Fauna of the Astrakhan region

Events from the Khvalyn period to the present day play an important role in the development of modern relief.

The level of the Early Khvalynian Sea reached + 49 m from the level of the World Ocean. The entire territory, with the exception of the city of Bogdo, was covered by the sea. There was a connection between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea through the Kuma-Manych trough. Approximately 15 thousand years ago, the sea retreated and turned into a body of water isolated from the World Ocean. At this time, the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain took shape in outlines close to modern ones. Then the sea periodically advanced and retreated (over the last 9 thousand years - 5 times.) The level of the Caspian Sea fluctuated in the range - 20 - -32 m. Now the sea is advancing on land.

The fauna of the delta and floodplain of the Volga River is especially rich and diverse. The Volga serves as a great migration route for fish that rise up the river to spawn (sturgeon, pike perch, beluga, bream, roach, bream, carp). The Volga-Caspian basin is home to 60 species of fish, 20 of which are of commercial importance. The Volgo-Caspian Sea produces 50% of the fish caught in the country. The abundance of food attracts a lot of birds to the Astrakhan region. Since time immemorial, large bird roads have been running along the shores of the Caspian Sea. Here, in shallow waters rich in vegetation, you can find more than 250 species of birds, the most common being waterfowl, wading birds, and passerines. These favorable places for birds are called avandelta - which means “in front of the delta.” Avandelta is a huge shallow reservoir where the Volga waters, before connecting with the salty waters of the Caspian Sea, roll out over a wide bed.

In spring and autumn, the delta front appears “black” from the multitude of birds that have accumulated here (10 million). Life in the avandelta is in full swing everywhere. Pelicans rest on sandy islands. They make their raft nests in the lower reaches. These birds, and in the Astrakhan region there live 2 species of pelicans - pink and curly - are listed in the Red Book. Pelicans feed on fish. A unique swimming membrane between all 4 fingers distinguishes members of the order Copepods from other aquatic birds, and a highly extensible throat sac on the underside of the beak distinguishes them from their relatives - cormorants. The pelican uses this leathery bag, with a capacity of 10 liters, as a drag, catching fish with it. Pelicans fly beautifully, hover in the air, but it is difficult for them to dive for fish, since in the cavity of their body there are “air sacs” that make their body very light, so the birds dive for fish from a great height when they throw themselves down like a stone. Before the revolution, pelicans were exterminated because of their beautiful plumage. Currently, the reserve's staff is building artificial rafts for the birds, on which the birds breed their offspring.

The flat, low islands made of shells are inhabited by representatives of gulls. Silver and sea lion - occur only on migration, common and black-headed gull (listed in the Red Book) - nest.

On the sand, in small pits-nests, there are motley eggs, matching the color of sand and shells, or already fluffy lumps - chicks. As gull chicks grow up, they gather in “kindergartens” under the supervision of several adult birds, while their parents obtain food. The chicks, covered with brown speckled down, are securely protected in the nest until they learn to fly.

The delta front zone is gradually replaced by the kultuch zone, and here birds establish colonial settlements in the trees. Colonies of cormorants and herons are one of the main features of the Astrakhan Nature Reserve. Colonies are real bird cities, where every tree is like a street or alley. There are 20 or more nests on one tree. A colony of cormorants consists of trees devoid of leaves and bark with large, bulky nests. Cormorant droppings are poisonous; they eat away leaves and bark and gradually the tree dries out. The cormorant feeds on fish and settles closer to the tops of trees. This is due to the fact that cormorants, although excellent flyers, take off with difficulty. If they sit on a tree, they first fall down, loudly flapping their wings, and then slowly rise up. Cormorants are underwater fishermen, capable of diving into a depth of 10 m in pursuit of fish. Cormorants turn their prey so as not to scratch the throat with fins and scales. In Japan and the countries of the Far East, fishermen use tamed cormorants to catch fish.

In cormorant colonies you can find a variety of herons (gray, red, white). Once upon a time, people exterminated herons because of the beautiful mating feathers - “aigrettes”, which were used to decorate the hats of fashionistas, and therefore in 1918 they remained in the Volga delta only 4-6 individuals, Now we have 5 thousand pairs of white herons nesting.

