Where are the birds of Dagestan? In the world of rare animals of Dagestan. Typical representatives of the animal world of Dagestan

And the area covers more than 50 thousand square kilometers. The North Caucasus has always been famous for its natural beauty. Various plants grow in Dagestan, fast rivers flow, majestic mountains rise. Under such conditions, there should be a diverse animal world. Let's figure out which animals in Dagestan are most often found, in which places they live, which ones are best not to touch.

Red Data Book animals of Dagestan

Let's start with the animals listed in the Red Book of Dagestan, the hunting of which is punishable by law.

The most popular group of animals listed in the Red Book of Dagestan are carnivores.

Caucasian otter. Lives near the rivers Sulak, Terek, Samur. Occasionally found in large lakes. The otter is excellent at walking both in water and on land. Under water he calmly swims 100 meters, he can not breathe for up to 5 minutes. On the ground, it is capable of speeds up to 25 kilometers per hour. It may seem strange, but the otter loves to play, often you can find it rolling down the slides on its belly right into the water. This species is endangered due to the high value of the fur. The otter's diet is fish - it eats up to 1 kg per day. Also eats birds, frogs. Calling the otter a scavenger will not work, since in this regard it is selective - it eats only fresh food.

Caucasian forest cat. It lives mainly in woodlands. You cannot find it above 2.5 kilometers. These cats do not live in families - they prefer loneliness. In the lowlands, they are most often found in reed and reed thickets, where they compete for territory with another species - the jungle cat. They go hunting in the late afternoon or a few hours before sunrise. Hollows are adapted under the dwelling, holes are dug.

Jungle cat. In the territories from the eastern Transcaucasia to the Volga, the House or the jungle cat lives. He is distinguished by his ability to swim, cocky personality and great strength. Birds become the main prey of the jungle cat. House does not have a fear of people.

Leopard, it is also called the Central Asian leopard. A very rare species. Those who saw the leopard were incredibly lucky. The number has decreased to critical values, very soon it can completely disappear from the earth.

Leopard- an alpine animal, lives in Dagestan in the region of the Bogos ridge, Dyultydag massif at an altitude of 1.5-2.5 kilometers.

The male owns an area of ​​up to 50 thousand hectares, the female - up to 30 thousand. The diet is based on rounds, bezoar goats (endangered species), deer, hogs, roe deer. Do not hesitate to livestock. Kills up to two animals in one run.

Noble deer. In Dagestan, there are very few representatives of this species - about 300 individuals of the rock, 50 - of the plain. They are found only on the border of the Tsuntinsky, Tlyaratinsky regions and near the Terek. In winter, they move to the Lagodekhi, Zagatala reserves, located on the territory of Georgia and Azerbaijan.

Typical representatives of the animal world of Dagestan

Among the common animals that live in the Republic of Dagestan, there are jackals, chamois, of course, wolves, raccoon dogs, foxes, brown bears.

Fishing is in great demand - local rivers and lakes are teeming with fish - predatory, herbivorous, freshwater, and marine.

The avifauna in the Dagestan Republic is also clearly expressed - the main group of birds are predators - the most popular of them are the burial ground, the snake-eagle, the golden eagle and the steppe eagle.

Having learned about which animals live in Dagestan, which of the animals of Dagestan are rare, their habitat, we can conclude that there is a wide variety of species composition of the republic.

In the world of rare animals of Dagestan. For many people, the animal world is something ordinary and self-evident. Busy with our problems, we do not think at all about our smaller brothers, about how they live and how we can help them. For example, how many of us know about the rare animals of Dagestan? Probably only a few, and mainly biologists who are engaged in this topic by virtue of their profession. We decided to fix this, and we invite you to the world of rare animals in Dagestan. To begin with, let's get acquainted with mammals that live on the territory of our republic and belong to the group of rare animals included in the Red Book of Dagestan and Russia. There are 24 species in total. In this article, we will get acquainted with several species of rare and endangered animals in Dagestan. The largest group of rare mammals are carnivores. Caucasian otter

