Basically, swamps are formed in those regions where a high coefficient of humidity or groundwater is close to the surface of the earth. Accordingly, swamps that are formed due to atmospheric moisture are called upland, and swamps that feed on groundwater are called lowlands. Wetlands, which are partly fed by atmospheric moisture, and partly by groundwater, occupy an intermediate position and are called transitional.
Depending on the type of swamp, certain vegetation forms within its boundaries. In raised bogs, the predominant types of vegetation are pine, wild rosemary, cranberries and powder puff. Alder, reed, sedge, sphagnum moss grow on lowland swamps. In transitional bogs, there are types of vegetation that are characteristic of both raised and lowland bogs: birch, pine, sedge, sphagnum moss.
Perhaps the most interesting can be considered a reed, since this plant has a fairly wide application. Its rhizome has a number of medicinal properties. In China, a decoction of cane rhizomes is used as an antidote. Young shoots of this plant can even be used to prepare various dishes, both raw and fried or baked. Many people use cane as a cheap fuel. From this plant in some countries began to produce pulp and paper.
Bog plants make up a rich forage base and habitat for many animals and birds. Here you can meet other swamp inhabitants: worms, mollusks, crustaceans, snakes, poisonous snakes, insects. Among the inhabitants of the swamps, the gray crane occupies a special place. These birds build nests from sedges and reeds, compacting these plants tightly into a dense pile with a depression in the center. Often a married couple uses the nest for several years in a row, and sometimes builds a new one next to the old one. The female lays only 2 eggs, from which chicks hatch after a month of incubation. Interestingly, the first chick, born just a few hours ago, is able to leave the nest forever and follow its father. The second chick also immediately follows the mother, who is looking for the male and the first chick so that the family is reunited.
The number of common cranes, like many marsh inhabitants, is gradually declining. This is due to the attack on the swamps, the drainage of their territories in order to build roads, buildings and other economic facilities. Therefore, swamps should be protected as important natural complexes that have a water-regulating significance and are a habitat for many birds and animals.
The swamp is a natural community widespread in our country. Look at physical map Russia: what a significant area is occupied by swamps. Wet place, hummocks, bog, reed thickets, rare bushes.
How was the swamp formed? Once upon a time there was a small lake in this place, which did not have a runoff, its banks were quickly overgrown with reeds and cattails. Water lilies and lilies rose from the bottom. Every year, reeds and reeds grew, more and more protruded from the banks to the water, intertwined with stems, closing the water, mosses settled on the stems, they absorbed moisture and the water stagnated. Several decades passed, and the plants completely captured the lake and closed the water. Every year the thickets became thicker. And now a thick layer has formed almost to the very bottom. That is why, when you walk through the swamp, the bumps are so springy, your legs get stuck, just look - you will fail. Maybe the forest stream flowed slowly and gradually overgrown with herbs in the lowlands, or a spring spouted from the ground and soaked everything around with water. That's how water piggy banks appeared in these places - swamps.
A lot of water means that moisture-loving grasses and shrubs began to grow, and animals with birds settle down such as you can only see in the swamp. The surface of some swamps is densely covered with mosses. Especially a lot of water is able to absorb sphagnum moss, which means “sponge” in Greek (Fig. 2).
Sphagnum has special property kill microbes. Therefore, the remains of dead organisms are not completely processed, they accumulate under a layer of moss, compact, and as a result, peat is formed - a combustible mineral. Peat thickness can reach 3-4 meters or more. It is on this peat cushion that other inhabitants of the swamp live. Peat is very saturated with water, and it contains almost no oxygen necessary for the respiration of the roots. Therefore, only a few plants can grow in swamps. Most often, wild rosemary, sedge, and cranberries settle on a thick carpet of moss (Fig. 3-5).
Rice. 3. Marsh rosemary ()
Among swamp plants, cranberries are especially valued. People have been collecting this healing berry for a long time. In addition to cranberries, other tasty berries grow in swamps: blueberries (Fig. 6), cloudberries.
Rice. 6. Blueberry ()
Such herbaceous plants as cotton grass, reed, calamus, bulrush and cattail have adapted to the swamps (Fig. 7, 8).
The cattail has large, dark brown heads that are densely built of raw hairs. Seeds ripen under the hairs, in autumn, when the seeds ripen, the hairs dry out and the head itself becomes very light. You touch it - and light fluff flies around you. On parachutes, cattail seeds scatter in different directions. Even in the last century, life jackets were made from this fluff. And a round packing fabric was made from the stalk of cattail.
Unusual plants are also found in the swamps. Sundew (Fig. 9) and pemphigus are predatory plants.
Sundew catches and eats insects. Insects are fast and mobile, how can this plant threaten them? The small leaves of sundew are covered with small hairs and droplets of sticky juice, similar to dew, which is why the plant was called sundew. The bright color of the leaves and droplets attract insects, but as soon as a mosquito or fly sits on a plant, it immediately sticks to it. The leaf shrinks, and its sticky hairs suck out all the juices from the insect. Why did the sundew turn into a predator plant? Because on poor marshy soils, it lacks nutrients. A day sundew is able to swallow and digest up to 25 mosquitoes.
In a similar way, the Venus flytrap catches prey (Fig. 10).
Rice. 10. Venus flytrap ()
It has leaflets that close like jaws when one touches the hairs on the surface of the leaves. Since these plants are rare, they need to be protected.
Another trap was invented by pemphigus, they named this plant for the sticky green bubbles that densely cover its thin, thread-like leaves (Fig. 11, 12).
