Animals listed in the Red Book

Protecting nature does not mean making it inviolable. Nature is the source of human material wealth, without which he cannot exist.

Our Republic is beautiful and amazing. The life and activities of the people of our Tatarstan depend on natural conditions: weather, terrain, soil, flora and fauna, the presence of reservoirs and minerals. To properly use the natural resources of your region, you need to know and love it.

An important document for the biological control of the flora and fauna of our republic is the Red Book of the Republic of Tatarstan. It is a directory of brief information about the species of animals and plants that are subject to special protection and a legal document, the provisions of which must be complied with. The first edition of the Red Book of Tatarstan was published in 1995. The second edition is coming out this year.

Back in first grade, during the “World around us” lesson, we learned that many representatives of the animal and plant world had disappeared from the territory of Tatarstan or there were only a few of them left. And there is a Red Book, where scientists list animals, birds, plants, fish, reptiles, in short, everything that is rare or disappears completely. Not only scientists, but all of us must protect our natural wealth.

In the first edition of the Red Book of the Republic of Tatarstan, the “black list” included only fifteen species. These are animals that are no longer found in Tatarstan. According to the updated book, the republic has lost 24 species of animals. The list has been expanded to include birds. Most of them have not been seen for many decades. Even the black crow flies around Tatarstan. After the formation of reservoirs on the Volga, fish species such as whitefish, stellate sturgeon, Caspian salmon, and Volga herring disappeared. For example, the common titmouse, which makes beautiful nests of balls on tree branches, was not found on the territory of the republic from the mid-19th century until the 90s of the 20th century. And then suddenly it appeared again and began to multiply rapidly. It was included in the updated Red Book of the Republic of Tatarstan as a species that has recovered, but requires constant monitoring. Six species of animals have been removed from the new Red Book. Gray partridge and quail are no longer on the verge of extinction. And marmots, of which there have been no more than a thousand in Tatarstan since the middle of the last century, now live 24 times more. In our Almetyevsk region, marmots live in the southwest and south. In the area of the village of Surkino and Chupayevo you can meet these interesting animals. A number of animals discovered shortly before the release of the second edition of the Red Book of the Republic of Tatarstan simply did not have time to be included there. For example, the steppe hare, which was discovered last summer during an expedition in the southeast of the republic. The dybka is listed in the Russian and International Red Books as a rare species, but has not yet been found in the republic. The common ram plant was listed as extinct twelve years ago. Imagine the amazement of scientists when, in the same year, they stumbled upon a rare representative in one of the ravines near Kazan.

Among the protected mammals listed in the Red Book of our republic there is a wonderful predatory animal - the stone marten (martes foina). Externally, the marten resembles a sable, but its fur is coarser, its paws are tenacious with skin membranes between its toes. Distinctive features: looks more squat than the pine marten. Body length 43–55 centimeters, tail length 20-30 centimeters, weight from 1 to 2.5 kilograms. The color is dark gray, the undercoat is gray, the ears are small. The forked throat patch is dirty white, reaching the front paws, the soles of the paws are bare. Omnivorous, with a tendency towards carnivory.

In general, the marten is a useful animal for humans, especially in the fur trade. Even the ancient Romans tamed them and used them as cleaners of rats and mice in villages. The stone marten is highly tolerant of humans and is known as a real gravedigger for rats and mice. Since the marten is prone to predation, it can be considered an environmental orderly. She hunts squirrels, hares, hazel grouse, wood grouse, picks up fish thrown out by the waves, catches frogs, snakes, and sometimes even hedgehogs. In summer, bees, honey, raspberries, rowan berries, rose hips, wild pears and apples serve as additional food. The fox, the golden eagle, and the eagle owl are great hunters of marten meat. The victims usually include sick, old, wounded or very young animals. With the disappearance of this animal, the spread of parasitic infections and an increase in rodent populations (especially harmful ones) are possible. And as the number of martens increases, the number of sable decreases.

The marten avoids open places, so one of the main reasons for the extinction of this species is deforestation. The number of animals gradually increases as clearings become overgrown and the forest ages. Along with protecting this animal, we also need to take care of protecting the forest. Felling should be carried out in small areas. Suitable forest land should be protected around marten habitat. Lack of food also affects the marten population towards the predominance of males, since females are very fragile and their mortality rate is higher.

Nature conservation, in my opinion, is the most important task in human life. After all, it depends on what we will breathe, what kind of water we will drink and what food we will eat, what climate we will live in, and whether environmental disasters will haunt us. Adults do most of the protection work. Although I live in an oil region that is considered disadvantaged, I see how not only environmentalists, but also the oil workers themselves care about the environment. When I go to the dacha with my dad, driving past the wells I see that there is no spilled oil, which would be harmful to animals and birds. There are posters along the road warning drivers to be careful not to crush the snakes. In the forest I saw a fox, a hare, and moose. This means that our area has a favorable environment for them. I also wanted to make my contribution to this important cause of nature conservation. My grandfather and I made bird feeders and hung lard for the titmice. I protect toads, frogs, lizards, I do not allow the children to destroy them, I explain the benefits they bring. I don’t destroy anthills and don’t let others do it. I don’t uproot mushrooms and medicinal plants. I treat all living things with care.

What species of animals are listed in the Red Book

Mammals. long-eared hedgehog, muskrat, common viper, natterer's bat, mustached bat, brandt's bat, labor bat, water bat, brown long-eared bat, giant noctule, dwarf pipistrelle, wood pipistrelle, northern bat, common flying squirrel, teleut squirrel, chipmunk, speckled ground squirrel, European bobback, marmot, forest dormouse, garden dormouse, polchok, hazel dormouse, steppe mouse, wood mouse, Eversmann's hamster, gray hamster, steppe dormouse, brown bear, stone marten, ermine, European mink, otter.

Reptiles. brittle spindle, copperhead, common viper, steppe viper.

Amphibians. crested newt, gray toad.

Pisces. beluga, Russian sturgeon, European grayling, brook trout, taimen, galyan, bitterling, podust, sculpin.

Birds. black-throated loon, red-necked grebe, curly pelican, great bittern, little bittern, great white heron, spoonbill, ibis, black stork, common flamingo, barnacle goose, red-breasted goose, mute swan, whooper swan, white-eyed duckling, duck-headed duck, osprey, field harrier, steppe harrier, meadow harrier, common honey beetle, common buzzard, short-legged buzzard, snake eagle, steppe eagle, great spotted eagle, imperial eagle, golden eagle, white-tailed eagle, black vulture, griffon vulture, gyrfalcon, saker falcon, peregrine falcon, merlin, falcon, steppe kestrel , crane, hoopoe, woodpecker.