During periods of migration, ducks are also numerous in the Astrakhan region - teal, red-headed pochard, more rare shovelers, white-eyed pochard (listed in the Red Book), and pintail.

In the absence of dense coastal vegetation, which is especially typical for salt water bodies, the surrounding beaches are excellent feeding biotopes for waders. Their species composition here is very diverse: tules, turukhtan, godwit, stilt, avocets.

After the arrival of great white herons, smaller ones appear: little white heron, night heron. The little egret, unlike most herons, which lie in wait for prey while remaining completely motionless, stalks its prey by wandering through shallow water. Having approached the fish, they grab it with a lightning-fast movement of their beak or scare the fish away with frequent blows of their paws. The yellow heron arrives together with the heat-loving ibis and spoonbills. These birds are rare and are listed in the Red Book. The yellow heron catches prey (invertebrates) while sitting on floating plant leaves. Karavayki are close relatives of herons; they build nests, hiding behind the dense crown of trees.

The night heron is also an inhabitant of the riverine forests of the delta. It is named so for its characteristic cry; it differs from herons in its stocky build and shorter neck.

Spoonbills nest with other birds. The largest colony is located near the village. Kurchenko and has state status. reserve. Up to 200 pairs of spoonbills nest there. The clutch contains 3-5 eggs (the egg is white, on the blunt half of the egg there are red-brown spots). Chicks appear in the 1st half of June. Nests can be found on low willows, in bushes and among reeds. A characteristic feature of the appearance of spoonbills, by which they are easily recognized, is their spatula beak. People call the spoonbill “mower”. This bird gets food in an interesting way: it stands in shallow water, lowering its beak-spatula into the water, moving it from side to side, as if shaking the surface of the water. Passing through the beak, water is passed through, but food is retained. Food includes fish fry, various invertebrates, and insects. For the winter it flies to Pakistan, Iran or Africa.

On the contrary, below, under the protection of trees and dense thickets, pheasants live. The roosters are brightly colored, unlike the gray, modest females. Pheasants feed on plant seeds, insects and worms. The chicks are raised in pheasant farms.

The kultuch zone of the reserve is characterized by small lakes overgrown with cattails and yellow water lilies. Here we will see a floating nest of a great grebe (scientifically called a grebes). With fluffy red and black collars, they are very attractive in wedding attire. Their nests float on the water, they are attached to a stem or branch. The nest material rots, the temperature rises, which promotes the incubation of eggs. It feeds on fresh fish and is able to dive under water with its chicks, which first climb onto the mother’s back and hide in her plumage. This bird was once exterminated because of its beautiful plumage - in the West, hats were made from the skin of the great grebe for fashionistas. Behind the dense thickets of reeds there are huge piles of stems of aquatic plants - this is the nest of a mute swan. Aggressive and cocky, they do not tolerate the presence of other swans. Swans hiss, trumpet, and when they care for their chicks, they bark like a dog. Mute swans also differ from whooper swans in that their beak is red with a black growth. It nests here and flies to the more southern regions of the Caspian for the winter. The first nest was discovered in 1938 in the Obzhorovsky section of the reserve. In 1956, a ban was imposed on the hunting of swans by hunters - these measures, plus high fertility (lay up to 12 eggs), led to the fact that in the mid-80s. the number of these birds has reached 10,000 pairs

The largest animal in the Astrakhan region, the wild boar, also lives in the reed thickets. Boars hunt at night. Their eyesight is poor, but their hearing is very good and their sense of smell is excellent. The boar's favorite food is chilim water chestnut, which contains starch, is very nutritious and is readily eaten by the boar. Sometimes, when there is no food, the wild boar eats fish. All wild boars love water, and wide rivers do not prevent their settlement. Powerful, powerful animals cover long distances. Single males. reach a weight of 270 to 300 kg. During floods, when water floods everything around, the wild boar escapes on special structures - hummocks. These hummocks are made artificially by the reserve's staff from reeds; their height is 1-1.5 m. Wolves cause some damage to wild boars during their winter migrations. Young boars are often caught in wolf teeth. The annual spring reed burning has an adverse effect on wild boar herds. Back in the 60-70s. 19th century The wild boar was widespread throughout the middle delta and its upper regions. Later, the wild boar was considered an extinct animal; shooting them was strictly prohibited, but currently they are shot under permits (licenses). However, despite minor losses, the number of wild boars in the Astrakhan delta forests continues to grow rapidly. This is facilitated by both the mildness of the climate and the abundance of food. In the spring, wild boars have striped piglets; this is their protective coloring. It is easier for striped piglets to hide in reed thickets. Reed thickets also attract large and small bitterns that lead a hidden lifestyle.

