Nearly every corner of our planet is home to critically endangered animals. Crimea is no exception; rare representatives of the animal world also live there.
Limiting factors
First of all, the diversity, as well as the uniqueness of the fauna and flora of the peninsula, is determined by its geographical location. A small area, about 27,000 km², is divided by three climatic zones: the mountainous belt and subtropics on the southern coast, as well as a temperate continental steppe climate. These territories belong to the Black Sea basin and are located at the intersection of the migration routes of representatives of the fauna. It is also interesting that there are fifty salt lakes and two hundred and fifty-seven rivers on this area. Experts have noticed that due to the significant rate of genetic erosion, some plant species have been burned in recent decades.
Red Book
The peninsula is home to a huge number of exceptional animals that are on the verge of extinction. It was decided to create a document on such inhabitants.
The Red Book uses an eight-point scale to determine the degree of rarity. The animals of the Crimea in the Red Book of Russia are the tricolor and pointed-eared bat, the long-winged common, the small and large horseshoe bat, the black-headed gull, the large curlew.
Fauna on the peninsula
It is known from history that ostriches and giraffes used to live on the peninsula, and because of climate change, people noticed Arctic foxes and reindeer. In addition to animals, about two hundred species of fish live in the water bodies of the Crimea. Of these, there are forty-six in freshwater lakes and rivers, fourteen of which are aborigines. The rest were brought to the peninsula and adapted well there.
In the Crimea, there are fourteen species of reptiles, and only one poisonous is the steppe viper, as well as six species of lizards. Among the turtles, only marsh turtles live, which can be found in mountain reservoirs. It is home to about two hundred species of birds, mainly living in mountainous areas. Of these, seventeen species fly for the winter. There are more than sixty species of mammals; they live in mountainous areas, as well as in nature reserves. The peninsula is home to foxes, badgers, martens, and predatory animals can also be found here. Hares and ferrets are found in forests and steppes. Wolves lived here, but at the beginning of the twentieth century, their populations became completely extinct. The waters are inhabited by monk seals and three species of dolphins.
Rare animals of the Crimea, listed in the Red Book
Among rare mammals, the steppe ferret and common shrew can be distinguished, their number is decreasing at a rapid pace. And also wild rams - mouflons are protected. This is the only herd in all of Eastern Europe. The lizard of the Spindle family, or it is also called the jaundice, belongs to a protected species that is on the verge of extinction. The lizard has a large head and large eyelids. The yellow hat has a sandy yellow color with a dark pattern on the upper body. Rare animals of the Red Data Book of Crimea: Mediterranean gecko, golden eagle, pygmy bat, white-bellied monk seal.
Inhabitants of the sea
The Crimean bottlenose dolphins are also protected. They are capable of speeds up to forty km / h and emerge from under the water to a height of five meters. The white-bellied seal or monk seal is on the verge of extinction; there are only 600 representatives of this species left on our planet. For their desire for solitude, as well as their short hair, they were nicknamed monks. These rare animals of the Crimea, listed in the Red Book, are rather awkward on land, but they feel great in the water. In search of food, seals can swim far from the coast and dive to a depth of five hundred meters. The animals reach a length of about two meters and weigh about three hundred kilograms. Males are usually covered with thick black fur, while females are noticeably lighter in color. Due to the light lower part of the body, the seal received another name - white-bellied.
Steppe and mountain fox
Mountain foxes can be found in the Crimean mountains, and steppe subspecies in the steppes. They feed mainly on hamsters, gophers, mice, and in rare cases even wild rabbits.
In times of famine, foxes eat lizards, insects and frogs. Due to the fact that these animals of the Red Book of Crimea are prone to rabies, tourists should be careful. Previously, they were vaccinated, but now this does not happen. Frequent encounters with these animals do not happen, because they are very careful and shy.
Weasel
At first glance, it may seem that this is a very small and peaceful animal, however, even wolves cannot be compared with the bloodthirstiness of weasel. Nevertheless, she is often tamed, and she becomes a rather gentle pet.
Weasel will quickly make friends with other household inhabitants. In the house in which this animal lives, insects and rodents will never appear. However, in captivity, weasels barely survive until the age of five.
Whitebird
This is the name of the stone marten, in which the chest and throat are covered with white fur. White-bead is a very agile and voracious predator. However, the stone marten can eat vegetarian food. In the summer and autumn seasons, white-haired women are animals listed in the Red Book; in Crimea, they eat pears, grapes, and hawthorns. When it gets into the chicken coop, it will quickly strangle all the chickens.
Badger
Peaceful representative of the Crimean fauna of the Kunikh family. Sables and otters are considered the badger's brothers. These animals are very brave and energetic representatives of the fauna. Their burrows are similar to caves, consisting of several floors, and can be up to twenty meters in length. Each floor has its own purpose.
This is a fairly clean animal, so the house is cleaned daily. The floor in the burrows is strewn with fragrant grass, which changes twice a year. The burrow is constantly being expanded and improved. After a certain amount of time, the holes turn into whole badger underground cities. These animals, listed in the Red Book, in Crimea feed mainly on mushrooms, forest berries, acorns, as well as ground squirrels, snails and mice. Besides, badgers love honey. These are peaceful animals, but when it comes to their fellows or home, they stand to the end.
