Australia, Madagascar and many other parts of the world are home to many unique animals – they are called endemics. For example, Australia is home to the unique kangaroo, and Madagascar has a lot of lemurs. The territory of Russia, due to regular cold weather, is not considered the best place for most animals to live. However, we also have endemic species that are not found anywhere else on Earth. The most striking example is the Amur tiger, a large population of which is found in a protected area in southeastern Russia. In this article, we invite you to look at a few more animals that are found only in Russia.
The homeland of Amur tigers is Russia. Photo: ohotniki.ru
Contents
- 1 Lemmings on the Amur
- 2 Where the giant mole rat lives
- 3 Baikal seal: photo
- 4 Desman: photo and description
- 5 White cranes (sterkhs)
Lemmings on the Amur
Amur lemmings (Lemmus amurensis) live between the Lena and Kolyma rivers, as well as on the New Siberian Islands. These are small and very cute relatives of hamsters, which have short legs and a small tail.
The Amur lemming is a cute little animal that you might not know about. Image: redbook28.ru
The body length of Amur lemmings does not exceed 12 centimeters. Their slightly rounded ears are barely visible among the brownish-brown fur, and a dark stripe runs along the spine from the nose to the tail.
Amur lemmings have large teeth, like many other rodents. Image: wildfauna.ru
Amur lemmings— harmless creatures that feed on moss or insects. This is a very rare species of rodent, but despite this, conservationists do not see any threat to their population. They are listed in the Red Book of the Amur Region, but do not require special protection measures.
Where does the giant mole rat live?
Another rodent that lives only in Russia is the giant mole rat (Spalax giganteus). As you can tell from the name, this is the largest representative of the mole rat family. It is also clear from the name that these animals are blind, so they rely on other senses such as hearing. The body length of these creatures can be 35 centimeters, and their weight can reach 1 kilogram.
A giant mole rat that emerged from underground. Image: youtube.com
Giant mole rats live in the semi-deserts of the Ciscaucasia. They dig deep holes, which consist of many complex passages. Mole rats never hibernate, that is, they are active all year round. Their lifestyle is very poorly studied, but scientists know that they feed on plant roots and often make reserves weighing up to 2.5 kilograms.
Mole rats lost their eyes during evolution because their underground lifestyle does not require visual organs. Image: vokrugsveta.ru
Baikal seal: photo
The unique animals of Lake Baikal are Baikal seals (Pusa sibirica). Apart from them, there is not a single representative of the mammal class in this picturesque area.
Baikal seals move at speeds of up to 5.4 km/h. Image: kartinki.pics
The body length of the Baikal seal is about 1.6 meters, and its weight can reach 130 kilograms. The average lifespan of seals is 55 years. But, unfortunately, they are actively hunted for their valuable fur. Local residents believe that seal fat and meat have healing properties.
A beautiful endemic of Lake Baikal. Image: rdebc.ru
Nerpas feed on fish. It is believed that an adult can eat up to 1 ton of fish per year.In total, there are up to 130 thousand seals on Lake Baikal. All of them are at the top of the local food chain, that is, no one except humans threatens them.
The largest bird in Russia: if you see it, you will be shocked
Desman: photo and description
In prehistoric times, the desman (Desmana moschata) was found in many places, even near the British Isles. Today, the desman's habitat is limited to the Volga, Don and Ural basins.
Desmans are small creatures that live near small bodies of water. Image: hoperzap.ru
The desman is a small mammal up to 22 centimeters long and weighing up to 520 grams. It has a very strange appearance with an elongated nose, short legs and a scaly tail. The desman has very unusual fur: all other animals have thick hairs at the base and thin ones on top, but it is the other way around.
The desman gives birth to up to 5 babies at a time. Image: rgo.ru
The desman's lifestyle, also known as khokhulya, is semi-aquatic. These creatures spend most of their lives in burrows, but sometimes they go swimming.
Unfortunately, the desman is endangered: Photo: Ugra National Park
Desmans always need a lot of food; in a day, an adult can eat food equal to its body weight. Desmans have a very specific taste: they feed on bottom creatures like leeches and larvae.
Interesting fact:The longest footpath in the world leads from Africa to northern Russia
White cranes (Sterkh)
The northern territories of Russia are home to endemic white cranes, also known as Siberian cranes. They are endangered, Yakut population of Siberian cranes consists of only 3,000 individuals.
Siberian cranes are one of the largest and most unusual birds in Russia. Image: astrakhanzapoved.ru
These are one of the largest birds in Russia. The height of white cranes can reach 1.4 meters, the wingspan is 2.3 meters, and the body weight is 8.6 kilograms. The feathers of the Siberian cranes are white, and are absent in the beak and eye area. Their beak is the longest among representatives of the crane genus.
Sterkh in flight. Image: aif.ru
Sterkhs live near bodies of water. Their long legs allow them to walk along the bottom, and their long beak allows them to catch fish. They are very afraid of people, and even seeing them from afar, they can leave the nest. Among the indigenous peoples of Siberia, Siberian cranes are sacred birds.
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As you can see, Russia has plenty of unique and extremely strange animals. There are even more of them in Australia – just look at these terrible spiders!