Where rare animals live. The rarest species of animals. The rarest animal species. African wild dog

Protect the animal and vegetable world from ourselves - this is truly a grimace of the fate of humanity. Somewhere there was an invisible border between good and evil, between destroyers and defenders. And on the other side of this border there are people who are unable to understand that we are no better than all other creations of nature. That you cannot kill the mother of the cubs for the sake of the skin, or throw away a still living sturgeon with its belly gutted for black caviar. That it is impossible, for the sake of profit, to simply not build sewage treatment plants and kill all living things around. Throw fuel oil into the water area and pretend that you simply don’t see birds, fish, and animals dying in agony.

You can talk long and tediously about anthropogenization, count the losses of flora and fauna, but behind this you cannot see the eyes of animals choking on oil, the fading gaze of a tiger killed for fun, and simply the disappearance without a trace of hundreds of thousands of animals and plants.

A person needs to decide for himself at what price he wants to be the master of this planet, and understand that this price ultimately includes his life. This is why the International Red Book was created, and this is why the Red Book of Russia was created.

The definition “The Red Book is an annotated list of rare and endangered animals, plants and fungi” sounds dry and impersonal. And the more tragic is the long list included in it:

• extinct species;
• disappeared in wildlife species;
• species on the verge of extinction;
• endangered species;
• vulnerable species.

Nevertheless, the compilation of such books is an urgent need, since they are the basis for protective legislation.

Endangered animals from the Red Book of Russia for children

It is necessary to cultivate love and respect for living nature from an early age. This is why books written specifically for children are so relevant and in demand: “Animals from the Red Book of Russia”, “Plants from the Red Book of Russia” and others.

The Red Book of Russia contains detailed description species of animals that are threatened with extermination or complete extinction, species whose number sometimes does not exceed several dozen individuals.

The list of such species, unfortunately, is very large, and entire book volumes are required to describe them all. Therefore, we will consider only some representatives of fauna protected by the Red Book.

The red wolf, also known as the mountain dog, is the only representative of the Cuon genus of the canine family that has survived to this day. This rare view, now found only in the Primorsky Territory, is teetering on the brink of extinction. Beautiful long hair with a copper-red tint, coupled with the rarity of these animals, make them a favorite target of “real hunters” (in other words, poachers).

Manul is a huge wild long-haired and very fluffy cat, whose habitat extends to Transbaikalia, Altai and the Republic of Tyva. There are Siberian, Central Asian and Tibetan varieties of this animal.

Protected plants from the Red Book of Russia with photos and names

Active economic activity Not only has man dispersed and destroyed many animals, it has consistently and methodically contributed to the destruction of the country’s plant resources. In addition to the direct impact on flora, changes in natural landscapes (deforestation, drainage of swamps, changes in river beds) inevitably lead to climate changes. The latter are the cause of the extinction of native plant species.

The first necessary measure for the conservation of rare and endangered species is their complete inventory and inclusion in the Red Book of Russia. On this moment The list of protected plants includes the names of more than 500 representatives of the Russian flora belonging to the following departments:

• angiosperms;
• gymnosperms;
• ferns;
• lycophytes;
• bryophytes;
• lichens;
• mushrooms

One of the most mysterious plants affected by human activity is considered to be true ginseng. There are many interesting legends about him. The status of “panacea” (translation from Latin) and “root of life” is on the verge of extinction.

Rare birds listed in the Red Book of Russia

Strictly speaking, birds are included in the list of the fauna section of the Red Book of Russia and are considered along with other classes of animals.

The list of species included in the Red Book includes more than 120 species of various birds that are subject to protection. A significant part of the list consists of birds of prey, a little less - waterfowl species, as well as representatives of the passerine order.

The status of the populations of many of them is determined by six categories of status:

• 0—probably extinct species;
• 1—endangered species;
• 2—species declining in numbers;
• 3 - rare species;
• 4—species of uncertain status;
• 5—recoverable and recovering species.

Russia's largest seabird, the white-backed albatross, is considered an endangered species. Habitat: Sakhalin, Kamchatka, Commanders, Kuril Islands and Primorsky Territory.