Rice. 11. Vesicles of pemphigus ()
Rice. 12. Pemphigus ()
All the leaves of the plant are in water, there are no roots, and only a thin stalk with yellow flowers rises above the surface. The plant needs bubbles for hunting, and this grass hunts for aquatic inhabitants: small crustaceans, water fleas, ciliates. Each bubble is a cunningly arranged trap and at the same time a digestive organ. A special door closes the vial until some creature touches the hairs of this hole. Then the valve opens and the bubble sucks in the prey. You can't get out of the bubble, the valve, like a door to a room, opens only in one direction. Inside the bubble are glands that produce digestive juice. In this juice, the prey is dissolved and then absorbed by the plant. Bladderwort is very gluttonous. After about 20 minutes, the bubble is ready to capture a new victim.
How did the animals of the swamps adapt to life in wet places? Among the inhabitants of the swamps, a frog is known. The dampness helps the frogs keep their skin constantly moist, and the abundance of mosquitoes provides them with food. Beavers (Fig. 13), water rats settle on the swampy banks of the rivers, you can see the snake and the swamp viper.
Have you heard the saying: "Every sandpiper praises his swamp"? Kulik is a slender bird, similar to a seagull. This bird has protective plumage; with its long beak, the sandpiper finds mosquito larvae hiding there in the mud (Fig. 14).
Often in the swamps you can meet herons (Fig. 15) and cranes (Fig. 16), these birds have long and thin legs, this allows them to walk through the cold mud without falling through.
Herons and cranes feed on frogs, molluscs, worms, which are abundant in the swamp. White partridges love to feast on sweet berries in the swamp, and moose and roe deer like to eat juicy parts of plants.
In the evenings and nights, someone's roar is heard in the swamp, reminiscent of the roar of a bull. What people didn't say about it! As if the water one is screaming or the goblin quarreled with him. Who roars and laughs in the swamp? A small-sized bittern bird roars and hoots terribly (Fig. 17).
The bittern has a very loud cry, spreading for 2-3 kilometers in the vicinity. Bittern lives in reed beds, in reeds. Bittern hunts for crucians, perches, pikes, frogs and tadpoles. For hours, the bittern stands motionless in the thickets near the water and suddenly throws its beak, sharp as a dagger, with lightning speed - and the fish cannot escape. You start looking for a bittern in the swamp - and you will pass by. She will raise her beak vertically, stretch her neck, and you will never distinguish it from a bunch of dry grass or reeds.
But not only the bittern screams at night in the swamp. Here is a bird of prey eagle owl sitting on a branch. It is almost 80 centimeters long (Fig. 18).
This is a night robber and there is no salvation from him for either birds or rodents. This is how he laughs in the swamp when it gets dark.
Residents of swampy places sometimes at night can watch an amazing spectacle of many bluish lights dancing in the swamp. What is it? Researchers have not yet come to a consensus on this issue. Maybe it's swamp gas igniting. Its clouds will come to the surface and light up in the air.
People have been afraid of swamps for a long time. They sought to drain and use the land for pastures and fields, and thus thought that they were helping nature. Is it so? The swamp is of great benefit. First, it is a natural reservoir fresh water. Streams flowing from swamps feed large rivers and lakes. When it rains, the mosses of the swamps absorb excess moisture like sponges. And in dry years they save water bodies from drying out. Therefore, often after draining the swamps, rivers and lakes become shallow. The Vasyugan swamp is one of the largest swamps in the world, its area is larger than that of Switzerland (Fig. 19).
Rice. 19. Vasyugan swamp ()
Located between the rivers Ob and Irtysh. The Vasyugan River originates in this swamp. Rivers such as the Volga, Dnieper, Moskva River also flow from swamps. Secondly, swamps are wonderful natural filters. The water in them passes through the thickets of plants, a thick layer of peat and is freed from dust, harmful substances, pathogenic microbes. Clean water flows into the rivers from the swamps. Thirdly, valuable berry plants grow in swamps: cranberries, cloudberries, blueberries. They contain sugar, vitamins, minerals. Medicinal plants also grow in the swamps. For example, during the Great Patriotic War sphagnum moss was used as a dressing for the rapid healing of wounds. Sundew is used to treat colds and coughs. In addition, the swamp is a natural peat factory, which is used both as a fuel and as a fertilizer.
Remember: you can not approach the wetlands and peat developments in the swamp! It is very dangerous.
Bears, deer, wild boars, elk, roe deer come to the swamps, which also find food for themselves here.
The swamp is the same necessary part of nature as forests and meadows, they also need to be protected. The destruction of swamps will lead to a change in nature on the entire planet. At present, 150 swamps of Russia have been taken under protection.
Today in the lesson you gained new knowledge about the swamp as a natural community and got to know its inhabitants.
Bibliography
- Vakhrushev A.A., Danilov D.D. The world 3. - M.: Ballas.
- Dmitrieva N.Ya., Kazakov A.N. The world around 3. - M .: Publishing house "Fedorov".
- Pleshakov A.A. The world around 3. - M .: Education.
- Biofile.ru ().
- Liveinternet.ru ().
- Animalworld.com.ua ().
Homework
- What is a swamp?
- Why can't swamps dry up?
- What animals can be found in the swamp?
Page 8 of 11
Inhabitants of the swamps: animals of the swamps.
The inhabitants of the swamps are very diverse: these are insects, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, birds. Common to all these swamp animals is a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Also, in addition to the permanent inhabitants of the swamps, there are many animals here that only occasionally visit the swamps: these are wolves, minks, raccoons, elks and many, many others. The size of this article is not enough even to simply list the names of all the inhabitants of the swamps, not to describe. Therefore, here are the most typical animals of swamps that live in the swamps of Russia.