The distribution of the Caucasian otter in Dagestan is confined to the basins of the Terek, Sulak and Samur rivers, as well as to large desalinated lowland water bodies. On land it can travel at a speed of 25 km / h. The otter swims and dives beautifully. It can swim under water up to 100 m and does not come up to the surface for up to 5 minutes. She is very mobile. He loves to play and often rides down the hill, sliding on his belly right into the water. Otter fur is one of the most valuable types of fur. The river otter is a typical fish-eater, eats up to 1 kg per day, sometimes frogs, mollusks, rodents and birds are found in its diet. She always eats only freshly caught prey. Caucasian forest cat

In Dagestan, the Caucasian forest cat is found mainly in the forests of the Foothills, and in general throughout the republic, the range covers part of the Tersko-Sulak and Primorskaya lowlands, the forests of Foothill and High-mountain Dagestan up to an altitude of 2500 m.On the lowlands, it lives in thickets of reeds and bushes, where it enters into competitive relations with a jungle cat. It settles in holes, hollows. It usually hunts in the evening and morning twilight. The forest cat does not live in families, she likes loneliness. Jungle cat or House

This cat is not afraid of water and swims well. It can be found along the entire Northwest coast of the Caspian Sea - from the Volga to the eastern Transcaucasia. But the main core of the Russian population of this cat falls on low-lying and foothill Dagestan. He has a very vicious disposition and rather great physical strength, which allows him to successfully defend himself from large dogs and make large vertical jumps when hunting for birds. He is not afraid of a person and often carries game shot by hunters. Central Asian leopard or leopard

This is one of the most interesting species on the territory of our republic. The leopard, of course, is very rare, and it is very difficult to see it in nature. In the Red Book, it is assigned the first category - as a subspecies, the number of which has decreased to a critical level, and in the near future its complete disappearance is possible. In Dagestan, at present, the habitat of the Central Asian leopard in the Dyultydag mountain range and the Bogos ridge is known. The leopard prefers heavily cut, rocky, wooded slopes within 1500–2500 m above sea level. The individual habitat of a male leopard reaches 30-50 thousand hectares, while in females and juveniles 15-30 thousand hectares. The presence of a leopard on the territory is confirmed by the so-called "scratches" left by it, that is, marks on the surface of the earth. It usually hunts in the evening and morning twilight, periodically attacks livestock, but unlike a wolf, it hunts 1-2 animals, while wolves can kill up to 30-80 heads in one attack on a herd. The main diet of the leopard in Dagestan is made up of such species as the Dagestan tur, bezoar goat, Caucasian deer, wild boar and roe deer. Bezoar goat

The main habitats of the bezoar goat in the republic are located in the upper reaches of two tributaries of the Sulak River - the Andean and Avar Koisu. In the summer period, males form separate groups and rise to the upper border of the forest belt, while females with kids and one-year-olds stay in the middle, most wooded parts of the mountain slopes. In winter they form mixed groups. Noble deer

Republic of Dagestan Tourism is developing rapidly, offering ample opportunities for recreation and sightseeing. Tourists are attracted by numerous monuments of nature, architecture and history, as well as the culture of the ethnic community. The republic is located in the northeastern part of the Caucasus, along the coast of the Caspian Sea. The world's largest lake was named the sea because of its size. It has become one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world due to its warm climate and magnificent sandy beaches. Tourist bases, hotels and sanatoriums are constantly being modernized, therefore rest in Dagestan in 2019 year were almost full.

Tourist opportunities in Dagestan

A unique natural monument is also the Karadakh gorge, called the "Gate of Miracles". Tourists are also recommended to visit the Sulak canyon, Tobot waterfall, sand dune "Sary-Kum", etc. Dagestan Tourism allows visitors to the republic to get acquainted with the numerous objects of cultural heritage. There are more than 6,000 cultural, architectural and historical monuments on the territory. Going to Kaspiysk in Dagestan, rest you can organize on the coast of the Caspian Sea, as well as see the sights of the city. Tourists will also be attracted by the ancient city of Derbent, impressive with architectural and landscape ensembles.