Mouflon
This is a wild animal related to artiodactyls, a genus of rams. Mouflons live on wooded mountain slopes, and in winter they descend a little lower. Males weigh about 50 kg, and females - 35 kg. The males have horns. Mouflons are very cautious animals and try to live away from people.
Wild boar
These animals have lived in the Crimea since ancient times, but in the nineteenth century they were completely destroyed. Since 1957, one wild boar and thirty-four females from the Primorsky Territory were brought from the Chernigov region. Subsequently, the number of individuals increased significantly.
The wild boar is an animal of the Red Book of Crimea, a photo of which can be seen in the article; it feeds on various roots, mushrooms, nuts or acorns. In rare cases, they can feed on insects, bird eggs and rodents.
Crimean red deer
The deer is the largest animal on the peninsula. Its weight can reach 260 kg, and in height they grow up to 140 cm. Basically, the life expectancy of the Crimean deer is 60-70 years. Horns are considered their main weapon. In Crimea, only hunters are considered enemies of deer. Thus, they use their horns during battles for the female, which usually take place in September.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, deer, animals listed in the Red Book, almost completely disappeared in Crimea. Beginning in 1923, a ban on the shooting of deer came into effect. And already in 1943, the number of individuals increased to two thousand.
Roe
There was a time when these animals lived in the steppes of the Crimea. Now, roe deer live on the slopes of the Main Mountain Range, in addition, they can be found in the forests. When meeting people, the animal freezes for a few seconds, then finding that it was noticed, with great speed hides in the forest thickets. Roe deer are like deer. These animals, listed in the Red Book, in Crimea feed on tree buds, bark, and herbaceous plants. Males have horns, which they take off at the beginning of the autumn period. In the spring, the horns grow back again. Foxes and martens are considered enemies of roe deer. Animals have excellent hearing. As soon as they sense danger, they immediately warn their fellows. Their cry echoes three kilometers away.
What animals are included in the Red Book of Crimea?
- The common shrew is considered one of the rarest species of mammals. Mainly lives in the mountain-forest part of the Crimea.
- The steppe ferret is a representative of predators. These animals feed on small vertebrates and murine rodents.
- The leather-like bat is mostly sedentary. It feeds on small insects.
- The common badger is active at twilight and night. The length of the body is from 60 to 90 cm, the tail is 20 cm long. The head is small, on the paws there are powerful claws.
- The small gopher lives in burrows that reach almost two meters in depth, and their length is more than four meters. Distributed in wormwood and grass-feather grass steppes.
The animals of the Crimea, listed in the Red Book of Russia, are the giant nocturnal, gray shrike, eagle owl, small tern, leprechaun, steppe tirkushka.
Birds
The gray crane is under the protection of the law; hunting for it is prohibited everywhere. On the peninsula, the animal lives exclusively in swampy meadows and reed beds. The pink starling is also included in the Red Book. He lives on Mount Opuk. Red-headed kinglet, common in the mountainous regions of Crimea. The eagle owl is a rare bird in the Crimea. It is active, as a rule, at night, hunting small animals and vertebrates.
The Crimean peninsula is a small universe that combines a varied climate, unique nature and diverse flora and fauna.
The Red Book includes animals that need protection, as well as endangered species. The first edition came out in 2015. The first volume describes animal world... Here are some names of animals listed in the Red Book of Crimea: steppe ferret, common shrew, common badger, leather-like bat, small gopher. The second volume is devoted to plants, fungi and algae. In total, four hundred and five species of plants and fungi, as well as three hundred and seventy species of animals are included. The Red Book is considered an official document containing information about wild animals, plants and mushrooms that permanently or temporarily live (grow) on the territory of the Crimean peninsula.
Since the climate of the Crimean mountains is moderately continental (close to the subtropics) and they are located in the southern part of the Crimean peninsula, the fauna here is very diverse. In winter, the mountains are only occasionally covered with snow at the very tops, and in summer the mountains are warm and dry, which is very attractive for all living beings. Who exactly lives in such a comfortable climate? So, the animals of the Crimean mountains.
Acquaintance with the animals of the Crimean mountains
Of course, these are mountain foxes. On the this moment it is the fox that is the largest predator in the Crimean mountains. They live throughout, feed on small rodents. Foxes are very graceful in appearance: a bright red color, a magnificent tail. The growth of a young individual does not exceed 60 centimeters. The voice is similar to the barking of a dog. The fox is the main regulator of the number of small rodents. 
Weasel is the smallest representative of predators (only up to 21 centimeters in length). Easy to tame animal, clean by nature. Despite their cute appearance, weasels are cold-blooded and not of the "shy kind". Weasels live in fields, steppes under stones and in hollows.
Roe deer is a herbivore outward signs similar to deer. Roe deer have a unique hearing, they hear trouble at a distance of three kilometers from themselves. Body length about 130 centimeters, height 80.
Wild boar - to restore the population, they were brought in at the beginning of the 20th century. Boars are omnivorous, have elastic bristles, which protect themselves. The length of the boar can reach 170 centimeters, and in mass up to 200 kilograms. 