In this article you will find detailed descriptions of the following types of swamp animals:
Amphibious inhabitants of swamps:
Reptile inhabitants of the swamps:
Mammals animals of swamps:
Amphibious inhabitants of swamps: frogs, toads, newts.
Frogs are amphibious animals of swamps.
Squad: tailless
Frog Spread: Frogs are distributed throughout the globe, from the tropics to the polar regions. Most frog species live in tropical rainforests. However, the most widespread is the green frog, which lives in Europe, Asia and northwest Africa. It is she who mainly inhabits our Russian swamps.
Description appearance swamp animal - frog: Frog sizes vary from 8 mm (narrow short Paedophryne amauensis) to 32 cm (goliath frog). A common feature for most frog species is the absence of a tail; shortened forelimbs; large, wide and flat head; developed muscles of the hind limbs, adapted for jumping; the presence of membranes between the fingers, and other features. The skin of frogs is permeable to water and gases.
Frogs hear well both underwater and above water. The eyes of frogs are convex and located at the top of the head - this allows them to observe the world around them, completely immersed in water, leaving only their eyes on the surface. Frogs are better at distinguishing distant objects than near ones. But the most interesting thing about the vision of frogs is that, due to the peculiarities of the structure of the visual apparatus, they see only moving objects. The world of immovable objects is absent for them.
Description of the lifestyle of the inhabitant of the swamps - frogs: The frog is the permanent and most numerous inhabitant of the swamps. In the daytime, these creatures bask in the sun, nestling comfortably on the swamp lilies or on the shore. If a mosquito, beetle or fly flies by, the frog throws out its sticky tongue towards the insect with lightning speed. Having caught the prey, the amphibian immediately swallows it. IN winter time the frog hibernates for several months, plunging into the silt at the bottom of the reservoirs. Frogs communicate with each other most often with the help of croaking. Males may croak alone, or in a choir. Females choose those who make the loudest sounds, so on quiet summer nights, frog choirs can be heard for several kilometers.
Reproduction of an animal swamp - frogs: Frogs reproduce by throwing eggs into the swamp. The inhabitants of such reservoirs are not averse to eating frog caviar, therefore, out of several thousand eggs thrown into the water, only a few dozen survive. This happens at the beginning of April. It is at this time that frogs wake up after winter suspended animation. Already on the fifth day, tadpoles appear from the surviving eggs. They turn into frogs after 4 months.
Toads are amphibious inhabitants of swamps.
Detachment: tailless amphibians.
Spread of the toad: two-thirds of the known species live in the New World. In Russia, only species belonging to the genus Bufo.
Description of the appearance of the toad: Toads are distinguished by the absence of teeth in the upper jaw, a fully developed auditory apparatus, highly developed parotid skin glands, and triangular, flat processes of the sacral vertebrae. The eyes are large with horizontal pupils. The fingers of the fore and hind limbs, located on the sides of the body, are connected by swimming membranes. The hind limbs, unlike frogs, are not as long, so toads do not jump. The skin of toads is dry, keratinized, with many warts, painted in gray, brown or black shades with spotted stains. The size of the toad ranges from 25 mm to 53 cm, and the weight of large individuals can be more than a kilogram.
Description of the lifestyle of the swamp animal - toad : Toads are nocturnal animals, unlike frogs, they practically do not need water. They enter the water only to lay eggs. They winter in the ground. They feed on worms, mollusks, insects and their larvae, snails, fish fry. They prefer a solitary lifestyle and gather in groups only during the mating season and in places with an excess of food. Their average life expectancy is in the range of 25-35 years, some individuals live up to 40 years.
Reproduction of the inhabitant of the swamp - toad: During the mating season, which begins in the spring in temperate climates and in the rainy season in tropical climates, individuals of both sexes gather near water bodies. To attract females, the male toad, using a special resonator located behind the ears or on the throat, makes peculiar sounds. Climbing onto the back of an approaching female, he fertilizes the eggs laid by her. The clutch looks like two gelatinous cords and contains up to 7 thousand eggs. After spawning, adults leave the reservoir and settle down on its banks. Depending on the species, in a period ranging from 5 days to 2 months, larvae appear, turning first into tailed tadpoles, and then into young tailless individuals. They reach sexual maturity the next year.
Tritons are amphibious animals of swamps.
Detachment: tailed amphibians
Triton distribution: The area of distribution of newts covers almost the entire Earth except for Antarctica, Australia and Africa.
Description of the appearance of the inhabitant of the swamps - the newt: In appearance, newts resemble lizards, only their skin is smooth and moist, and their tail is vertically flat (like that of fish). The trunk of newts has an elongated and spindle-shaped structure. Their small head immediately passes into the body, which also imperceptibly passes into the tail. The size of adult newts can reach from 10 to 20 cm in length. The four limbs are well developed and have the same length. There are 3-4 fingers on the front, and up to 5 on the back. During the mating season, a crest appears on the back of males.
The weak eyesight of newts is compensated by a good sense of smell: some individuals “recognize” by smell the location of their prey already 200-300 meters away. The newt's conical teeth are in the sky in the form of two parallel rows, sometimes diverging at a slight angle, so this structure of the oral cavity allows the amphibian to capture and securely hold the prey.
Tritons have an incredible regenerative ability. Not only the lost tail or limbs are restored, but also internal organs, as well as accidentally damaged eyes.
