Animals of the Red Book of the Samara region: description and photo

The thoughtless exploitation by people of natural resources on the planet has led to the fact that the animal and plant world that existed long before their appearance began to gradually die.

You may, of course, not notice that every day on the planet as a whole and in each individual region, some kind of animal or insect disappears, but over time there will be one result - the Earth will become unsuitable for life.

Each country has its own evidence of the extinction of nature - the Red Book, where endangered species of flora and fauna are introduced. Animals of the Samara region, listed in the Red Book, are no exception.

Samara Region

In natural terms, the Samara region compares favorably with other regions of Russia in that several natural zones are combined here at once. In this region there are steppes, mountains, forests and forest-steppes. Since the ice did not reach this territory during the ice age, plants that have survived from those times grow here. This is an extremely rare occurrence, and it is especially sad that the flora and fauna that have existed for tens of millennia disappear due to human activities.

The situation is being saved by the Zhigulevsky Reserve, organized at the end of the 20s of the last century, but all the same the animals of the Red Book of the Samara Region continue to reduce their populations.

Samara region occupies the territory, most of which falls on the right bank of the Volga and is called the Volga region. Only 9% of the region falls on the left bank of the river, which is called the Pre-Volga. There are two seas in the region, artificially formed by the Kuibyshev and Saratov hydroelectric stations. There are also 306 natural monuments, some of which are of national importance.

Endangered insect species

If you carefully study who is listed in the Red Book of the Samara Region, then among the representatives of the animal world there are 17 species of insects, the population of which is declining every year. These include orders of orthoptera and dragonflies, as well as coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and Hymenoptera. The rarest species:

The Sentinel Emperor is one of the largest dragonflies in the world. The wingspan of this insect reaches 50 mm, the body is green with black stripes. The tail of males is blue, and that of females is green, but both have a black stripe along their backs. This species of dragonfly flies and hunts very quickly, using spikes on its legs for catching insects, which form a kind of “basket” for capturing the victim. The reason for the disappearance is the pollution of the reservoirs where they live with pesticides. They live in the Zhigulevsky reserve.

The stag beetle has not only a very beautiful and majestic appearance, but is also the largest representative of the stag beetle in Europe. The reason for the decline in their population is the destruction of the natural habitat. Deer beetles live and breed in the trunks of old trees. The forest industry rarely allows trees to “age”.

Some of the species of insects found in these parts are not just animals of the Red Book of the Samara Region. They appear in the lists of rare insects in Russia and Europe, for example, Apollo vulgaris, Alpine barbel and others.

Rare species of plants

More than 2000 plant species grow in the Samara region. Only 20% of its territory is forests, the rest is floodplain meadows, steppes and forest-steppes.

In the forests, the most common pine, oak, birch, linden, maple and elm. Of greatest interest are floodplain meadows, since it is here that rare specimens that are protected by the Red Book of the Samara Region predominate. Animals and plants whose habitat is meadow are at greater risk of extinction than elsewhere. After the descent of water in the meadows, the intensive growth of rare plants begins, which are destroyed by people for the sake of profit.

Among them, 60 types of primroses: Tulip Shrenka, Lily of the valley in May, Adonis spring, Tulip low, European Trollius and many others.

Most of these plants have medicinal properties, so their barbaric destruction is punishable by the law "On Environmental Protection and Management".

Endangered species of animals

Animals of the Red Book of the Samara region are constantly under threat of extinction. Over the past 100 years, 19 species of animals have completely disappeared from the territory of this region, including brown bear, otter, sika and red deer.

Among the rare species is the Russian Vykhuhol, which is the largest representative of insectivorous mammals not only in Russia but also in Europe. With a body length of up to 22 cm, the tail of this animal can reach 21 cm, and weight - from 380 to 500 grams. Webbed feet and non-wetting fur make this animal an excellent swimmer. Although the desman has very poor eyesight, she is an excellent hunter thanks to her sense of smell and touch. Habitats - floodplain swampy places with a large number of plants and insects living in them.

This animal may completely disappear due to the poor condition of water bodies in this region.

European mink

Once this animal was massively found in the forests of the Samara region, and today European mink is another endangered species of mammals. This beautiful animal with a dense body and beautiful fur, eating fish, mice and berries, disappears due to people using pesticides and spraying pesticides over forests.

The sad example of the 20th century should be a lesson for those who live in the Samara region today. Otherwise, after another 100 years in the forests on its territory there will be no mammals at all, or the Red Book of the Samara Region will remind them. Animals (photos demonstrate this) do not deserve such an attitude.

Rare bird species

Endangered bird species in the Samara region are represented by crane-like, falcon-like, charadriiformes and one representative from the order of Ciconiiformes.

The endangered animals of the Red Book of Russia (Samara Region) were replenished with such bird species:

The black stork is a rare bird not only in this territory, but also in its main habitats - Eurasia and Africa. Therefore, the attitude towards her should be the most careful. It nests in the dense forests of the Zhigulevsky Reserve.

Falconiformes are represented by golden eagles, balaban, burial ground, white-tailed eagle, steppe kestrel and osprey.
Rare crane-like birds include the bell-crane and the bustard, which live in the grassland steppes.
From charadriiformes in the Samara region under the protection of a rattle and a sandpiper-magpie.

All of these bird species are extremely rare, their population is declining, so their fishing or shooting is prohibited by law.

Rare species of bats

This rare species in the Samara region is represented by the Gigantic Vespers. These bats nest in the dense floodplain forests of Samara Luka. Body length up to 105 mm and wingspan up to 46 cm make it the largest representative of bats not only in Russia but also in Europe.