Fauna of our region

The local Russian name is Rossomaga, in the Northern Cis-Urals it is Gnusina, among the Nenets it is Inginea, and among the Mansi it is Tulmah.

In appearance, wolverines are a little similar to bears, so they were previously considered relatives of them. Currently, the wolverine belongs to the family of martens, in which they are classified into a special genus - wolverines. But the wolverine also differs from martens: it has a dense, massive body, short legs with wide feet, on which strong claws are located. Wide feet make it easy to move even on loose snow, which helps this animal survive the winter.

The height of the wolverine at the shoulders is 35-45 cm, and the length of the body, including the tail, reaches 1 m. The weight of the wolverine is 11-16 kg, but in rare cases it reaches 32 kg. The wolverine's movements are clumsy, waddling. The entire body is covered with long, thick hair, which does not become damp in the rain and does not turn frosty in the cold, protecting the animal from both dry and wet winds. The fur is coarse, short in summer and long in winter; the fur is shorter on the face and longer on the hips, sides and tail.

An elongated muzzle with short round ears and a short shaggy tail complement the portrait of this animal. The wolverine's coloring is also unique. It varies from light brown to yellow-brown and almost black. On the sides of the body from the shoulder blades there are two light, sometimes pure white stripes, connecting at the tail. There are also wolverines with faint stripes.

The wolverine lives in dense forests and in the tundra of the Polar, Northern and Middle Urals. In the vicinity of the city of Nizhny Tagil, single individuals are found. Usually the wolverine makes shelters in rock crevices, among stones, under the roots of upturned trees.

Being a sedentary animal, the wolverine is found year after year in the same places, which can be called the “individual site or hunting grounds” of each individual. But in some years it migrates over very long distances.

The wolverine feeds on meat, both fresh and carrion, most often the corpses of elk and roe deer, but often attacks them itself. The wolverine's prey also includes small rodents, upland game, and even foxes and otters. The wolverine hides the remains of its prey, eventually eating everything, right down to the skin and bones.

Distinguished by great strength for its size, the wolverine is at the same time slow and clumsy. The wolverine cannot pursue animals, and therefore it patiently watches for its prey or hides it. She catches hazel grouse, partridges and black grouse sitting in holes in the snow in winter, and on nests in summer. Wolverine causes great damage to commercial hunters, as it will certainly eat the hunter’s prey in a trap or destroy the found food warehouse left by hunters in forest barns. Perhaps, and not without reason, the wolverine is considered a “harmful” predatory animal.

In search of food, the wolverine travels dozens of kilometers. Despite her slowness and clumsiness, she walks easily even in deep snow, in which she almost never gets stuck. The hunting area of one animal can reach an area of up to 2 thousand km2. Wolverine leads a solitary lifestyle, occupying a large individual area that is well known to her (she unerringly goes to any desired place). The animal does not have a permanent shelter; it wanders around its area, covering up to 70 km a day. He rests where he finishes his lunch.

Smelling people, the wolverine tries to hide. But if dogs find her, she slowly moves away from them, and when caught, she lies on her back and fiercely defends herself with her teeth and legs, armed with large claws. In this case, dogs often receive serious injuries and after this they no longer dare to approach the wolverine. But when the dogs manage to drive the wolverine up a tree, it becomes easy prey for the hunter.

In February-April, wolverines have cubs, usually 1-4 of them; newborns are covered with dark hair, but after 3-4 weeks their color lightens and becomes similar to that of an adult.

Isitsa

The local Russian name is fox, fox; among the Nenets - tene, among the Bashkirs - calf.

The red fox, a favorite character in fairy tales, has been known to everyone since childhood. Indeed, the bright red color of the fur is perhaps the most well-known characteristic of a fox. Other features that distinguish a real fox from other species (for example, from the corsac fox living in other regions of the Urals) include the white end of the tail, the dark coloring of the ears and the front side of the paws. There are 11 known species of foxes.

In the vicinity of the city of Nizhny Tagil there lives a common fox, it is also called red. It is this ordinary red fox that is called the red cheat, gossip, Patrikeevna. She is considered cunning and thieving, but at the same time, smart and careful - and all this is not without reason.

Foxes living in the vicinity of Nizhny Tagil are beautiful and graceful. They belong to the North Ural Ridge, established by the fur trade standard. Such foxes are distinguished by lush but elastic hair, predominantly red in color with a light chest, a fluffy tail, an elongated body on slender legs in black stockings (body length 60-90 cm, tail - 40-60 cm, weight up to 10 kg); pointed muzzle with brown eyes.

The fox feeds on a variety of foods, both animal and plant, and therefore can be called an omnivore. Her diet is varied. The fox's main prey is mice and mouse-like rodents, which it catches on the surface or deftly digs out from under the ground or snow. She needs 15-20 rodents per day. Waiting for prey, the fox presses itself to the ground, merging with the environment, waits patiently and unexpectedly jumps. The fox “mouses” especially beautifully in winter. A bright “light” is busily trotting across a snowy field; it froze for a second, shot up like lightning, and the fox dove headfirst into the snow, only its tail darting along the surface.