Thickets of chacon and reeds are one of the characteristic features of the delta. The pride of the Astrakhan region are its beautiful lotus fields. Lotus is a very rare plant, preserved from the pre-glacial period. The blooming lotus attracts the attention of all nature lovers with its delicate aroma and pale pink shades of large and delicate flowers. The lotus is called the flower of the sun because it blooms only on a sunny day. An interesting feature is the change in color of the flower during its flowering period (hot pink, pink, white).

In the thickets of all kinds of aquatic vegetation, various species of birds feed, including the marsh chicken. In turn, the abundance of birds serves as food for predators, such as the jungle cat. The jungle cat was a common species in the region in 1950, then its numbers began to decline, and at present it may no longer live here. The following figures give an idea of the size of this animal: weight - about 13 kg, body length - 56 cm, tail -32 cm. The wild jungle cat is usually yellowish-gray with spots of color. Outwardly, it looks like a domestic cat. It feeds on mice, birds, and large insects. Previously, jungle cats were hunted for their skin.

The abundance of vegetation is a good food supply for the muskrat (musk rat). It belongs to the order of rodents and is an immigrant from North America (like the beaver); imported in 1953-54. It has become a common species of fauna in our region, living either in burrows or in dome-shaped huts made of vegetation. The muskrat builds its three-story house in November and, interestingly, the 3rd floor is never flooded during high water. The muskrat feeds on aquatic and coastal vegetation - reeds, cattails, chilim, and less often - mollusks, crayfish, and fish. Does not hibernate in winter.

A semi-aquatic animal, a rare representative of the fauna of the Astrakhan region, listed in the Red Book is the muskrat (otr, insectivores), similar to a mole, has a flat tail that acts as a rudder. This is a small animal 18-22 cm long, with a body weight of 500 g, and a proboscis-shaped nose. The muskrat is brownish brown on top and silvery underneath. The tail is approximately equal in length to the body and has a scent gland. Favorite habitats are floodplain reservoirs such as oxbow lakes. The muskrat lives in burrows with an entrance located below the surface of the water (like a muskrat) and feeds on aquatic invertebrates and fish. Its numbers are small. In winter, muskrats gather in flocks.

A well-known animal that lives in our region is the common fox. It is found almost everywhere, sometimes even in suburban areas. The composition of the feed is very diverse; rodents, reptiles, frogs, snakes, fish, large insects.

The raccoon dog is an acclimatizer of the Volga River delta, brought from the Ussuri region in 1936, 1939. the introduction was successful, and now its numbers have reached commercial levels. A relatively short tail, a sharp muzzle on a squat body, light brown coloring, lush sides - this is a brief description of the appearance of this peculiar animal. The raccoon dog is an unpretentious animal in choosing shelters, swims well, and is almost omnivorous. It builds its shelters in heaps of reeds or uses hollow trees, hollows under roots, and old fox holes. Diet range: rodents, birds, fish, amphibians, snakes, vegetation. During high water, it escapes to elevated places. The litter appears in April-May, the cubs range from 2 to 12, and the litters break up in the fall. Their lifestyle is predominantly nocturnal; they are eternal wanderers. By winter, some individuals gain fat, which amounts to up to 30% of their body weight.

The badger is an interesting animal, primarily for its habits. He digs latrine holes and is very clean. In other areas it digs holes up to 200 m (and has up to 50 exits).

The ermine is a small, predatory, rather bloodthirsty animal; its fur is very valuable - fur coats are made from the skins. He is extremely rare, and meeting him is a great success. They feed on rodents, and do not have mercy on birds - there have been cases when in bird colonies an ermine climbed trees and attacked chicks of cranes and herons.