Only a small part of the list of protected species includes such representatives of rare and endangered birds as:

You looked at a selection of photos of animals and plants from the Red Book of Russia with descriptions. Big photo can be seen in the section

There are a lot of animals in Russia that are on the verge of complete extinction. Today we will talk about animals that are listed in the Red Book.

“You can control nature only by obeying it”

Francis Bacon

“Isn’t it because there are fewer and fewer storks on Earth because there are more and more people?”

Yuri Skrylev

In addition to the world of large cities, in which every day in the morning we are late somewhere in the subway, car, trams, we know every corner of a limited, boring and urbanized space - there is another world. A natural world where the king of beasts is the lion, the leader of the birds is the eagle, and the queen of flowers is the rose. And they have their own laws; man, unscrupulously invading the territory of this world, causes irreparable harm to living beings.

Of course, many have heard about the Red Book. Animals included in it are strictly prohibited from being shot and destroyed, except in cases where, for example, polar bears threaten the lives of residents of populated areas.

Red Book

There are Red Books of international, national and regional (in Russia there are more than 30 regional Red Books) scale. The national one must be republished every 10 years, but the last reissue of our national Red Book was in 2001. “The Red Book of Russia is an annotated list of rare and endangered animals, plants and fungi. Total in the Red Book Russian Federation 8 taxa of amphibians, 21 taxa of reptiles, 128 taxa of birds and 74 taxa of mammals are listed, for a total of 231 taxa. The list of threatened species is established and issued under the Endangered Species Act of 1973." (Wikipedia). Despite the age of the reissue, information on the lists of species and their statuses is constantly updated.

0 - probably disappeared. Taxa and populations previously known from the territory (or water area) of the Russian Federation and whose occurrence in nature has not been confirmed (for invertebrates - in the last 100 years, for vertebrates - in the last 50 years).

1 - endangered. Taxa and populations whose numbers of individuals have decreased to a critical level such that they may become extinct in the near future.

2 - decreasing in numbers. Taxa and populations with steadily declining numbers, which, with further exposure to factors reducing numbers, may short time fall into the category of endangered.

3 - rare. Taxa and populations that are small in number and distributed over a limited area (or water area) or sporadically distributed over large areas (water area).

4 - uncertain status. Taxa and populations that probably belong to one of the previous categories, but there is currently no sufficient information about their state in nature, or they do not fully meet the criteria of all other categories.

5 - recoverable and recoverable. Taxa and populations, the number and distribution of which, under the influence of natural causes or as a result of conservation measures taken, have begun to recover and are approaching a state where they will not require urgent conservation and restoration measures.

(Wikipedia, “Red Book of the Russian Federation”)

In addition to the statuses on the number of natural specimens in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, there is a conservation status of animals determined by the Red Book of the World Conservation Union (World Conservation Union). Published in 2013, the update contains information on 71,576 species, of which 21,286 are threatened with extinction.

“The most famous list of conservation statuses with their ratings is the Red Book of the World Conservation Union (WUCN). It identifies categories of status, defined on the basis of both the general principles above and taking into account the individual characteristics of each type:

Disappeared (English Extinct, EX) - a species that disappeared after the death of the last animal of this species and individuals of which were not in captivity at the time of extinction. This does not include animals that became extinct for various reasons before 1500 (such as dinosaurs).

Disappeared in the wild (eng. Extinct in the Wild, EW) - a species completely exterminated in nature, but preserved in captivity.

In critical danger (eng. Critically Endangered, CR) - species, the number of individuals in nature does not exceed several hundred.

Are under threat (English: Endangered, EN) - a species whose number of individuals is quite large, but for certain reasons it cannot yet be said that it will not disappear within a few years.

Are in a vulnerable position (English Vulnerable, VU) is a numerous species, which, however, due to reasons (for example, deforestation) is still in danger.

Dependent on conservation efforts (English: Conservation Dependent, CD)

Close to vulnerable (eng. Near Threatened, NT) - a species that is almost resistant, but not yet safe.