Badger - has a very beautiful color. Its fat has medicinal properties. It feeds on rodents and insects. The body is 70 centimeters long, the tail is about 20, and the weight is 24 kilograms.
Crimean red deer - Length reaches 2.5 meters, deer live up to 25 years. Deer are noble and "stately" animals, graceful. There are deer per person.
Hamsters - they look very cute, and you just want to pick them up. But that was not the case, these animals are very aggressive and prefer to live alone. Despite their small size, hamsters can leave large and lacerated wounds where they bite.
Of course, these are not all animals, this is only a small part of them. In Crimea, there are 6 species of insectivorous animals, 6 species of artiodactyls, 7 predatory animals, 15 rodents, 18 bats. and favorable living conditions for all animals played a positive role. Once in these mountains, no one, everyone wants to return again to this unique place.
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Crimea is rightfully called "Little Australia". This peninsula includes three climatic zones at once, so many different animals live on its territory.
Fauna features
Crimea has a rather modest area of 27 thousand square kilometers, but at the same time 50 salt lakes and 257 rivers are concentrated on it. The Black and Azov Seas are washed by mountain and steppe massifs. All of the above factors determined the species diversity of animals, fish, birds and insects inhabiting the region. There is information that in the old days even ostriches and giraffes lived here, but against the background of climate change, they were replaced by less heat-loving animals.
Since there are endangered species among the animals of the peninsula, it was decided to create the Red Book of Crimea. The publication is still in the project, but the animals included in the list have already been taken under protection.
Who lives in the steppe?
The fauna of the Crimean steppes includes white-bellied shrew, gopher, jerboa, hamster, mole vole, foxes and many other representatives of the animal world. Among the birds of these latitudes there are bee-eaters, rolling rollers, bustards, cranes, little bustards, steppe harriers and eagles.
The steppe viper can rarely be seen here, much more often people meet four-striped snakes and nimble lizards. Nest in the steppe world of Crimea herons, mallards, long-nosed mergansers, cranes.
One of the most popular animals of the steppe - korsak. The steppe fox, called the corsac, belongs to the canine family. The body length of the animal is about half a meter, and the tail is up to 35 cm. The weight of an adult is no more than that of a large cat.
The fur coat of a corsac has a gray-yellow tint with reddishness, while the fur is lighter below, and the tip of the tail of this fox is darkened. In pursuit of prey, the corsac develops a speed of up to 60 km per hour. He is not averse to feasting on rodents, birds, and carrion.
Domestic chickens often become victims of Korsaks. There is a place in the fox's diet for vegetarian food - she eats fruits and berries with pleasure.
Foothill areas
In the foothills of the Crimea, there are wolves, squirrels, but here you cannot meet many of the usual inhabitants of Russian forests. But these lands are inhabited by representatives of various Balkan, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and endemic species.
A rich fauna is presented on the northern slopes of Yaila, on the territory of the Crimean nature reserve... Specially protected natural area inhabit Crimean deer, Crimean chamois, forest and stone martens. Local animals have unique characteristics. For example, they wear their summer coat all year round.
Let's talk about some interesting inhabitants of the Crimean foothills in more detail.
- Whitebird. The second name of the stone marten is white-bodied. She is so named because of the white fur on the chest and shirt front. Slender and nimble, she easily makes her way into the chicken coops, but she can also feast on berries.
- Noble deer... It is rightfully considered the pride of Crimea. The head of this forest beast is adorned with luxurious horns that grow with age. Deer herds can be heard by the characteristic roar that spreads through the forest. In winter, they move closer to the gardens to find food there.
- Mouflon. This is the name of the mountain ram, which has taken root in this region in tsarist times. Its horns are in the shape of a spiral; the weight can reach two centners. The acclimatization of this beautiful animal was not without difficulties, therefore the mouflon is a protected species. In summer, they hide from the heat in shady rocks and go out to eat herbs only in the evening, and in winter, due to lack of food, they get closer to human houses.
- Roe... During the active settlement of people, these animals were driven further into the mountains. They do not have tools for protection from predators in the form of horns, but nature has endowed these graceful animals with very good hearing. It allows roe deer to hear the enemy from afar.
In addition to predators, they are hunted by poachers.
- Doe... It rarely appears in the foothill areas of the peninsula. Nimble, resourceful and very beautiful animals hardly adapt to the conditions of the Crimea. It has not yet been possible to significantly increase the population of these artiodactyls, but locals try to protect the animal from the encroachments of poachers.
Who lives on the coast?
The south coast is teeming with reptiles and invertebrates.
- Crimean gecko... These nimble creatures love to live in old buildings, where there are always deep cracks and various tunnels for them. For this reason, in earlier times they lived in old houses and courtyards.
They rid people of hordes of insects and thereby provided a service to man. But today, in cities, their population has declined. The reason was the active development of territories, as well as the attacks of cats, who are not averse to feasting on these cute lizards.
- Mantis... It gets its name from its raised front legs. Of course, these creatures do not hold their limbs in this position at all in order to offer prayer. They just spend a lot of time in ambush, pedantically tracking down prey, and from this position it is easier for them to attack it. The growth of the praying mantis reaches 5 centimeters, so sometimes they get into a fight with the sparrows.