In the winter, various small birds come to us: grosbeaks, buntings, millets, waxwings, woodpeckers. Magpies and jackdaws also spend the winter.

The life of a remarkable predator - the white-tailed eagle - is associated with delta and floodplain forests.

This is a large, beautiful bird, with a wingspan reaching 3 m. Over the past 30 years, the number of white-tailed eagle has remained fairly stable and amounted to 130-160 nesting pairs in the delta and approximately 100 pairs in the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain. Eagles live sedentary lives and can migrate during the cold season. In autumn, their numbers are high in places where birds, fish, and saigas gather; and in winter - in the ice of the Northern Caspian, where Caspian seals pup and waterfowl winter.

Caspian seals (nerpa). Seals belong to the negative category. Pinnipeds are exclusively marine mammals that give birth to their young on the ice. Small seals are covered with soft white hair that lasts for 2-3 weeks. Because of this fur, seals are exterminated by poachers. The seal's body contains a large percentage of fat - due to which seals have high buoyancy and do not freeze. Seals feed mainly on fish and crustaceans. In spring and autumn, seals are found in small bays in the lower reaches of the Volga delta.

The fauna of the Astrakhan region is rich and diverse. The main features of the region are the significant development of desert forms, the sharp predominance of rodents among mammals and the close similarity of the animal world with the communities of real Asian deserts. Harsh conditions have formed a special type of desert animals, which spend most of their lives underground and find here a favorable microclimate and shelter from enemies. The predominant group of animals are rodents - gophers, jerboas, gerbils, mice, voles, mole voles, and hamsters. The abundance of rodents is a good food supply for predators. Including corsac foxes. The corsac fox lives in burrows underground. Hunting for this small fox is prohibited, as there are very few of them left. Foxes were once exterminated because of their beautiful, fluffy fur. The fox hunts at night (it is nocturnal).

Grey partridges and avdotka are often found in deserts, which have adapted to living conditions: in the desert (they drink salt water), Avdotka is listed in the Red Book of Russia. These waders can also be found in the vicinity of Astrakhan; for example, in the area of the airport, they are often found near villages located in the ilmen-hilly areas of the delta. Avdotka is a rather cautious bird with expressive yellow eyes, runs well and camouflages itself in thickets of low wormwood or other herbaceous vegetation. It nests on the ground, the clutch consists of 2-3 eggs. They feed on large insects, reptiles and even small rodents (in late summer and autumn these birds can form large flocks).

Of small mammals, the most numerous species of gophers is the small gopher (carrier of infection).

Of the reptiles, the yellow-bellied snake is often found, which can reach a length of 2.5 m. It is not poisonous, but very aggressive. May frighten humans and animals. Lots of lizards (yellow-bellied, multi-colored, takpria). They can be seen on small bushes, where they huddle to escape the heat, since it is cooler at the top (wind).

The largest of the lizards is the yellow-bellied lizard, which has no limbs, and... she is confused with a snake. It is distinguished from a snake by 2 longitudinal grooves on the ventral side, which stretch from head to tail.

Typical inhabitants of deserts - the steppe polecat, the common fox - exterminate rodents and bring great benefits to humans.

The Astrakhan region is inhabited by representatives of Neg. Even-toed ungulates - saigas - are ancient animals, contemporaries of mammoths. The saiga antelope is one of the few representatives of the animal world of the Miocene (Tertiary period) that has survived to this day. These hump-nosed antelopes (their nose is elongated in the form of a trunk) are diurnal animals. They live in small herds, led by an old male, and look like a sheep. They have thin legs and a dense body. These animals run at high speed, reaching speeds of 60-80 km/h. The peculiar structure and characteristics of biology (feeds on dry, thorny grass, etc.) allowed saigas to survive in extreme desert climate conditions, and not only survive, but also increase their numbers. Before the revolution, the saiga was exterminated for its tasty meat, skin, but mainly for its lyre-shaped horns, which contain a medicinal substance. These horns were sent to China, where they were pounded in a mortar and a powder was obtained, which was considered a remedy for all diseases, as well as helping to prolong life. In 1919, hunting for saigas was prohibited and after their numbers increased, saigas began to be shot annually according to plan. Now in our country there are up to 2 million animals, and in the Caspian region there are 500,000 of them roaming.