Least endangered (eng. Least Concern, LC) is a species that is so numerous that it is doubtful that it will independently be in danger of extinction in decades. Since 2009, people have been included in this class.

Not enough data (eng. Data Deficient, DD) - species whose abundance is unclear.

Threat not assessed (English: Not Evaluated, NE) - species, information about which does not allow us to even approximately determine the threat to their existence" (Wikipedia)

According to information from the IUCN Red List, the amount different types by category is:

Total species considered 71,576

Total endangered species 21,286

Extinct - EX 799

Extinct in the Wild (EW) 61

Onedgesdisappearance(Critically Endangered - CR) 4,286

Endangered(Endangered - EN) 6,451

Vulnerable(Vulnerable - VU) 10,549

Near Threatened - NT 4,822

Low risk/conservation dependent - LR/CD 241

Minimum Risk (Least Concern - LC) 32,486

Data Deficient - DD 11,881

In Russia, according to this update of the Red Book, a total of 124 species are threatened with extinction, including 31 species of mammals, 9 species of reptiles, 36 species of fish, 8 species of mollusks, 12 species of plants and 28 other species of living creatures.

Critically endangered (CR) according to the IUCN Red Book 2013.2, there are currently 20 species in Russia.

Critically Endangered (CR) Species in Russia

Species name Scientific name Group

Coregonus trybomi Coregonus trybomi Fish

Abrau sprat Clupeonella abrau Fish

Amur sturgeon Acipenser schrenckii Fish

Lymnaea arachleica Molluscs

Beluga Huso huso Fish

Orlov Viper Vipera orlovi Reptiles

European mink Mustela lutreola Mammals

European Angelfish Squatina squatina Pisces

Kaluga Huso dauricus Fish

Caspian zebra mussel Dreissena caspia Shellfish

Persian sturgeon Acipenser persicus Fish

River eel Anguilla anguilla Fish

Russian Sturgeon Acipenser gueldenstaedtii Fish

Saiga Saiga tatarica Mammals

Sakhalin sturgeon Acipenser mikadoi Fish

Sakhalin taimen Hucho perryi Fish

Stellate sturgeon Acipenser stellatus Fish

Monk seal Monachus monachus Mammals

Thorn Acipenser nudiventris Pisces

(Information about endangered animal species from the site nature-time.ru)

Depending on the current situation of animals of one or another status, methods are used to preserve them that help increase the population of the individual.

“In order to preserve and restore rare and endangered species, in 2004 the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia, together with the Russian Academy of Sciences, developed a Strategy for the Conservation of Rare and Endangered Species of Animals, Plants and Fungi.

Separate strategies have also been developed to preserve the most vulnerable species - the Amur tiger, Far Eastern leopard, snow leopard, and bison. A draft Conservation Strategy for the Sakhalin musk deer and a Restoration Program for the Central Asian (Caucasian) leopard have been developed.

A set of measures is being carried out to restore the white crane - the Siberian Crane, the Great Bustard, and some species of birds of prey.

Currently in Russia, 13.5 thousand objects are classified as protected areas, occupying 12% of the country’s territory (2.1 million sq. km). TO SPNA federal significance include: 101 nature reserves, 39 national parks, 69 nature reserves, 26 natural monuments.

Flora of Russia contains more than 12,500 species of wild plants, more than 2,200 species of mosses, and about 3,000 species of lichens. In the soils and water bodies of Russia there are 7-9 thousand species of algae, the number of species of fungal organisms is about 20-25 thousand.

Fauna vertebrates consists of 1513 species: 320 species of mammals, 732 species of birds, 80 species of reptiles, 29 species of amphibians, 343 species of freshwater fish. In addition, about 1,500 species of marine fish are found in the seas surrounding Russia.

Currently, 414 species and subspecies of animals and 676 plant species are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation "(from the website of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, information from the last ten years)

According to the latest information, there are more than 500 species of animals listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation.

There are few of us left...

Many people have heard that there are few Amur tigers left. Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin visited the Ussuri Nature Reserve (which was widely covered in the press), where the Amur Tiger program is being implemented to preserve the species. This animal is rightfully considered priceless, royally majestic... According to information recent years in Russia in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk territories there are only about 450 tigers. The species is listed in the International Red Book.