Description of the lifestyle of the swamp animal - newt : Most newts live permanently in the swamp, spending most of the year there. At the same time, they lead a secretive life. It is almost impossible to see a newt in the wild with the naked eye! They are wonderful swimmers, running briskly along the bottom of reservoirs, but on the shore they are completely helpless creatures. Representatives of the order of tailed amphibians are sedentary animals tied to their home - the swamp. They are inactive and completely unsuited to long-distance travel. In winter, the animal of the swamp, the newt, goes into hibernation (lasting almost 8 months), hiding in a secluded place. The main food of newts are invertebrates. During the period of habitat in water bodies, these can be small crustaceans, mosquito larvae and mayflies. Newts eat slugs, earthworms, and larvae of various terrestrial insects when they land. Amphibians are active at night.
Reproduction of the inhabitant of swamps - newt: With the onset of spring, the male and female newts return to the reservoir where they were born. After the male performs the mating dance, internal fertilization occurs. The male newt releases his spermatophores into the water, which the female newt picks up with her cloaca. Caviar is attached to underwater vegetation. After 20 days, newt larvae with gills appear. During the summer, they undergo metamorphoses, and by autumn, newts up to 4 cm long come ashore with well-formed lungs.
Reptiles of swamps: marsh turtle, snake, viper
Common snakes are reptile inhabitants of swamps.
Squad: scaly
Dread Spread: The common snake has a huge range - almost all of Europe, North Africa and a significant part of Asia (including areas of Northern Mongolia and Northern China). In Russia, it is found throughout the European part, reaching the south of the republics of Karelia and Komi. In the east of the country, it settles to Lake Baikal.
Common already found in a wide variety of, but mostly humid places. There are many snakes in floodplains, along the banks of lakes and ponds, in swamps, in reed beds. However, they can be found both in the steppe and in the mountains at altitudes up to 2500 meters. This snake is not afraid of human proximity, often appears on cultivated lands, crawls even into buildings. Sometimes it settles in the basements of houses, in heaps of garbage, etc.
Description of the appearance of the animal of the swamps - an ordinary grass snake : The size of an adult can reach 1.2-1.5 meters in length, although it usually does not reach even a meter. The snake is characterized by scales with distinctly expressed ribs, triangular internasal shields. The most familiar coloration for us is black with a pair of large yellow spots at the back of the head. Although other color options are not uncommon.
The teeth on the maxillary bones increase in size towards the depth of the mouth, the last 1-2 teeth are the largest. The pupils are round, the nostrils are directed to the sides and up. The ventral side is usually spotted. The tail is relatively long, occupying a fifth, and sometimes a third, of the total body length.
Differences between males and females are weakly expressed. Males are slightly smaller than females and have longer tails.
Description of the lifestyle of the inhabitants of the swamps - snakes: Snakes are found in grassy swamps. They are good swimmers, zigzagging their bodies and holding their heads above the water. They can stay under water for more than half an hour. Most snakes live in humid biotopes and are to some extent associated with water bodies. At the same time, snakes climb trees remarkably.
They feed mainly on amphibians, fish, and much less frequently on small mammals, birds, and invertebrates. Prey is swallowed alive without being killed. Favorite food are frogs, toads, newts and tadpoles. The mouth of the snake opens incredibly wide, and it doesn’t matter to him which end the victim is from - he swallows from the place he grabbed. It can swallow large prey for several hours, swallows small prey easily, with little or no damage. The snakes are quite gluttonous, one by one they can swallow up to five frogs. Although they easily endure long-term hunger strikes. There is a known case when a female snake starved for 14 months: all this time she drank only water.
There are no special shelters. They spend the night under trees, in heaps of plant debris, under stones - in general, where the night will find. For the winter, they are looking for a more reliable shelter: in rodent burrows, in human buildings, in rock crevices, in pits.
The inhabitant of the swamps is an ordinary snake - a peace-loving snake. When meeting with a person, he tries to hide imperceptibly. If this fails, he imitates an attack following the example of a viper: he rises above the ground, his neck becomes flat, he begins to lunge towards the "aggressor", sometimes even opening his mouth. However, it rarely bites, even when caught. Its bites are sensitive but not painful. It is already trying to free itself, vigorously bending in its arms, emitting an unpleasantly smelling liquid and even burping up undigested food. If all this does not help, he can already pretend to be dead, imitating convulsions, and then hanging with a lifeless rope. Already not aggressive in relation to relatives, moreover, they do not pay attention to each other.
Reproduction of animal swamps - snake: Common snakes breed by laying eggs that have a different shape - either oblong, elongated, or more rounded, and sometimes pear-shaped. The length of the egg is from 2 to 4 centimeters, the diameter is 1-2 centimeters. The eggs are covered with a white leathery film, which is moist and sticky immediately after laying. This shell consists of microscopic fibers of very different structures, which are impregnated with a sticky protein. Thanks to this, the eggs stick together and stick to surrounding objects. After drying, the shell becomes more dense and it is quite difficult to separate the eggs or remove them from the clutch. Such a strong, non-crumbling masonry ensures better preservation of the eggs and protects them from moisture loss.
The clutch size depends primarily on the age of the female. Young snakes lay 8-15 eggs, older ones - about 30. The record clutch consisted of 105 eggs.
For successful incubation of eggs, the female chooses a humid, warm, sun-protected place, most often heaps of loose substrate - peat, foliage, sawdust, etc. There, easily pushing leaves with her body, for example, she builds a chamber and lays eggs in it compact pile. If an object lying on the ground (for example, a rotten tree trunk) is chosen for this purpose, eggs are laid in an elongated layer. Places with the most favorable conditions for laying eggs attract many females, and then mass clutches appear, which are widely known among ordinary grass snakes. They found up to three thousand eggs laid by many females.