The fox also catches hares, but not as often and not in such quantities as popular rumor ascribes to it. Birds, insects, and frogs often become its prey. She also enjoys eating berries, apples, and some vegetables. When there is not enough food, the fox visits city landfills and eats carrion. The fox will also never miss poultry. At a time when foxes do not have young animals, they often move from one habitat to another in search of food.

The fox has very good hearing: the thinnest squeak, the rustle of a mouse's tail will not go unnoticed. Foxes also have excellent visual memory. She knows her hunting area well. The gossip makes supplies “for a rainy day” and always finds them easily.

The fox lives in holes that it digs in elevated places; often occupies burrows already dug by badgers or marmots. Here, at the end of April - May, 4-5 fox cubs appear (and sometimes there are up to 12). Newborn fox cubs are helpless: they are blind, deaf, have no teeth, and weigh 100-150 grams. Fox cubs live in a hole for 3-4 months, but already from a month and a half they begin to crawl out of the hole and start fussing around it. The animals are fed with their mother's milk for about 1.5 months, and then begin to eat everything their parents bring. In the fall, the broods break up, and the young begin to live independently. A fox lives up to 7 years. But it is no coincidence that the fox is called cunning. Hunters mainly come across young animals (under two years of age).

Lynx

In the vicinity of Nizhny Tagil you can meet the only representative of the cat family in the Urals - the lynx.

The lynx belongs to the family of mammals of the cat genus. It is also somewhat similar in appearance to domestic cats; differs from the latter in its large size, long legs and tufts on the ears. The lynx's body length reaches up to 110 cm, and with a tail - up to 130 cm, weight from 8 to 30 kg. Look - a typical cat, but large, on very high legs, with magnificent whiskers on the cheeks and large tufts at the ends of the ears. The coat is soft, thick, grayish-red in color with dark spots. The lynx has a very short tail, as if chopped off, and a very wide paw, which is also densely covered with coarse hair. Such paws play the role of a snowshoe, and the lynx, despite its rather large weight, can easily move through deep snow.

Lynx prefers taiga areas - dense old forests with dense undergrowth and windbreaks, as well as mixed and broad-leaved forests.

By way of life, the lynx is a gloomy animal, avoiding the company of even its own kind. Only during the period of heat do these animals gather in groups of several. In search of food, lynxes sometimes make large migrations. The lynx does not catch up with its prey, but hides or lies in wait both at night and during the day, usually sitting on a branch or on a rock ledge hanging over the path in order to rush at it completely silently and unexpectedly for the prey. A slight cat jump and the animal becomes a victim. If the jump is unsuccessful, the lynx begins to pursue the prey, choosing the moment for the next jump. The lynx runs quickly, swims easily, and climbs trees well. In this way, the lynx hunts hares, young wild deer and elk, and among birds, wood grouse, black grouse, partridges, etc. The lynx does not eat carrion.

The lynx usually hunts from an ambush at dusk: in the evening or early in the morning. The lynx's vision is very well developed, but during hunting it relies more on hearing. A lynx can hear a hare gnawing on a twig at a distance of 50-60 meters. What a rumor!

After eating, the lynx “sharpenes its claws” on tree trunks, tearing off the skin and thus marking its hunting area.

But there are also unsuccessful hunts for hares and ungulates, then the lynx is content with mice and birds, eats squirrels and other living creatures. With a small number of animals and bad weather, lynxes can starve. Then they go out into the fields, to the outskirts of settlements.

In May and early June, lynx cubs are born. Lynx kittens are usually born from 2 to 4. Until January-February of the next year, the entire litter stays together, and then the young begin to live independently.

The only enemy of the lynx is the wolf, but in the forest the lynx escapes from the wolves in the trees. Now that the wolf has practically disappeared from the Urals, the lynx has become the main harmful animal of prey. In some places it is quite numerous. Thus, in the Sverdlovsk region there are about 2,000 lynxes, mainly in the northern regions. In 2006, the lynx was repeatedly observed near the village of Staratel near Nizhny Tagil.

Hare

In the vicinity of Nizhny Tagil, there are 2,366 white hares. Hares are a genus of the hare family. The hare got its name due to its snow-white winter fur. Only the tips of his ears remain black all year round. Everyone knows the seasonal color change of white hares: in summer their fur is reddish-brown. Both coats, white and red-brown, help the animal camouflage itself with the general background of the area and hide from enemies.

In the Urals, white hares are large, the average weight is about 4 kilograms, some individuals reach 5 kilograms. The white hare can be found both in the forest and in open areas - in fields, but still this rodent prefers to merge in forests with well-developed undergrowth.