Choosing a tourist routeDagestan

The Republic of Dagestan borders on Europe and Asia. Dagestan is the most picturesque part of the Russian Federation. A distinctive feature of the republic from other territories of Russia is the diversity of the natural landscape. It stretches from desert and semi-desert type to relict subtropical forests over a small area. Mountain ranges can be seen in the West, and the Caspian Sea in the East. These conditions allowed Dagestan to host the animal world of different origins.

Everyone should see the unique animal world of Dagestan! In terms of the quantity and richness of the animal world, Dagestan ranks first among the Caucasus. The territory of the republic has about 89 species of mammals, about 40 species of reptiles, 7 species of amphibians and more than 50 thousand insects. More than 300 bird species live on the coast of the Caspian Sea and, due to their geographical location, carry out an intensive migratory flight. Many of them are members of the Red Book of both the Russian Federation and the Republic of Dagestan.

In the high-mountainous part of the republic, you can find a slightly peculiar species of animals, which is inherent only in this territory. Here you can find a bearded goat, a Caucasian deer, and a dark brown bear. If you are lucky, it is possible to see the Dagestan tur and the Caucasian leopard. In the mountains settled such birds as: snowcock (popularly called mountain turkey), stone partridge, Caucasian black grouse, eagles. Between the mountains there is a more meager composition of the animal world. This is due to the fact that there are few forests, which allowed people to settle down. Here you can most often find common rodents, lizards, snakes.

It is important to know that the poisonous snake gyurza lives in the southern part of Dagestan. It is very dangerous for human life. You should be careful in these places. Rare species of the republic's fauna are the dressing, the Caucasian otter, the giant mole rat, and the bezoar goat. The number of each species ranges from 60-80 pieces, but there are almost 600 giant mole rats. Leopards are of extraordinary beauty, of which there are only 2-3 individuals left. The fish world of the Caspian basin is rich, where sturgeon, beluga and stellate sturgeon are found. Trout lives in mountain rivers.

The wonderful world of Dagestan fascinates with its individuality of the animal world. Nowhere else can you find such a variety of animals. The alpine part is famous not only for high dense forests, but also for the rarest inhabitants who are on the verge of extinction. It is impossible to see all the animals in one trip to Dagestan. But even the part that will be noticed will not leave anyone indifferent.

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The history of the formation of the fauna of Dagestan