The incubation period lasts one to two months, depending on the temperature of the environment. The duckling, ready for hatching, has developed a special egg tooth, with the help of which it makes several cuts in the egg shell and opens the way out. Seeing the light for the first time, the duckling carefully sticks its head out and, at the slightest danger, hides back into the egg. Only after making sure that nothing threatens him, he slips out of the shell.
The length of newborns is 14-22 centimeters; in color, they practically do not differ from adults. In nature, they immediately begin to feed on frogs, as well as earthworms and insects. They become sexually mature in the third or fourth year of life.
Vipers are reptiles of swamps.
Detachment- scaly, family- vipers.
Distribution of the common viper: The common viper is distributed mosaically in the forest belt of Eurasia from Great Britain, France and northern Italy in the west, to Sakhalin and the Korean Peninsula in the east. In Russia, the common viper inhabits the entire forest and taiga zone. It is found in the north (near Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, in Central Yakutia, etc.); in the east (Sakhalin, Primorye, Amur Region, etc.). The common viper is well known in many countries. There are more chances to meet a snake in wet swampy places, in meadows and clearings with tall grass, in clearings, in raspberry thickets, on the banks of rivers (lakes), in haystacks, on burned areas overgrown with grass and in abandoned gardens. Vipers are often seen while picking mushrooms and berries. These snakes are also found in mountainous areas (among stones and rocks) at an altitude of up to 3000 meters above sea level.
Description of the appearance of the inhabitant of the swamps - an ordinary viper : A viper is a small snake up to 65 cm long and weighing up to 180 g. However, the growth of a snake continues throughout its life, therefore, the longer the snake lives, the longer it is. And vipers live up to 15-20 years.
The head is flat, wide, separated from the body by the neck. Supraorbital shields are located above the eyes, the pupil of the snake is vertical. The color of vipers varies from light brown to completely black. Many representatives have a zigzag pattern on the back, this pattern is a kind of " calling card» vipers. The belly and the tip of the tail are lighter in comparison with the main color of the back. Males are more modestly colored than females. Vipers molt 1-2 times a month.
A disturbed viper hisses. She instantly falls into a state of rage and attacks even stationary objects: branches, sticks, glass, etc.
A pair of teeth (about 4 mm high) that conduct poison is located on the upper jaw of the snake, more precisely, in its front part. Viper venom, despite popular belief, does not always lead to death. But, of course, it can cause severe complications, especially if it is located in the head or neck area. In case of a bite, do not apply a tourniquet or cauterize the wound. You can suck out the poison, as is often advised. The patient must be laid down, given plenty of water and immediately call an ambulance.
Description of the lifestyle of the swamp animal - the common viper: Each viper has its own territory with a diameter of 50-100 meters. However, there are also places of large concentrations of these snakes. Although the viper tries not to leave its territory, it can go 2-5 km for wintering in search of a suitable place. Vipers overwinter, falling into a stupor, in groups in secluded places: in burrows, in cracks, under roots, etc. Sometimes in these groups snakes of other species, for example, snakes, can also come across. The relationship of these snakes is interesting - they do not fight with each other.
- In addition to vipers, snakes were also found near the ditches. They say that snakes are at enmity with vipers and kill them. I have seen more than once how snakes and vipers lie side by side and calmly bask in the sun. And I never saw them fight. I met vipers fighting among themselves. Once I was walking through a meadow and noticed that someone was stirring the grass near the ditch. Came closer. I see: two vipers are busy. One holds the frog by the head, the other - the same frog by the side. What would have ended their struggle - I do not know. I did not wait for the end of the struggle - I put both of them in a bag (A.D. Nedyalkov "The Naturalist in Search").
When meeting with a person, the snake tries to hide from the eyes and the first one does not attack. But these inhabitants of the swamps have almost no hearing, they catch movements with their whole body through the vibration of the earth. Therefore, if the ground is soft, then the person in front of them appears unexpectedly and the snake perceives this as an attack. A disturbed viper hisses and instantly falls into a state of rage, attacking even stationary objects: branches, sticks, glass, etc.
- Thrown aside with a stick, she opened her mouth and bit the stick, along which droplets of poison flowed from two large, mobile, empty front teeth (P.A. Manteuffel “Notes of a Naturalist”).
The viper feeds mainly on mouse-like rodents, amphibians and lizards, and destroys bird nests located on the ground.
Reproduction of the inhabitant of the swamps - an ordinary viper: The mating season is in May, and offspring appear in August or September, depending on the climate. The viper is a viviparous - the development of eggs and hatching of cubs occurs in the womb. Usually up to 8-12 juveniles appear, depending on the length of the female. It happens that at the time of childbirth, the female wraps around a tree or stump, leaving her tail in the air, “scattering” kites on the ground, which from the first moment begin independent life, spreading out in different directions. Juveniles are usually 15-20 cm long and are already poisonous. They have yet to grow, changing and shedding more unnecessary skin, or “creeps out”. During the first year of their life, a change of outfit occurs up to 7 times. By the age of three, vipers become sexually mature.
The European marsh turtle is a reptile animal of the swamps.
Squad: turtles.
Family: freshwater turtles.
Distribution of the European marsh turtle: The bog turtle is common in the southern, eastern and central Europe, in the Caucasus, in Asia, to western Turkmenistan and western Kazakhstan in east and northwest Africa, found in Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, in Belarus distributed mainly in the south of the republic, this region of Polissya, but sometimes found in the northern part (Vitebsk region), this is mainly due to the release of turtles kept at home. In our country, marsh turtles are a common species. The most significant population lives in the southern regions of the range, but in the northern regions the number of marsh turtles is significantly reduced.