About life next to Amur tigers with poachers in documentary film about animals:

Among the special projects for the protection of rare species of animals, information about which is posted on the website programmes.putin.kremlin.ru, there are also (except for the Amur Tiger): BELUHA - WHITE WHALE PROGRAM, IRBIS - SNOW LEOPARD PROGRAM, PROGRAM “FAR EASTERN LEOPARD”, “POLAR BEAR” PROGRAM.

All these animals are classified as endangered and the most valuable species and are included in the Russian and international Red Book. The reserves, where the strategy for the conservation of rare species is being implemented, are visited by high-ranking officials of the state, the President of the Russian Federation himself. Besides the fact that they are very beautiful, rare animals- this is the pride of our country, Russia, perhaps, cannot be proud of anything more than nature and its immense wealth, such rare, unusually beautiful specimens. Therefore, every effort must be made to preserve nature, reserves, the national bank of flora and fauna in their exclusive set, unique only to our country.

And finally, let’s take a closer look (for those who are not familiar) or remember again (for those in the know) with some of the most prominent representatives of endangered animal species in Russia. It’s difficult to tell about them all; there are more than 500 species listed only in the Red Book of the Russian Federation (not to mention the international one), but we’ll single out the most unique ones.

IRBIS (SNOW LEOPARD). A large predatory cat, almost a leopard, but with a grayish color, fluffy fur and a long tail. The average length of adult individuals is 120-125 cm, weight - 45 kg. Habitats on the territory of the Russian Federation: the upper and middle belt of the mountains of Central and Central Asia (Himalayas) and Southern Siberia (Altai, Sayan Mountains, Tuva Mountains). The size of the Russian population group of snow leopards, according to the latest official estimate by experts for 2002, was 150-200 individuals, but the current situation of these animals is deplorable: the population has decreased by three. That is, on the tops of the mountains you can only find about 50-70 snow leopards, and then they hide.

Pictured is a snow leopard

RED OR MOUNTAIN WOLF. Predator, mountain dog, body length up to 1 meter, weight 15-21 kg. A representative of the mammal family Cuon - canids. These wolves are the only individuals of this family that have survived to this day. Looks like an ordinary wolf and fox, the color and fluffiness of the coat, a long tail from the fox, and the appearance and habits from the wolf. It is actively hunted by poachers and vain hunters who want to obtain stuffed animals and skins due to its beauty and rarity. It is an endangered species; the exact population could not be determined. The beast lives in Mongolia, in the Far East.

Pictured is a mountain wolf

WHITE-FACED DOLPHIN. A dolphin with a short head, weight about 250-300 kg, length - 3 meters. In Russian waters it is found in the Barents and Baltic Seas. It is not an endangered species, but a rare animal species listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation.

Pictured is a white-faced dolphin

FAR EASTERN LEOPARD. The species is on the verge of extinction and is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation and the International Red Book. Worldwide (China and Russia) Far Eastern leopards no more than 40 remain: and 30 of them are in Russia (southwest of Primorsky Krai), protected in the Kedrovaya Pad nature reserve and the Leopardovy nature reserve. “The length of males reaches 136 cm, females – 112 cm, tails up to 90 cm and 73 cm, respectively, weight up to 53 kg or possibly up to 60 kg.” Life expectancy in reserves and in captivity is up to 20 years, in the wild 10-15 years.

Pictured is an Amur leopard

POLAR BEAR . It lives mainly in the continental shelf zone along the periphery of the Arctic Ocean. “The weight of a large individual can reach 800 kg, on average the weight of a male is 400-450 kg, a female is 350-380 kg. Body length: for males - 200-250 cm, for females - 160-250 cm. Height at withers - 130-150 cm. The species is characterized by white fur color.

According to a group of specialists in to the polar bear According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, approximately 20-25 thousand of these animals currently live in the Arctic region and their numbers continue to decline. At a group meeting in Copenhagen in the summer of 2009, it was concluded that the population was in critical condition"(from the website programmes.putin.kremlin.ru).