In semi-deserts you can find rare birds - little bustards and demoiselle cranes. Among the bird population of the semi-desert, the demoiselle crane is the most graceful bird. The relatively high number of these birds is explained by the fact that a large area of natural wormwood pastures remains in Kalmykia and in the territories bordering it. The largest number of sheep on these pastures occurs only in winter. In the spring they are driven to the foothills of the North Caucasus. This is a very important factor contributing to the successful reproduction of demoiselle cranes. In spring, belladonnas arrive in late March - April. Soon after arriving at the nesting sites, they observe lekking games. These include wing-up runs, pirouettes and bows. Sometimes birds throw up tufts of grass and pick them up from the ground. They nest on the ground, not far from the water, in the same places. The clutch contains from 1 to 3 eggs. Belladonnas eat plant and animal food, mainly insects. Cranes are less sensitive to disturbance than other cranes and get used to the presence of people. These birds are indigenous to the steppe, they love calm, secluded places, and there are fewer and fewer such places left on earth and these birds are gradually disappearing.

There are a lot of predators and birds in the semi-desert. They are attracted here by the abundance of food - rodents. In those years when a large number of rodents breed, the number of birds of prey also increases accordingly. Some of these predators have become rare and are listed in the Red Book.

Little bustard - steppe eagle, long-tailed eagle, white-tailed eagle, falcons. Birds of prey bring great benefits to humans by exterminating rodents.

Among mammalian predators, the wolf should be noted as the largest predator in our region. It reaches a weight of up to 50 kg, the main food in the delta is wild boar and raccoon dog. In addition to them - hares, muskrats, birds, fish, as well as domestic animals - sheep, goats. The wolf is not a pest, since it eats mainly weakened and sick wild animals, preventing mass diseases.

The real problem for humans is not wolves, but familiar city birds - rooks and crows. Rooks nesting in riverine forests regularly fly to feed in agricultural lands, where they often spoil crops and ripening fruits of vegetables and especially melons. In addition, they create problems for public utilities. Hooded crows are especially notorious. They inhabit natural and artificial plantings everywhere and have even colonized seaside reed beds. The number in the delta after breeding is 60,000 individuals. Crows nesting near water bodies destroy a large number of bird nests.

The life of the little owl is connected with man, or more precisely, with his buildings. It can be found in livestock buildings, dachas, and near temporary structures. In winter in Astrakhan you can meet another predator - the peregrine falcon. This rare bird hangs on the Assumption Cathedral and the bells of the Kremlin, on high-rise buildings and technical structures - pipes, bridges, cranes. They feed mainly on pigeons.

In the forests of the Astrakhan region there are a number of birds of prey, the most numerous of which are the falcon, common kestrel and hobby falcon. In the warm season, these birds can certainly be found where there are nesting colonies of rooks. This is explained by the fact that falcons do not build nests themselves, but occupy the empty nests of other birds. In large colonies of rooks, the number of falcons usually reaches several dozen pairs, but the kestrel and hobbies usually settle in separate pairs. Hobbies can also occupy empty nests of crows, so they even penetrate the delta-front islands for nesting. Thus, the presence of old bird nests is a major factor influencing the distribution of these predators.

The larger saker falcon is very rare (listed in the Red Book), and can even inhabit the nests of the white-tailed eagle. Common birds of prey in the semi-desert are the meadow and steppe harrier. During migration periods, sightings of the fawn harrier are possible. The males of these birds are distinguished by their light colored plumage. Due to the similarity in plumage color, it is often difficult to determine their species.

The rarest bird of the Northern Caspian region is the long-tailed eagle (listed in the Red Book). A reliable meeting was noted in July 1972 in the area of the villages of Enotaevka and Zamiany. The long-tailed eagle feeds on fish in water bodies, but in steppe habitats it feeds mainly on rodents. The reason for the sharp reduction in the European part of the range is human economic activity (the development of previously poorly inhabited desert and semi-desert landscapes).

In addition to predators that destroy weak and sick animals, birds - nurses of fields and gardens: rollers, bee-eaters, hoopoes, woodpeckers, tits, starlings - also bring great benefits.