- Crimean ground beetle. This protected inhabitant of Crimea has a purple color that shimmers in different colors. It is better not to touch it, otherwise the five-centimeter beetle will release a frightening secret. The ground beetle prey is mollusks and snails.
Among the feathered inhabitants of the coast, birds such as herons, mallards, cranes. In total, there are more than 200 species of birds of the Crimea, however, among them there are no unique ones living only in this region.
Inhabitants of reservoirs
More than two hundred fish live in numerous reservoirs of the peninsula, and a quarter of them periodically visit the Crimean waters from the Bosphorus. A lot in the region frogs, toads and newts. There is only one poisonous snake here - this is steppe viper... Inhabits bodies of water and swamp turtle.
The fingers of this animal are equipped with membranes that allow it to swim better, and the size of the shell usually does not exceed 15 cm in diameter. Turtles are diurnal- they sleep until dawn, and then begin to hunt for medium-sized fish. Also, these animals are not averse to trying plant foods. They spend the winter buried in silt.
Such animals can be kept at home, in this case they wait out the cold season in the basement.
Dangerous wild animals
In addition to animals that cannot harm humans, quite dangerous creatures also live in the Crimea, it is better to avoid meeting with them.
Black Widow
This dangerous species is found not only in the steppes and forests, sometimes it can be seen in urban areas. The bite of a female black widow can be fatal. If it happened, then you need to burn it with a match head or an object hot on a fire and immediately go to the doctor. If help is late, severe body aches, trembling hands and feet and dizziness will begin, hallucinations occur due to damage to the nervous system.
Scolopendra
Ringed centipedes are not as dangerous as black widows, but their bite can cause serious discomfort. The bite can unsettle for several days, all this time the victim feels fever, aching muscles, and the bite itself can hurt for a long time. Scolopendra lives on the peninsula everywhere, besides, it is very agile - appears unexpectedly and disappears just as suddenly.
Steppe viper
Its habitat is wide: mountains, steppes, salt marshes, vineyards, sandy roads. She, like karakurt, is capable of killing with her bite. After it, there is an increase in heart rate, dizziness, nausea, the appearance of blood in the urine.
The poison can be sucked off, each time rinsing your mouth with water or a solution of potassium permanganate, at the same time, there should be no wounds in the mouth, otherwise the poison will penetrate into the body of the rescuer. Next, the wound is disinfected, a bandage is applied, but not a tourniquet.
The victim is forbidden to drink alcohol, he needs to drink as much clean water as possible. Such a person must be shown to a doctor as soon as possible.
South Russian tarantula
Mountains and steppes are favorite places for tarantulas. Allergy sufferers are most at risk when meeting with him, for everyone else he is less dangerous. Signs of a bite from this spider are about the same as in the case of a black widow. The bite site needs to be cauterized with brilliant green, you also need to consult a doctor.
Wild boar
A large and dangerous predatory animal was once exterminated on the territory of this region, but after years it again settled in its forests. The habitat of wild boars is mountainous areas where oaks and beeches grow, because they are not averse to feasting on plant food. They avoid meeting people, but if a collision occurs, then the boar is capable of showing strong aggression towards the stranger.
The most dangerous are females with piglets, they are ready to fight for their children for life and death.
Scorpion
Displaced by people from the inhabited territories, he did not go too far, but began to settle right in the houses, more precisely, in their darkest and dampest rooms. Spiders, centipedes, praying mantises often become its prey, therefore scorpions to some extent help people fight dangerous insects.
They are nocturnal, so meeting them during the day is unlikely. Symptoms of the bite are similar to the reaction to the bites of other poisonous inhabitants of the Crimea: shortness of breath, pressure surges, chills or fever, dizziness.
They can appear both immediately and after a day, so a doctor's consultation after the incident should be obtained as soon as possible.
Protected species
Under protection are both unusual and interesting animals of Crimea, and well-known Arctic fox, wolverine, beaver, marmot, bear, steppe ferret, because their populations in the region are small. The only mouflons for many thousands of kilometers, including Eastern European ones, live in the Crimea. They came from individuals who lived in the royal nursery, and therefore are of special value.
Serpentine jaundice has a body a meter or a little more, it often frightens people, as it resembles a viper. The spindle representative is completely harmless, if you do not frighten him on purpose.
Unlike snakes, its eyes have eyelids that blink.
Monk seal, also called the white-bellied seal, is critically endangered. According to scientists, the population of this rare animal is no more than 600 individuals in the world. So unusual name the seal got it because of its secluded lifestyle, and its head is also decorated with a kind of short fur. Two-meter sea animals can weigh up to three centners, nevertheless, they are able to dive quite deeply and return with their prey.
There are three climatic zones on the territory of the peninsula: a zone with a temperate continental steppe climate, a zone with a mountain belt and a subtropical zone on the southern coast. Such climatic diversity, combined with rich flora, provides Crimea with more than 4,000 animal species and more than 8,000 bird species.
Fauna of the Crimean steppes.