Snowshoe hares are sedentary and do not travel far, although they do not have a permanent hole. They roost somewhere under a tree trunk, under a bush or in a hole. Sometimes, however, hares themselves dig a cave or even a hole in deep snow, and can even climb into the hole of another animal. But burrows are not a real home for a hare. In summer, it is difficult to see a hare in the forest and you may not even suspect that the forest is inhabited by these long-eared animals. But in winter, a hare’s footprint is clearly visible: a line of two long parallel holes in front and two small ones, one after the other, is imprinted on the snow. When moving, the hare throws its long hind legs forward and places its front legs behind them.

Everyone is well aware of the ability of hares to confuse their tracks, creating hare loops; turning off the main path to the side, the hare runs some distance, then returns back along its tracks and jumps far ahead. It turns out that the trail turned, went to the side, and ended up breaking off. Sometimes, before lying down in a secluded place, the hare makes several loops, completely confusing the pursuer.

Hares are vegetarians. Their diet depends on the season. In summer they eat various herbaceous vegetation, preferring cereals, and in autumn and winter, when grass is almost unavailable, they switch to branches and bark of various trees and shrubs. In winter, animals gather together near thickets of bushes, so an accidentally fallen tree very quickly loses all its bark and branches. In the spring, the animals also gather in groups on lawns with young grass and get so carried away with food that they lose their usual caution. The hare's hearing is best developed, but his vision and sense of smell can fail him: he will not be afraid of a motionless person. Fast running and caution are the main means of defense against numerous enemies (fox, lynx, wolf, owl, hawk, eagle owl, human).

The white hare is quite prolific, which allows it to exist in the presence of a huge number of enemies. In the Urals, the hare breeds three times a year from April to August. Hares in a litter range from 2 to 7, usually 3-5. They will be born completely independent: with fur, sighted, and able to move. It’s interesting that the hare feeds both her own and other people’s bunnies. After the birth of the cubs, the female is not with them, but somewhere nearby. The rabbits hide and lie motionless. And it often happens like this: people find bunnies hiding in the forest and, deciding that their mother abandoned them, with the best intentions, wanting to save the bunnies from numerous enemies - dogs, crows, magpies, they bring them home. This should not be done: rabbits at home will certainly die, but in nature they may well grow up without a mother, especially since it is not so easy for an enemy to find a hidden rabbit. Hares grow very quickly, which is facilitated by the high fat content of the mother's milk - in hare it reaches 15%. After a few days, young hares begin to eat plant foods. The white hare is one of the important objects of amateur and commercial hunting.

Ermine

About 60 ermine live in the vicinity of Nizhny Tagil.

The ermine has a unique appearance: a thin, very flexible body, a lively rounded muzzle with small ears, a long, non-furry tail (9-12 cm with a body length of 16-28 cm), very short paws with sharp thin claws (lives in the Urals and Western Siberia the largest variety of ermine is the West Siberian, or Tobolsk ermine).

The color of the fur is protective: in winter it is pure white, in summer it is two-colored - the upper body is brownish-red, the underside is yellowish-white. Winter coloring is typical for areas where there is snow for at least 40 days a year. The tip of the tail is black throughout the year. Geographical variability in the quality of winter fur, the color of summer fur and body size allows us to distinguish about 26 subspecies of ermine.

The ermine looks especially beautiful in winter, when it competes with the whiteness of the snow with its white skin, on which only the black end of the tail, nose and beady eyes stand out clearly. In summer, the color of the animal is completely different: the upper part of the body and sides are brownish-brown, and the lower part is white or yellowish.

On the territory of the Urals, the ermine is found from the tundra of Yamal to the southern tip of the Ural ridge - in a wide variety of habitats: in the tundra there are thickets of bushes, in the forest zone - clearings, old cluttered burnt areas, river valleys, in the forest-steppe - stakes, thickets of bushes along the banks of various reservoirs, in the steppe in the floodplains of rivers and lakes. Here, in heaps of stones and brushwood, under the roots of trees, in rodent burrows, the stoat makes its nest. The stoat is a typical predator; its prey is small rodents, shrews, various birds, frogs, and insects. It often attacks larger animals (hares, hazel grouse, black grouse) and usually emerges victorious.

The tracks of an ermine can be found much more often than other mustelids on a winter day. “During a winter night, and sometimes even during the day, a lot of stoats come in. It willingly pursues voles and water rats in their shelters and often dives into the snow, with small females hunting under the snow more constantly than large and strong males. The average length of an ermine’s jump is 30-40, maximum 100 cm,” this is how Professor A.N. describes the features of an ermine’s track. Formozov in his book “The Pathfinder’s Companion”. How long does an ermine run in one hunt? Often up to 8 kilometers, so following its tracks in the hope of seeing the animal is usually useless.

The stoat is one of the most common predators, but its numbers have now dropped significantly due to hunting, deterioration of food resources, destruction of habitats, etc.

Ermine is a commercial object (the fur is used as a finishing fur). Useful for killing mouse-like rodents.