Description of the appearance of the inhabitant of the swamps - the European marsh turtle: The size of an adult is from 12 to 38 cm, the mass can reach one and a half kilograms. The dorsal shield of the tortoise shell (carapace) is rounded, low, slightly convex, elastically connected to the lower shell (plastron). Between the fingers, ending in long sharp claws, there are membranes. This type of turtle has a very long tail, which acts as a rudder when swimming - in adults it reaches 20 cm. The edges of the jaws are smooth, there is no “beak”.
The shell of the marsh turtle is dark in color with light spots, while the plastron, on the contrary, is lighter but with dark spots. But the head, legs, neck and tail have a lot of yellow specks on a dark background.
Males, unlike females, have a longer and thicker tail and a slightly concave plastron. And the females are larger than the males.
Description of the lifestyle of the swamp animal - the European marsh turtle: The turtle settles in water bodies where there is no current and dense vegetation grows. It swims well, staying under water for up to 15-20 minutes. However, during the experiment, it was proved that the turtle can withstand much more time under water - up to two days.
The European marsh turtle is a diurnal animal. Likes to bask in the sun, occasionally descending into the water to feed. At night, the swamp animal sleeps at the bottom, buried in silt. She also spends the winter.
Turtles eat quite a variety of things. In its diet there are insects and their larvae, fish fry, young amphibians, mollusks, crustaceans, worms, etc. living creatures. The turtle does not shun and fell. Soft algae make up a small part of her menu. The swamp animal finds prey both on land and in water, but eats it only in water.
Reproduction of the inhabitant of the swamps - the European marsh turtle: Turtles reproduce by laying eggs in nests near water. In laying from 3 to 19 eggs covered with a hard white shell. Young turtles, being born, are in no hurry to get out. On the contrary, they burrow even deeper and so spend the winter, eating from the yolk sac on the abdomen.
Like many other turtles, the marsh turtle has a temperature determination of the sex of offspring: at an egg incubation temperature above + 30 ° C, only females appear from them, and at temperatures below + 27 ° C, only males. At intermediate temperatures, cubs of both sexes appear.
For a long time, people were happy to eat marsh turtles, which led to a reduction in their population. Currently, the European marsh turtle is listed in the Red Book in many countries.
Mammal inhabitants of swamps: muskrats, otters.
Muskrats are mammals of swamps.
Squad: Rodents. Family: hamsters
Distribution of the muskrat: Initially, the muskrat was distributed in the coastal biotopes of North America, almost everywhere - from Alaska and Labrador to Texas and northern Mexico. It was brought to Europe several times and eventually spread widely across Eurasia, up to Mongolia, China and Korea.
The muskrat was brought to Russia in 1928 and quickly spread throughout the country. At present, in Russia, the muskrat range extends from the borders of Finland through the entire forest zone of the European part of Russia and a significant part of the forest-steppe and taiga zones of Siberia to Far East and Kamchatka.
It is also found in Israel on the banks of fresh rivers.
The appearance of the muskrat inhabitant of the swamps: The muskrat resembles a rat, which is why it is often referred to as the "musky rat". But it is larger than a rat in size: its weight reaches 1.5 kg, and the body length of an adult varies from 23 to 36 centimeters.
The muskrat is perfectly adapted to life in the aquatic environment: its body is streamlined, the ears practically do not protrude above the fur, the eyes are small, located on the top of the head, and the hind legs are equipped with membranes. The jaws are separated from the oral cavity by lips, which allows the muskrat to gnaw off plants underwater without choking. The tail, which acts as a rudder when swimming, is vertically flat, covered with scales and sparse hairs. The fur of the muskrat is very thick, waterproof, dyed brown; on the belly, the coloration is slightly lighter than the main background.
The lifestyle of the swamp animal - the muskrat: Slow on the ground, the muskrat swims well and dives well. Without air, it can do up to 12-17 minutes. Vision and sense of smell are poorly developed, basically, the animal relies on hearing.
Muskrats live in small and large lakes, in river creeks and, of course, in gloomy peat bogs. There they, like beavers in flowing waters, build their own houses from improvised material.
The settlements of these swamp dwellers are easy to find. Animals settle in families, the number of residents directly depends on the reservoir. On 100 acres, on average, from 1 to 6 families live. The construction of huts begins in the fall, and they stand throughout the winter.
Muskrat dwellings are cone-shaped and reach a height of almost one meter. The muskrat house has a peculiar structure: one or several special chambers are located inside, and a nest is in the center. In the hut it is always dry and warm, covered with plants.
The nest usually has several exits-burrows up to 30 cm in diameter. Rodent burrows are located approximately 40-50 cm apart. Burrows have ventilation holes. Where there are no solid banks, the muskrat builds huts from grass and reeds.
Muskrats are active around the clock, but most often after sunset and early in the morning. These swamp animals feed on coastal and aquatic plants - reeds, cattails, reeds, sedges, horsetails, arrowheads, pondweeds. In spring, the muskrat feeds on young stems and leaves, in summer and autumn it eats basal parts and rhizomes, in winter only rhizomes. It also eats agricultural crops. Less often, when there is little plant food, it eats mollusks, frogs and fish fry.
Reproduction of the inhabitant of the swamps - muskrats: Pregnancy in a female lasts 25-30 days; in a litter, on average, 7-8 cubs. In the northern regions, there are 2 broods per year and reproduction is limited to warm months - from March to August; in the southern ones, reproduction is almost uninterrupted, and the female can feed 4-5 broods per year. In the first weeks after birth, the male brings food to the lactating female, thus creating conditions for high survival of the cubs. The cubs are blind at birth and weigh about 22 g. On the 10th day they already know how to swim, and on the 21st they begin to eat plant foods. By the 30th day, young muskrats become independent, but remain with their parents for the winter. In spring, young muskrats disperse.