There are numerous birds in the floodplain forests - hollow nesters - spotted and gray woodpeckers. Woodpeckers nest in new hollows almost every year, and the old ones are inhabited by other birds: starlings, rollers and others. In our mechanized age, the list of elements of the cultural landscape has expanded unusually, and their influence on bird life is becoming increasingly widespread. With the expansion of the cultural landscape, there was also a distribution of some bird species, for example, the hoopoe, the oldest inhabitant of rocky coastal and ravine biotopes. Now they are regularly found at various structures in places where communications are laid, for example gas and oil pipelines; in villages and farms. There is a very diverse set of bird species found on communication and power supply lines. Rooks, swallows, starlings, falcons, rollers, shrikes, and bee-eaters are found in large numbers on the wires. At the end of summer, bee-eaters gather in large flocks, stay near villages, willingly visit apiaries, causing great damage to bee colonies and causing reasonable irritation to beekeepers. Bee-eaters often settle in colonies near villages, using anthropogenic disturbances of the relief for nesting - quarries, ditches, etc. Pink starlings are distributed unevenly throughout the region, their numbers are small, but colonies can reach 1000 pairs or more.

Birds of steppe lakes include a large number of bird species that nest or migrate in the Astrakhan region. Most steppe lakes have very gently sloping shores. In the absence of dense coastal vegetation, which is especially typical for salt water bodies, the surrounding beaches are excellent feeding habitats for waders. Their species composition here is very diverse: the turukhat, the great godwit. These are all widespread migratory species. These waders reach their greatest numbers here in April and in August and September. Tulvs is less common. Breeding lapwings, stilts (listed in the Red Book), and avocets (Red Book).

In the western Ilmen hillock region of the delta, covered with reed-cattail thickets, live small and large bitterns leading a hidden lifestyle. On the reaches of lakes free from vegetation, gray-cheeked and little grebes are common.

The diversity of the fauna of the Astrakhan region is not limited to numerous mammals and birds. Thus, the amphibian class is represented in the Astrakhan region by three species - lake frog, green toad and spadefoot spade.

The class of reptiles is more fully represented. From neg. Turtles in the Astrakhan region are common (common) - marsh turtle, European turtle. The marsh turtle lays 5-10 eggs; after 2-3 months, small turtles hatch, 22-25 mm long. An interesting feature is that they overwinter underground until spring.

The squamate order includes 18 species. The group of lizards is represented by the sand lizard (lays up to 10-11 eggs in the spring), multi-colored and fast foot and mouth lizards, living in places with loamy and sandy loam soils and dunes; typical inhabitants of dune sands - the long-eared round-headed gecko, the round-headed spiny-tailed gecko, the takyr round-headed gecko and the squeaky gecko.

Close relatives of lizards are snakes.

These peculiar animals are characterized by an unblinking gaze, a forked tongue, and poisonousness. The group of snakes in the Astrakhan region includes 10 species. Common and water snakes live here, snakes - multi-colored, yellow-bellied, four-striped, sand boa, copperhead, steppe boa.

Common snake - spots on the sides of the head are white, yellow, bright brown.

The water snake has dark spots in a checkerboard pattern on its back and sides.

Sand boa - buries itself in the sand (only eyes are visible); eats lizards and rodents.

The common copperhead is a small snake (65 cm or less), non-venomous to humans.

Of the poisonous snakes, we have the lizard snake, the steppe viper, and Pallas's copperhead. No deaths from bites have been recorded. The steppe viper can be distinguished by a zigzag stripe along the ridge; the color is brown-gray. The steppe viper is viviparous (3-16, on average - 5-6 pups), Pallas's Cottonmouth is found on the border with Kazakhstan, it is no more than 70 cm long. The general color is gray or brown, with transverse spots on the back. The Pallas muzzle has a kind of thermolocator (located between the eye and nostril - the facial fossa) - it allows you to find warm-blooded animals.

In general, reptiles, both poisonous and non-poisonous, should be considered as useful animals that destroy harmful insects and sick animals.

The arachnid class includes such poisonous spiders as the karakurt and the South Russian tarantula. The mortality rate from karakurt bites is 6%, the poison is 15 times more toxic than the poison of a rattlesnake.