Among mammals, representatives of the order of rodents are most often found here: ground squirrels, voles and common hamsters. Ferrets, foxes or hares can sometimes be seen. Feral rabbits also live here, which were brought to the Tarkhankut Peninsula in 1961 as part of improving the diversity of the animal world. These mammals are not dangerous for tourists, the worst thing that can happen is spoiled food that a curious mouse or ferret decided to try.
The world of birds, including waterfowl, is also quite diverse in this part of the peninsula. Their "home" is areas with a rich food base in the waters of the Sivash and Karkinitsky bays, where the territory of the Swan Islands ornithological reserve is located. There are about 220 species of birds in the reserves, among which the swans are in the lead, regularly visiting the "Islands" during the moulting and wintering periods.
Larks and Demoiselle Cranes are most often seen in the steppe. These long-legged birds are careful and will not let you close, so you will have to get to know them from afar. Among the birds of prey, the meadow harrier and the common kestrel live here; it is very rare to meet the steppe eagle.
Of the reptiles in the steppe, a variety of lizards live; outward appearance resembling a small snake. A common snake for these places is the steppe viper. It is small and rarely catches the eye of a person, however, the snake is poisonous, and with close acquaintance, it will not miss the chance to bite an intruder.
Fauna of the mountainous Crimea.
Compared to the steppe part, it boasts a wide variety of birds and mammals, the largest part which are concentrated in the areas of mountain-forest reserves.
Roe deer and Crimean deer are considered to be the original inhabitants of the mountainous regions. Unfortunately, due to unreasonable economic activities, the number of the Crimean deer has greatly decreased and now there is practically no chance of meeting this noble handsome man by chance.
In addition to deer and roe deer, wild boars can often be encountered in mountain-forest areas. The meeting will not be the most pleasant - these massive animals are quite aggressive, so you should not approach them. If you spot a wild boar, try to leave this territory as quietly as possible, and in no case try to photograph the animal - the sound of the camera shutter will attract its attention and may provoke aggression.
Of the predatory animals in the mountain-forest regions of the Crimea, badgers, weasels, foxes and martens live. In 1922, the last wolf was destroyed here, now there are no gray predators in the Crimea, although there are talks about the restoration of the population of the Crimean wolf.
There are not as many birds in this area as in the steppe part of the peninsula. The most numerous are woodpeckers, several species of tits, jays and blackbirds. Birds of prey are represented by hawks and buzzards, and from nocturnal predators - by the owl-owl. You can rarely see a burial eagle in these places.
Fauna of the South Coast.
The fauna of the southern part of the peninsula cannot boast of a special diversity. The most numerous are considered to be reptiles and invertebrates, the prominent representatives of which are the Crimean gecko and the leopard snake - non-venomous snake, in appearance vaguely resembling a snake. Among insects, the most numerous are cicadas, whose "singing" is easy to hear in the evenings.
In the southern part and in the mountainous Crimea, hedgehogs are widespread. These adorable animals are not shy about tourists and can visit your parking lot. Also on the South Coast, squirrels are often found, living not only in remote places, but also in resort villages.
The fauna of the Crimea has been studied no less thoroughly than the flora.
The connection between uniqueness geographic location Crimea and the peculiarity of the fauna of the peninsula is no less obvious than for the flora, although the animals are more dynamic. In addition to species typical for the nearby southern regions of Ukraine, we everywhere meet animals of the Mediterranean range on the peninsula. Many species or subspecies of animals are found, except for the Crimea, only in the Caucasus, the Balkans, the islands of the Aegean Sea or in Asia Minor, confirming the hypothesis of the existence of Pontida.
The hunting territories of some animals are measured in many kilometers, animals are able to make long migrations, nevertheless, the Crimean fauna has many endemic species and subspecies. Finally, the uniqueness of the Crimean natural communities is confirmed by the "impoverishment" of the fauna - the absence of many species, which are very common for neighboring regions.
All of the above is an indisputable proof of the special principles and ways of development of the natural community on the Crimean peninsula.
The data of paleontology, the science of fossil organisms, show us that in ancient times the Crimea was inhabited by such heat-loving animals as giraffes and ostriches. Then, along with the glaciers, they were replaced by northern species, for example, the arctic fox and reindeer... Even 10-12 thousand years ago, the Crimean fauna was composed of an amazing conglomerate of species of completely different spaces and times.
Alas, uniqueness comes at the highest price. When unfavorable conditions arise, animals on a relatively small area of the peninsula have nowhere to migrate, so they adapted to a unique habitat.
Animals are divided into invertebrates and chordates. The former are very primitive, the latter are perfect. Primitiveness is a very relative concept. The evolution of invertebrate ancestors did not end with the birth of vertebrate descendants. Many types of microorganisms appeared much later than the relatively young species of primates.
The coelenterates are often cited as a vivid example of the primitiveness of our evolutionary ancestors. Let's check if this is so, using the example of jellyfish - the most accessible representatives of this class.