Muskrats reach sexual maturity at 7-12 months. The maximum life expectancy is 3 years, in captivity - up to 10 years.
Otters are mammals of swamps.
Squad: Predatory. Family: Kunya.
Otter Distribution: The habitat of the otter is very wide: almost all of Europe, Asia and North Africa. In Russia, it is found everywhere, even in the Far North.
Description of the appearance of the inhabitant of the swamps - the otter: The otter is the largest animal of the weasel family. In length reaches 1 meter, together with the tail - one and a half meters. The weight of the animal is 6-10 kg. The tail is long, not fluffy, with powerful muscles. The head is small, flattened from above. The ears are small, rounded, barely protruding from the fur. The paws are short, equipped with swimming membranes, the front legs are shorter than the hind legs. The neck is thick and short, as wide as the head. Eyes small, round, set high good overview. Males are larger than females.
The fur is very thick, waterproof, painted in brown or brown tones. Otters do not leave their fur unattended and take care of it for a long time, comb and smooth it: if they do not do this, the wool will be dirty, it will no longer retain heat, and the animal will die from hypothermia (the otter has no fat reserve). From the outside, it looks like the animal is playing, cleaning the fur from various contaminants.
The shape of the body is streamlined, perfectly adapted to life in water. When an otter dives into the water, its ear openings and nostrils close with valves, blocking the entry of water.
There are vibrissae (“whiskers”) on the muzzle and knees, thanks to which the predator catches the least movement in the water, while the animal receives almost all the information about the prey: its size, speed and exactly where it is moving.
External senses are well developed: smell, hearing and vision are excellent.
Description of the lifestyle of the swamp animal - the otter: The otter settles near water, as it leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Lives in burrows, the entrance to which is hidden under water. She does not dig holes herself, she prefers to occupy those left by beavers. If there are no suitable holes nearby, it arranges lairs under the roots of trees. In search of a new home, if for some reason the old one has ceased to suit, or new feeding places, it can go 20-25 kilometers away. In addition to the main burrow near the otter, there are several more shelters in reserve, they are located quite far from the water, at a distance of about a hundred meters - and you can sit out the period when the river overflows its banks and floods the surroundings.
The otter is an excellent swimmer, it can stay under water for up to two or three minutes. In pursuit of prey under water, an otter can swim up to 250-300 m. It can gain a new portion of air only by slightly sticking its nostrils out of the water.
When a mammal senses danger, it makes a hissing sound. While playing with each other, they squeal or chirp. In general, these animals are very playful: they can play with the caught fish, like a cat with a mouse. In their free time from hunting, they frolic with pleasure in the water or roll down from the shore into the water. Not far from their burrows, you can find "roller hills" - hills with a rolled track left by an animal gliding on its belly. The animal climbs this hill several times a day and slides down with a running start. Another favorite pastime is catching one's own tail or hind leg.
In winter, it does not hibernate; it searches for unfrozen areas of water for hunting. On the snow it moves by jumps, moving down from hills on its stomach.
It feeds on all kinds of aquatic (small and large fish up to 2-5 kg - carp, pike, trout) and terrestrial animals (aquatic and wading birds, rabbits and rodents), does not disdain frogs, shrimps, crabs, sometimes eats mollusks, beetles and other aquatic invertebrates. The hunting grounds of the otter range from 2 to 18 kilometers along the river and 100 meters from the shore inland.
Otters can arrange "collective fishing". Otters together drive a whole school of fish into some narrow strait, where it will be easier for them to catch their prey. Animals eat small fish without leaving the water, and large ones only on the shore.
Otters perfectly take root in captivity, become attached to the owner, play and frolic. But the swamp animal otter as a pet is not the best option: it is not easy to keep it, especially if you do not live in a mansion, near which there is no pool or reservoir. The bath in this case is not particularly suitable, since the animal bathes often, after which, in order to dry the fur, it rolls on the floor (while preferring carpets). For food, an adult needs to eat not only a kilogram of fish per day, but also several rodents or even birds, so its owners will have to take care of a varied diet. Given that this animal is extremely mobile and playful, he needs to provide conditions under which he could spend his energy, and taking him for a walk (on a leash) is not the best option.
Reproduction of the inhabitant of the swamps - otters:
The otter bears cubs for 9-10 weeks, puppies are born from two to four, weighing about 100 grams, 10-12 cm long. The cubs are born blind, deaf, toothless, but already covered with fur. After 2-3 weeks, the puppies begin to crawl. The eyes open at 4-5 weeks of age.
When the puppies are seven weeks old, the mother begins to take them out to hunt for fish, transferring them to adult food. By two months, molars grow, at the same age, puppies begin to swim. The mother stays with the puppies until 3-4 months of age. At 8-12 months old, young otters go in search of new habitats, but sometimes they stay with their mother for the next year. Puberty occurs in the second year of life, they breed from the age of three.
The life span of an otter is up to 10 years.
Olga Azovskaya
Abstract n. O. e. "Swamp and its inhabitants" using elements of TRIZ technology.
Synopsis n. O. d. « The swamp and its inhabitants» With using elements of TRIZ technology. for children senior group. Cognition.
Subject: swamp and its inhabitants
Target: Generalize and systematize ideas about swamp and its inhabitants.