Karakurt - the female is larger than the male - 12-20mm. On the back of the male there are usually 13 pairs of small red spots (in 3 rows); on the abdomen there is a gray generic sign in the form of an hourglass. With age, it will turn red, wear off, and only 2 transverse red-orange spots or yellow stripes will remain clearly visible. They eat ants, beetles, bedbugs, flies, locusts, grasshoppers, spiders.

At the end of May - beginning of June, spiders mate - a mass migration of individuals. After the wedding, the female eats the male and leaves to spin a cocoon (June - July) - up to 12 cocoons, 1 female - 8000 eggs. The cocoons are protected. In the spring, spiderlings emerge from the cocoon; males live three times less than females. This year's females (spring) and the cocoon overwinter. Spiderlings are most poisonous in spring and early summer. Years of mass development - frequency 12; 25 years. In the Astrakhan region at the beginning of 1980, an outbreak of numbers was observed - especially in the Kharabalinsky and Krasnoyarsk regions. First aid for a bite is to burn it with a burning sulfur match, as high temperature decomposes the poison. The enemies of the karakurt are lizards, bustards, hedgehogs, wasps and riders.

Tarantula. The bite is non-lethal; length 2-5 cm, densely covered with hairs, color mainly matching the color of the soil.

Phalanx spider is non-venomous. Spiders are interesting - sidewalkers - they jump, they do not weave webs. They catch victims in a swoop. Some feed on plant sap or nectar.

The insect class is also numerous. 1.5 thousand species have been described; 20 are listed in the Red Book.

A large number of bodies of water with dense vegetation adjacent to desert landscapes is most conducive to the life of insects, which increases the diversity of insect fauna.

In turn, in the water area of the substeppe ilmens, waterfowl accumulate - shelduck, red duck (a brave bird, lives in holes and can drive even a fox out of the hole).

A large bird of prey, common here and in the area of Bogdo, is the eagle owl.

Sometimes you can see very large birds here - bustards. A male bustard weighs up to 20 kg. Birds run fast, but fly heavily and slowly. In order to take off, the bustard needs a run. This bird is rarely found in the region. In very warm winters

The bustard can winter in the coastal areas bordering the Volga delta. Bustards are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation; they lived in the Astrakhan region since the time of mammoths.

On the territory of the Astrakhan region, 220 species of birds are found, 60 of them nest, and 30 species of mammals are found. The fauna of our region can rightfully be called rich and diverse.

Location of the area on the world map.

The Astrakhan region is located in the southeast of the East European Plain within the Caspian Lowland, in temperate latitudes, in the zone of deserts and semi-deserts. The mighty Volga, with its blue channels, cut these, at first glance, inhospitable lands in two. The Volga, the largest river in Europe, ends its journey in our region. Here it flows quietly and smoothly, divided into tens and hundreds of branches. The river slowly pours its waters into the Caspian Lake. Due to its very large size and salty water, it is called the sea.

Our region stretches in a narrow strip on both sides, from the Volga-Aktuba floodplain at a distance of more than 400 km.

Palaeontology

Geologically, the structure of the region is represented by deposits of the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic, forming a thick layer of sedimentary rocks occupying a horizontal layer.

In the area of the city of Bogdo, Permian and Triassic deposits find the fossilized remains of ancient mollusks (ammonites, belemnites) - inhabitants of the Permian seas. During the Permian period, brachiopods, gastropods, and bivalves continued to thrive in the sea. Bryozoans are very widespread. Corals in Permian deposits are very rare. By the end of the period, the last trilobites characteristic of the Paleozoic finally die out, but ammonites - cephalopods - begin to develop strongly. Ammonites got their name in honor of the ancient Egyptian god Ammon, who had rounded ram horns on his head. These animals had a shell spirally coiled in one plane, divided by numerous partitions into a number of air chambers. The last chamber contained the soft body of the animal, the remaining chambers were filled with gas and played the role of a hydrostatic apparatus. The diameter of the shell reached 2 m. They were predators, some of them swam, others crawled.

