimes these amazing animals can be found in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Lithuania.
It is one of the largest animals in the northern part of Eurasia, which feeds on insects. The body weight of an adult can reach 380-520 grams, the body length is 18-22 cm, and there are also a long tail 17-21 cm, the muskrat has a dense build. The paws of this mammal are small, and in order for it to feel good in the water, the toes of the limbs are connected to each other by swimming membranes. These animals have durable, very thick fur. To prevent it from getting wet in water, a lubricant in the form of oily musk is secreted from the skin gland. The skin gland itself, responsible for the production of lubricant, is located at the base of the muskrat's tail. The mammal has teeth, 44 in total, they have very poor vision, which is compensated by a well-developed sense of touch and smell.
The most favorite habitats of muskrats are calm floodplain waters, in which swamp vegetation grows in sufficient quantities. Almost all the time, the muskrat lives in its hole, the exit of which is necessarily under water. Such bunks can have different sizes, which directly depend on the steepness of the coast. The muskrat always tries to build its main place of residence under the roots of stumps, trees or bushes. This arrangement, firstly, helps to somewhat hide its location, and secondly, protects the animal from possible collapses.
Muskrats need a lot of food. An adult mammal can eat an amount of food equal to its weight in one day. In the summer, the muskrat eats mainly only bottom living creatures, which include the larvae of the iris beetle, leeches, gastropods, caddis fly larvae, etc. During the winter months, a variety of plant foods and even small fish are added to this food.
Muskrats equip themselves not only with a living burrow, but also with spare burrows. The distance between such burrows is about 25-30 meters. To get from one hole to another (the neighboring one), the animal needs only one minute. Spare burrows serve as places for resting and eating prey. In order not to get entangled under water and to always correctly press its hole, the muskrat lays special trenches along the bottom along which it moves. By the way, such trenches not only serve as a guide, they quite often contain prey moving along the bottom.
If there is an opportunity to live next to beavers, the muskrat will do just that. This turns out to be useful not only for muskrats, but also for beavers. Russian muskrats can use buildings as protective shelters and, moreover, may not be afraid of nets placed in reservoirs by people, since people know that this should not be done near a beaver’s dwelling - the animal will simply ruin them. At the same time, muskrats help beavers by eating gastropods, which are carriers of the causative agent of the disease stichorchiasis, which is dangerous for beavers.
There are very few Russian muskrats left, so they are now protected. This animal was listed in the Red Book of Russia.