Jellyfish lead two lives, and transmigration of souls for them is a constant practice. In one of their lives, they are a sedentary form - polyps attached to a solid substrate, close relatives of the builders of coral islands. Like all couch potatoes, polyps are not capable of the frenzy of passion and reproduce by budding. Confirming the eternity of the conflict between "fathers and children", the sprouted offspring of polyps are born in the form of gelatinous formations well known to us. Experts call these forms "sexual". The gelatinous body of jellyfish is bell-shaped or umbrella-shaped; squeezing it, the animal shows us the most ancient example of a jet engine and moves in space, however, somewhat slower than spaceships. At rest, jellyfish move at the behest of waves and currents. Along the edge of the body, jellyfish are armed with tentacles with stinging cells that bite into the victim's skin and paralyze it. A person is not threatened with paralysis, but an encounter with some oceanic species of jellyfish can result in a serious burn. The most large jellyfish reach 2.3 m in diameter.
Zoopsychologists who have studied the intellectual abilities of octopuses have come to the conclusion that they are at a very high level. This statement seems to be in some conflict with the statement about the "primitiveness" of another class of invertebrates - molluscs. In the water bodies washing the Crimea, alas, neither squids nor octopuses are found, but there is an abundance of their evolutionary relatives. On land and in fresh water bodies, there are quite a few snails, slugs, bivalve shells, and among the mollusks of the Azov and Black Seas, zoologists distinguish more than 200 species.
In Latin, mollusc means "soft". Quite often, mollusks hide their softness in a strong shell or in a bivalve shell. Undoubtedly, these are "good", "useful" animals. First of all, by the fact that they produce pearls for people. All bivalve molluscs secrete a special secret, a substance that turns into mother-of-pearl when solidified. Translated from German "mother of pearl" means "mother of pearls". If a foreign object enters the body of pearl mussels, then, being enveloped in mother-of-pearl, it can become a pearl. Unfortunately, pearl mussels are predominantly engaged in this commendable occupation in tropical waters.
Many molluscs attach themselves to pitfalls using strong, thin threads called byssus. This substance is a frozen secret of a special byssus gland. In ancient times, fine linen was made from the byssus of a mollusk - a strong silk-like, somewhat harsh fabric.
A very commendable property of molluscs from the point of view of many people is their edibility. Molluscs do not eat people, but they need to eat something. This desire is not encouraged in any way. For hunting slugs, mankind has come up with more traps than for catching tigers.
It is absolutely impossible to call crustaceans primitive. As for their "usefulness", in their culinary properties, many of them are in no way inferior to molluscs, especially when it comes to decapod crayfish, which include lobsters, lobsters, our freshwater crayfish, crabs and shrimps. These "healthy" animals occasionally bring a very pleasant variety to the everyday life of beer lovers.
There are 11 thousand species of centipedes on Earth. These animals really have a lot of "legs", more precisely, segments: from 11 to 177, but despite the abundance of "limbs", these animals are often very slow. The most common centipedes in the Crimea are kivsaki-dark brown slow animals hiding under stones, dead wood or bark. Their only protection is the ability to hide and a rather pungent smell.
Scolopendra found in Crimea also belongs to the class of centipedes. This predator hides during the day in approximately the same places as kivsaki, and is active only at night. Scolopendra is equipped with a powerful jaw apparatus and is poisonous. The bite of the Crimean scolopendra is quite painful, but absolutely harmless.
Representatives of the order of arthropods of the class of arachnids - phalanxes, or solpugs, also bite very painfully. About 600 species of these arthropods live in deserts or semi-deserts. The largest phalanx, moreover, the largest representative of the class of arachnids of Ukraine - the common phalanx reaches a length of 5 cm.There are also many legends about the venomousness of the phalanges, but we are unlikely to be able to prove their inconsistency on ourselves, since the animal is so rare that listed in the Red Book.
Scorpions are classified as arachnids. The scorpion bite is very painful (it injects venom through the hollow formations at the end of the tail). However, it is less and less possible to meet a scorpion in Crimea, and not at all because he is very prone to suicide, striking himself with a sting, but because many of us believe all sorts of fairy tales and fables and rush to trample a dangerous animal, forgetting that no one is given the right to destroy the harmony of nature. Even if we are talking about ticks, really the most unpleasant for us, humans, representatives of the arachnid class.
However, according to some zoologists, ticks are not arachnids. One way or another, and there are no fewer of them from this - 3 thousand species are allocated only in Ukraine. Many of them spoil agricultural products, others do not directly touch people, and still others have not come up with anything better than to feed on our blood. On the Far East there are types of ticks that carry the causative agents of encephalitis. In Crimea, too, especially in spring, there are similar "aggressors", so after a walk in a mountain forest or spring yaila, examine your loved ones and "look around" yourself. Ticks do not tolerate heat well and are most active in spring and autumn.
We will complete the story of invertebrates in the class of insects. This is the most numerous class of the animal kingdom, numbering, according to the most conservative estimates, more than 800 thousand species. At least 12-15 thousand species of these most biologically prosperous animals live in Crimea.
Insects are found everywhere on the peninsula: on desert salt marshes, rocks, in water bodies and on their banks, even in old apartments. Nevertheless, only a small part of what entomologists observe is in our field of vision. Zhukov, for example, entomologists in Crimea described at least 4,000 species, and a person far from biology is unlikely to be able to distinguish more than 100, or even 10 species. However, many people think it is enough to get acquainted with only one of the beetles who came to visit us from Colorado.