Belemnites are invertebrate animals, cephalopods. They were similar in appearance to squids, but unlike them they had an internal shell consisting of three parts. They lived in the seas and were predators. The fossilized remains of these organisms are found in the area of the city of Bolshoye Bogdo.

The Quaternary period began about 3-5 million years ago, when cold temperatures first affected the high and middle latitudes. Glaciers and “permafrost” had a powerful influence on the formation of plant landscapes and wildlife. On the plains in the periglacial zone and with frozen soils, tundra-steppes began to develop, and in the mountains - chars, meadows, meadow-steppes and forests along the gorges. These landscapes were abundantly populated by mammoths, deer, roe deer, antelopes, ancestors of aurochs and bison.

Mammoth. The appearance of a mammoth is known from drawings and sculptures by Stone Age masters. The hairy giant was impressive - his height at the withers reached 3.5 m, and his weight reached 6 tons. A large head with a hairy trunk, huge tusks curved up and inward, and small ears overgrown with thick hair sat on a short neck. The geographical distribution of mammoths was extensive.

Big-horned deer. Among the few surviving large species of the mammoth group is the Reindeer. Its origin is not entirely clear. The spread is huge. In the Pleistocene, during the development of the Valdai (Würm) glacier, these deer ran into the Northern Crimea and lived in the south of the Russian Plain, and in Eurasia they were distributed to the northern foothills of the Alps and Pyrenees. The big deer was distinguished from others by its large height and huge antlers, up to 4 m in span. The structure of the teeth and limbs shows that the big-horned deer was an inhabitant of wet meadows in a warm climate. Avoided forests (due to huge antlers) and cold climates, retreating south during the Ice Age. Whole skeletons were found in the Ryazan and Smolensk regions.

Cave hyena. The remains of cave hyenas are occasionally found in Paleolithic caves and open sites in the Volga region and the Caucasus. The fossil hyena is close to the modern African spotted hyena. Hyenas are typical carrion eaters. In appearance, hyenas are similar to dogs. In the absence of corpses, they are able to catch available prey on their own. Stone Age people did not specifically hunt hyenas, but in hungry years they did not disdain such food. The hyena became extinct at the end of the last ice age following the decline in the number of mass species of ungulates.

Saiga. Among the bovid ungulates of the Quaternary period, the most curious species is the saiga antelope, known in the Middle Ages under the name “sugak”. The origin of the saiga is still unknown. Saigas were distributed in a vast zone of cold tundra-steppe in Europe and Northern Asia, from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to Alaska. They also lived in Eastern Transcaucasia. Saiga bones are found in England, Germany, and in the caves of the Northern Urals. This still amazes zoologists. The modern saiga is an animal of open spaces, steppes and semi-deserts of Kazakhstan and Mongolia; Here is its ecological optimum and, probably, its homeland.

Bison. The history of the bison is known starting from the late Pliocene, i.e. approximately one and a half million years before the present day. In the middle of the Quaternary period, bison reached their greatest height and weight in Eurasia and America, up to 2-2.5 tons. Their herds in Eurasia were huge and roamed the plains of the British Isles to Kamchatka and from the Taimyr Peninsula to the Tien Shan and Tibet. In the Volga Valley, during the construction of the dams at the Kuibyshev and Volgograd State District Power Plants, bison skulls with a forehead width of 35 cm and a span of horn rods of 180 cm were removed; 4 people could easily sit in a row between the ends of the horns. In the heyday of their existence, bison were the largest of the bovids and could only be equaled by Tibetan yaks and primitive aurochs. At the end of the Pleistocene, bison began to die out in Eurasia. Two separate populations of forest bison and bison were formed: the lowland forest - Belovezhskaya and the mountain forest - Caucasian. Steppe bison continued to live out their lives in the steppes of the Russian Plain, Southern Siberia and the Baltic States.

Hairy rhinoceros. This animal weighed about 3 tons. Oval in cross-section, saber-shaped, curved back with a sharp end, the front horn reached 80 - 130 cm in length, the rear one was always smaller. The weight of the front horn reached 10 - 15 kg. The appearance of the hairy rhinoceros is well established from the drawings of Stone Age artists. It was a powerful, squat animal with short legs, with a large scruff and a relatively long head.