The fact is that each species has its own critical limits for population reduction; for polar bears, a number of several tens of thousands is already a trait that raises concerns for the conservation of the species.

In the photo there is a polar bear

GRAY WHALE. Gray whales live in the northern part Pacific Ocean from the Chukchi and Okhotsk seas to the coasts of Japan, Korea and Mexico.

The species is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation as rare. The gray whale is a traveler to distant horizons; it swims 7-10 km per hour; in a year it can cover 16 thousand km. They live up to 67 years.

Weight of an adult: 15–35 tons, body length for females 12–15 m, for males 11–14.6 m. The main danger for gray whales is predatory killer whales, for which the former are tasty prey.

The photo shows a gray whale

SIVUCH. Northern sea lion, a huge eared seal. Lives on the Kuril and Commander Islands, Kamchatka and Alaska. The body length of an adult male sea lion is about three meters, and its weight is about a ton. Life expectancy is 25-30 years. Listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation as an endangered species.

In the photo there is a sea lion

ASIAN CHEETAH. The species is endangered: there are only two dozen animals in different zoos in the world. In the past, being in the wild, it was found in the territory from the Arabian Sea to the valley of the Syrdarya River. There are no more than a dozen individuals left in nature.

Pictured is an Asiatic cheetah

MANUL. A large fluffy, long-haired wild cat. Weight no more than 5 kg, body length no more than 60 cm. Lives in Tyva, the Altai Republic and Transbaikalia, Chita region. Listed in the Red Book as a rare species.

In the photo there is a manul

ATLANTIC WALRUS. Pinniped mammal. Males weigh from 1000 to 2000 kg, females from 400 to 550 kg, body length 2-3.5 m. Lives in the Barantsev and Kara Seas. It was practically destroyed by poachers in the middle of the 20th century; now, thanks to the efforts of specialists, the population is slowly recovering.

The photo shows an Atlantic walrus

WHITE CRANE (Siberian Crane). The Siberian Crane is an exclusively Russian bird; it builds nests only on the territory of the Russian Federation. The size of the Yakut population is estimated at 2900-3000 individuals, but there are only about 20 individuals left of the West Siberian Siberian Crane.

In the photo there is a white crane

FAR EASTERN STORK (black-billed stork). The Russian population today numbers about 3,000 individuals. Storks make nests in the Far East (Primorye, Ariamurye), winter in the south and southeast of China, in ponds and rice fields. In the Red Book of the Russian Federation, the bird is classified as an endangered species.

Pictured is a Far Eastern stork

AMUR GORAL (eastern goral). A species of mountain goat, living in Primorye, is united in groups of 6-8 individuals. In Russia, in the Far East, there are only about 600-750 gorals left (most of them are in nature reserves and sanctuaries).

In the photo there is an Amur goral

BELUHA (WHITE WHALE). The animal is not listed in the Red Book, the population is not in danger of extinction today, licenses are issued annually to shoot one and a half thousand individuals, but nevertheless, Belukha is the pride of the country, or more precisely, of Russian waters.

Marine mammal, representative of the narwhal family, suborder of toothed whales, order Cetaceans.

"This kind marine mammals distributed very widely - circumpolarly - the beluga whale is found in all coastal waters of the seas of the Arctic basin, as well as the White, Bering and Okhotsk seas. The white whale is not a rare species. In terms of its position in the food chain and level of development, the beluga whale can be compared to a person - it, just like a person, is the top of the trophic pyramid. With the exception of a few areas where the killer whale lives, the beluga whale has no natural enemies or competitors” (from the website programmes.putin.kremlin.ru)

In the photo there is a beluga whale

Nature is a treasure trove. Both life and wealth, not expressed in monetary terms.

The reasons for the extinction of rare animal species are pragmatic: people and harmful effects on the environment are to blame.

The status “there are only a few of us left” is always a signal that the species may become extinct. And when nature disappears, it is a big loss for the world as a whole, because man with his technological progress will outweigh, and not in good side. Save nature.

Pictured is Brown Bear

Pictured is the Amur tiger

Pictured is a Snow Leopard