The most noticeable insects are butterflies, nevertheless, without special knowledge, skills and equipment, a tiny part of more than 2,000 species of Crimean butterflies appears to our eyes, since most of these insects have a modest camouflage color or nocturnal activity.
Due to their large numbers and varied diet, insects play an extremely important role in natural communities. Only their tireless activity maintains the magnificent variety of vegetation in various landscapes, without these little workers there would not be many vegetable, fruit and field crops. But even the most unpleasant order of insects for us - dipterans - all these flies, mosquitoes, mosquitoes, horseflies and gadflies cannot be considered "bad".
It is very unpleasant when a mosquito bite itches. It is unusually pity for a deer tormented by gadfly larvae, but as soon as some species of insects disappear, as soon as any species of birds or fish that feed on them or their larvae can disappear, and some fellow of the Colorado potato beetle, who got the opportunity to reproduce without hindrance in the absence of predators, it will turn out to be much more unpleasant for us and our economy than the itching mentioned above from mosquito bite... Man constantly upsets the balance of nature, creates the prerequisites for the excessive development of certain species by his activities, for example, by plowing the steppe, and then, instead of trying to restore the balance, upsets it even more.
The richest species composition insects (entomofauna) in Crimea is observed on the southern coast, especially in its eastern part. Almost 75% of the Crimean insect species and most of the typical Mediterranean species are found here. Many Mediterranean species live in mountain forests, in the foothill forest-steppe and on the flat peaks of Yaila. Most of the endemic species are distributed in all these zones. Many types of insects steppe Crimea due to plowing, they survived only in point habitats with intact areas of steppe vegetation. Of the 173 insect species listed in the Red Book of Ukraine, 104 live on the territory of Crimea.
Fish already belong to a higher evolutionary stage, to vertebrates. That is, they, like you and me, have a skeleton inside the body, and not outside. On fishes, evolution introduced the construction of a skeleton from bone into practice, although the "worst" representatives of this class (sharks) and the "best" (sturgeons) appeared on Earth before Nature invented bone, and therefore have to make do with cartilage.
In fresh water bodies of Crimea, 46 species of fish live, but only 14 of them are aborigines, primordially Crimean inhabitants. The remaining 32 species were acclimatized in one way or another. Only after the commissioning of the North Crimean Canal, crucian carp, carp, perch, pike perch (as a city), silver carp, grass carp and pike became common in fishing for fishermen. There are about 200 species of fish in the Black and Azov Seas. Many of them live in them permanently, others visit it "in transit", migrating through the Bosphorus. Some species make similar migrations annually, others - once every few years, and still others, such as swordfish, have been seen in isolated cases.
Not all fish species can make such journeys, since the relatively low concentration of salt in the Black Sea is detrimental to most Mediterranean species, adapted to more salty water. The same can be said about the migrations of various species from the Black Sea to the more fresh Azov Sea or in the opposite direction.
Now the reader and I will have to leave the abyss of waters, as amphibians, otherwise called amphibians, did about 225 million years ago. For such a long time, it would seem that it is possible to adapt to life on land, but amphibians have not completely overcome some of the habits of their dark evolutionary past: they reproduce only in water in order to hatch from eggs and serve a certain period of their life as tadpoles. Amphibians are divided into tailed (newts) and tailless (toads, frogs). Both are represented on the territory of Crimea by six species, the most common of which are the lake frog and the green toad, and the toad is found even in semi-desert areas, hiding in deep burrows during the day, and going out to hunt for insects at night and after rains. The tree frog (tree frog) and the crested newt are common in the mountain-forest part of the Crimea, and the red-bellied toad and the common toad can be found only in the plains.
Many of us are inadequate about amphibians, and there are reasons for this attitude. First, amphibians vaguely resemble reptiles, many of which are poisonous. Secondly, the skin of many species of toads is poisonous, and if you eat a toad raw, you can get poisoned, which sometimes happens to small predators and dogs. It is quite possible that fear of poisonous animals, like other instincts, accumulates in the memory of generations and is transmitted genetically. On the other hand, a reasonable person must overcome this fear, just as we overcome the fear of the dark in childhood. Many Romanesque peoples have overcome this fear and eat frog legs with great pleasure, in no way, however, feeding on raw toads.
The stereotyped reasoning about the "usefulness" of amphibians, eating "bad" insects, frankly, set the teeth on edge with their senselessness. "Good" insects amphibians also eat with great pleasure, because they do not distinguish food in this way.
The only poisonous of the 14 species of Crimean reptiles - the steppe viper is found in the lowland and foothill regions of the peninsula so rarely that it is included in the Red Book. "Reliable" statements about the toxicity of other species inhabiting the peninsula are actually prejudices, alas, much more tenacious than the species included in this "black list", primarily the yellow-bellied snake, the four-striped snake and the leopard snake. In addition to the listed snakes, two species of snakes and a copperhead live in the Crimea. The only species of turtles, the marsh turtle, inhabits mainly mountain reservoirs, but sometimes descends along river beds quite far into the steppe regions. Of the six species of lizards, the Crimean, nimble and rocky ones are quite numerous.