Dagestan became the junction of the East European and Near Asian mammalian complexes.
Of particular interest is the osteological material of the Chokhskaya site, which characterizes the fauna of mountainous Dagestan at the end of the Pleistocene - the beginning of the Holocene. There are many bones of a small mouflon-like ram, a European hare, a Dagestan hamster, and a lynx of carnivores. Osteological materials from other Mesolithic sites show similar pictures. At the sites of Kozyma-noho (Gunibsky district) and Meketi (Levashinsky district) bones of wild goats and rams prevail.
The composition of the Dagestan fauna of this time shows that the animal species represented in it were inhabitants of various landscape belts. Along with the representatives of inaccessible high-mountainous pastures - rams and certain species of goats, such forest dwellers as red deer, stepisubr and horses met here. The data presented indicate that the known species composition of the Upper Pleistocene fauna of Dagestan, with the exception of the mouflon-like ram, wild horse and bison, has survived to our time. This kind of continuity serves as a very convincing proof of the evolutionary development of the animal world in this area, which took place without sharp catastrophic breaks. Interesting material was provided by the study of settlements of the 3rd millennium BC. near the villages of Velikent, Mekegi and Chinna, for they characterize various natural-geographical zones of Dagestan at that time: high-mountain plateaus, foothills and a low-lying coastal region.
In the osteological complex of the high-mountainous settlement of Chinna, bones of a bison, deer, tur, chamois, gazelle, bezoar goat, wild sheep and goats were found.
During the excavations of the Mekegi settlement located in the depths of the foothills, bones of a deer, wild horse, chamois, tur and other wild goats were found. The bones of a deer, wild horse, saiga, wild boar, and wild goats were identified among the osteological materials of the Velikentsky settlement.
It is easy to see that the distribution area of ​​such animals as deer, chamois, tur and other wild goats in the III millennium BC. was quite wide and covered the highland and foothill areas, and the deer descended to the coastal plain. The wild horse (tarpan) at that time lived both in the foothills and on the plain.
The richest osteological materials of the high-mountainous Upper Gunib settlement, including such species of animals as cattle and small cattle, pigs, dogs, horses, deer, bison, wild rams, mouflon-like sheep, bezoar goats, gazelles, chamois, rounds, bears, lynxes, small predators , rodents, hares convincingly show that hunting for deer, bison, various types of wild sheep and goats played an important role in providing the population with meat. In this regard, it is interesting to note that the materials of the Verkhnegunib settlement impartially document the complete extermination of some species of ungulates in such a relatively small and geomorphologically isolated area of ​​the territory, which is the Verkhnegunib plateau during the 6-7 centuries of the existence of the ancient settlement. By the end of the 2nd millennium BC. here such animals as deer, bison, chamois and moufflon-like sheep were completely exterminated. At the end of the II and I millennia BC. hunting continued to occupy a prominent place in the economy of the mountaineers. In the osteological materials from archaeological sites of this time, there is a rather significant proportion of the bones of wild animals, among which the bones of a wild boar, bezoar goat, deer, wild horse, and kulan prevail.

In the forests - they occupy only 7% of the area of ​​the mountains - there are wolves, bears and lynxes. In the foothills, you can see a large (25-30 cm) turtle, a snake - a huge brown gyurza sleeping on stones, a bright green snake, you can also find a Dagestan turtle, a bezoar goat, a roe deer, a chamois, a red deer. The fauna of the republic is truly rich and varied. The republic is home to about 300 species of birds and 92 species of fish. Among natural monuments, there is the world's largest free-standing dune Sary-Kum and the only subtropical liana forest in Russia in the Samur delta, as well as the Sulak canyon up to 1500-1600 m deep. ; the largest mountain lake in the North Caucasus Kezenoyam (trout); Aimakinskoe gorge; large (up to 100 meters high) and small waterfalls.