Birds, or, as experts say, the "avifauna" of the Crimea, number more than 300 species. Almost 65% of them nest on the peninsula, 5% (17 species) winter here, the remaining 30% are migratory.
The largest birds on the peninsula are the gray crane, demoiselle crane, bustard, little bustard, swans, geese and large predators: snake eagle, steppe eagle, osprey, dwarf eagle, burial ground, white-tailed eagle, golden eagle, vulture, black vulture, griffon vulture, saker falcon, peregrine falcon and eagle owl. Sometimes pelicans are seen in the Crimea. Almost all large birds are rare. Mountainous areas have chosen the main number of species as their habitat, especially many birds on the plateau of the Main Ridge and on the borders of the plateau and forest. The avifauna is very rich in the mixed floodplain forests of river valleys. In the steppe part of Crimea, waders, four species of larks, quails and such rare species as bustards and remaining for the winter in warm years little bustards.
Crimea is located on the routes of traditional bird migration. In the shallow waters of the Sivash and Karkinitsky Bay, huge flocks of near-water and aquatic species accumulate during the period of migration and wintering. On the peninsula, there is plenty of space for hunters. On the shores of the Black and Azov Seas, dives feed and nest, ducks (mallards, wiggles, pintails, teals) wait out the winter in secluded places, wild geese, woodcocks, quails, gray partridge and wild pigeons. However, many game birds have adapted to wintering in the immediate vicinity of crowded city beaches, where the ban on hunting is complemented by an abundance of food.
In many territories nesting and migrations of birds are protected by law, among them are several Sivash islands, the Mount Opuk nature reserve and the Elken-Kaya islands in the south of the Kerch Peninsula.
In the northern part of the Kerch Peninsula there is a state ornithological reserve "Astana Plavni" ("Oisulskaya Plavnya"). The eastern shores of the Aktash lake-estuary are reed thickets, they are called floodplains. Reliable shelter and abundance of food attract numerous flocks of migratory and nesting birds in Crimea.
But the most "main" ornithological reserve, which has a well-deserved international recognition, is the Swan Islands - a branch of the Crimean state reserve... Six islands of the tract are located near the northwestern shores of the plain Crimea. They stretch for about 8 km along the coast of the Karkinitsky Bay. The largest island is about 3.5 km long and up to 350 meters wide. The islands are about 3.5 km away from the coast. Shallow waters, an abundance of plant and animal food in water and on land, in combination with the protected regime, attract a lot of waterfowl to the Swan Islands. A large population of mute swan nests here. In late autumn, northern whooper swans gather on the islands for the winter. Various species of ducks, waders, egrets and gray herons, gulls, cormorants nest on the islands, more than 25 species in total.
Hunting requires excitement, scientific bird watching requires serious professional skills, but any of us can get up before dawn, walk in the park or climb into the nearest forest to hear a discordant choir of songbirds at dawn, because the bird population is only in forest parks and parks There are more than 20 types of settlements in Crimea.
More than 60 species of mammals live in Crimea. The largest representatives of the Crimean fauna are ungulates, four species of which have adapted to the mountain forests of the peninsula. The Crimean red deer, preserved in the protected areas, is a local (aboriginal) species, the other two species of artiodactyls appeared due to the efforts of people. Fallow deer in the 70s. XX century brought from the Askania-Nova nature reserve, but a large increase in livestock has not yet been observed. But the wild boar, which appeared in the mid-50s, has now settled throughout the forest zone, and licensed shooting is allowed for it. Attempts to acclimatize the bison and the mountain sheep-moufflon in Crimea ended in failure: the bison, which harms the vegetation unadapted to the growth of its population, was deprived of its Crimean "registration" in 1980, and the mouflon reproduces rather poorly.
Among the predatory animals of the peninsula, fox and weasel are quite numerous. Weasel is the smallest predator of Crimea, the fox together with the forest dweller badger are the largest. The common fox is more common in the steppe areas, the Crimean subspecies is more typical for the mountain-forest part of the peninsula. The marten lives in the foothills of the Crimea; a raccoon dog has settled along the North Crimean Canal. Predators eat either purely animal food, like a ferret and a weasel, or have a mixed diet, as is observed in martens, foxes, badgers, and raccoon dogs. There used to be quite a lot of wolves in Crimea, but the last animals disappeared at the beginning of the 20th century.
Life without wolves for hares undoubtedly seems bland, but the hare is 
Feels good in Crimea and can be found everywhere, except perhaps in the central city blocks. A significant increase in the rabbit acclimatized in the steppe regions has not yet been observed, but the squirrel, which settled in 1940 on the territory of the Crimean Nature Reserve, settled throughout the peninsula, including parks and green zones of cities.
In the Black and Azov Seas, there are four representatives of marine mammals: the monk seal and three species of dolphins. In a natural setting, dolphins are rarely seen, but at present it is easy to meet them in the dolphinariums of Sevastopol, Yalta, Evpatoria and Karadag, where bottlenose dolphins are usually kept. Dolphins are happy to jump through hoops, play with a ball, perform various teams of trainers - in a word, they demonstrate their remarkable abilities in front of the public, and therefore a visit to the dolphinarium is always very entertaining and informative.
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