Dagestan reserve

Location and history of the reserve

The Dagestan reserve was organized in January 1987 on two plots with a total area of ​​19,061 hectares, to preserve in its natural state the most typical for the north-western coast of the Caspian Sea area of ​​the Kizlyar Bay, as well as to preserve a rare natural formation - the dune Sarykum. A special role is assigned to the study and protection of the important migration route of valuable hunting and commercial and rare species of birds, their nesting and wintering sites.
The main site of the reserve, the Kizlyar Bay, is located in the Tarumovsky district. Its area is 18 485 hectares, including 9300 hectares of sea water area: along the coast of the reserve there is a sea strip 2 km wide. The protected area runs along the western and southern borders of the protected area; its area is 19 890 hectares. The Sarykum dune site with an area of ​​576 hectares is located in the Buinaksk region, about 25 km north-west of Makhachkala. The protected zone surrounds the protected area with a strip of 1 km; its area is 1175 hectares.
Nature reserve
The parts of the reserve are located within the plains of Dagestan. The land adjacent to the Kizlyar Bay - “part of the Terek-Kuma Plain -” lies 28 m below sea level. seas. Until relatively recently, this part of the plain was the seabed. The main role in the formation of the modern relief of the plain was played by the transgressions and regressions of the Caspian. The coastal strip of the bay is composed of sea sand, loam, sandy loam and a small shell. As the plain descends towards the bay, the wormwood semi-deserts are replaced by saline meadows, which turn into vast reed supports with an abundance of large and small reaches. The entire coast is indented by estuaries. The shores of the bay are swampy and are flooded with winds from the sea - “sailors”.
Animals of the Dagestan reserve
The fauna of invertebrates in the reserve has not yet been studied. Of the fish in the Kizlyar Bay, common carp, rudd, bream, tench, roach, catfish, perch, pike. There are sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, beluga. Of the amphibians on the territory of the Kizlyar section of the reserve, only the marsh frog was noted, of the reptiles - the steppe viper, the common snake and the Mediterranean tortoise.
Among the nesting birds, the most widespread species is the coot. On the islands of the gulf separate pairs of whooper swans nest, in reed supports - gray geese, as well as mallards, broad-nosed, gray ducks, whistle-teal, red-nosed diving. The reeds contain colonies of little egret, glossy ibis and spoonbills. Several nests of Gray Heron and Dalmatian Pelican and small colonies of Herring Gull and Gull-billed Tern were found. In the steppe the Demoiselle crane is quite common on nesting, occasionally there is a little bustard. On the migration along the western coast of the Caspian, 107 species of water and near-water birds were recorded. On the Western Caspian migration route, rare species listed in the Red Book of Russia are noted: flamingos, curly and pink pelicans, sultan hen, red-breasted goose, golden eagle, peregrine falcon, white-tailed eagle, little bustard, bustard, etc. The Kizlyar site is of great importance for wintering waterfowl ... Particularly numerous are the coot, mute swan, pintail, mallard, teal - whistle and cracker, great merganser, snake, various herons, waders.
Among the mammals in reed supports live wild boar, raccoon dog, jungle cat, nutria, muskrat, water rat. In the steppes, the common hare, fox, corsac, wolf, steppe polecat, etc .; sometimes, in severe and snowy winters, herds of saigas appear.
The peculiar fauna of the Sarykum dune was formed partly under the influence of the fauna of the Central Asian deserts. Of the amphibians, the green toad is more common than other species. The most common types of reptiles are the eared roundhead and the swift foot-and-mouth. The first inhabits the loose sands on the slopes of the dune, the second - mainly at its foot, where the sand is partially fixed by vegetation. At the foot of the dune, there are olive and yellow-bellied snakes, common and water snakes, sand boa, and striped lizard. At the outcrops of bedrock rocks, gyurza and Caucasian agama are kept. Gyurza is a kind of poisonous snakes of the genus of giant vipers of the Viper family.
Gyurza is the largest representative of the Viper family snakes in the fauna of the former Soviet Union. This is one of the most dangerous snakes for pets and humans. Isolated populations live in Dagestan. In the south of Kazakhstan, gyurza is now almost exterminated and is extremely rare.

Among the birds on the dune, the steppe and common kestrels, black vulture, common nightjar, black-chested sparrow, etc. are noted. In the vicinity of the dune, the rolling roller, golden bee-eater, gray partridge, etc. live in the vicinity of the dune. , fox; there are a long-eared hedgehog, a fur-legged jerboa, and a midday gerbil.

One of the brightest representatives of the fauna of the Caucasus, over which a real threat of extinction hangs, is the Central Asian leopard, or the Caucasian leopard.
It is known that in the period from the beginning of the 20th century to the 70s throughout the Caucasus, the leopard was severely persecuted along with the wolf (for the destruction of which a monetary bonus was paid), which led to a catastrophic decrease in its number.
Since the 1980s, reports of leopard encounters have also begun to arrive from many parts of the North Caucasus.
In the neighboring republics - Chechnya, Ingushetia, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Adygea - there are also a number of published reports on the presence of a leopard at the present time.
The fact that there is, albeit an unstable, North Caucasian population in the North Caucasus is evidenced by a number of reports of encounters with females and kittens.
In 2006, a population of porcupines appeared in Dagestan. Until relatively recently, they did not spread beyond Azerbaijan. Now the only habitat of porcupines in Russia is the Dokuzparinsky region. This animal is a very rare population in Dagestan, because it is the very edge of its distribution area.