Tasks:
educational: Form knowledge of meaning swamps V ecological system Earth, views of some swamp dwellers;
developing: develop speech, cognitive abilities; energize and enrich lexicon children
educational: to develop the ability to work in a group and independently; express and defend one's opinion
preliminary work: consideration and discussion of various reservoirs (river, lake, pond, swamp) ; fairy tale reading "little merman"
equipment: projector (showing a presentation, audio recording "sounds swamps» , split pictures, pictures for the game "earlier-later", materials for free visual activity.
Hod n. O. d.
1. Organizing time : A game of psychological orientation "Greetings"
All the children gathered in a circle
I am your friend and you are my friend.
Let's hold hands together
And we smile at each other.
2. goal setting:
Guys, today we will go to the country "Zagaland"- there are a lot of interesting things waiting for us there. On what we will go there, you will find out by guessing riddle:
iron huts
Attached to each other.
One of them with a pipe
Leads everyone along. (Train)
That's right, it's a train. So, go!
3. Game - imitation "train"(to the music "We're going, we're going, we're going") - 1 min.
4. stop "a city of mysterious things and places"(slide show « swamp» )
Where did we get to? Everyone get around it place:
Here the earth is like dough,
Here sedge, hummocks, mosses,
No leg support. (swamp)
What is swamp? Look closely at the picture, what can you say about this place? (children's answers)
Where the soil is highly moist, they form swamps. This is due to the fact that the plants near the coast gradually grow and move deeper into the reservoir. Small water bodies quickly turn into swamps.
In ancient times people were afraid swamps. All the sounds that were heard swamp - frog croaking, the buzzing of mosquitoes, the flapping of wings of birds - people attributed to various monsters - the owners swamps(slide- Bolotnik, Bolotnitsa, Kikimora, Water). Enable audio recording "Sounds on swamp»
In fact, this is a special world of plants and animals. Almost the entire surface swamps covered with moisture-loving plants - a very tall grass called reed grows here. It is easy to hide and even get lost in it. And the land on swamp It is viscous silt and mud. (plant slide)
Rest in spring and autumn swamps migratory birds . Ducks and geese are the noisiest swamp dwellers. When they gather in flocks, a whole spectacle is played out on the water. But it is interesting to watch them even when they swim calmly. Here is a duck, a second ago, it seemed to be dozing, and suddenly it dived head first, only its tail sticks out funny above the water. For what? She caught a fish or a frog. And she will go to sleep in her nest, in the reed beds on the shore. (bird slides)
Every evening on swamp you can hear the concert. Father frogs croak incessantly, looking at the moon, while mother frogs spawn among the seaweed. (slide frogs with caviar)
5. Dynamic pause "frogs"
Look, two frogs, spread your fingers like "frog legs"
Two green girlfriends squat turn
Jumped up the hill
And croaked awake:
Kwa-kva-kva-kva-kva-kva-kva, jumping around with a twist
Good morning to all of you.
Rode, frolic slow stop
And washed with water. imitation of washing
After unanimously turned around, turn in the direction of the image
And they returned to their caviar.
And who knows why the frogs returned to caviar and why they need it?
That's right, soon small tadpoles will appear from the eggs, exactly the same as those that are already frolicking in swamp. All of them will soon grow up, they will have paws, the tail will disappear, and they will become like their parents. (slide - stages of frog development)
6. Game "collect the whole"
Guys, the little merman sent us pictures of his swamps, but on the way they crumbled into small pieces and got mixed up - help me collect them.
7. Final stage.
Today we have learned a lot of new and interesting things about swamps.
Did you like it? What was the most interesting?
Guys, do you think we need swamps on earth? (children's answers)
Autumn and spring (when the snow melts or it rains often) - swamps store water, and in the dry season they give it to streams, rivers and do not allow them to become shallow. People have realized the benefits swamps and stopped eating them. Main benefit from swamps– conservation of water Living birds, animals, growing plants on swamps, people should protect and protect.
t. r. And. h - game to determine the line of development of the object "Earlier - Later"
game rule: The host calls a situation, and the children say what happened before, or what will happen after. Can be accompanied by a show.
Game progress:
caregiver: see what you can say about swamp? What is it?
Children: viscous, overgrown, boggy.
caregiver: Has it always been like this? What was before?
Children: He was not, there was a lake or a pond.
caregiver: Right, and even earlier?
Children: there may have been a hole.
caregiver: And even earlier?
Children: just land, field, forest, etc.
caregiver: What will happen to swamp then?
Children: It may become even wider or, on the contrary, dry out.
(Similarly, you can play a game on the topic "frog" optional)
You are great, you coped with the task, but the Little Waterman asked you to portray him somehow swamp(if you liked it)
On the table you will find paints and sheets of paper, plasticine and much more - dream up! picture swamp or inhabitants as you like.
Free iso. activity and exhibition of works.
Related publications:
"What are mountains?" Summary of GCD on cognitive development using TRIZ elements for children aged 5-6 Program content: Continue to form children's ideas about the planet Earth (it has a different surface, depressions can be found on it,.
Summary of game training using games and exercises of TRIZ technology for children 4–5 years old Summary of game training on the development of communication skills using games and exercises of TRIZ technology in children 4-5 years old Purpose: To develop.
Summary of GCD on cognitive development "How a man conquered the night" using TRIZ elements (middle group) Purpose: Development of imagination and logical thinking, encouraging children to independently search for causes, methods of action; resolution of conflicts.
Summary of GCD on the development of speech using TRIZ elements in the middle group "Let's tell the bear cub what winter is" Synopsis of GCD on the development of speech in the middle group using TRIZ elements. Topic: "Let's tell the teddy bear what winter is" (problem solving.
Summary of GCD in the middle group using elements of TRIZ technology. Purpose: to develop speech, creative imagination, thinking, consistency, search activity. The course and methods of leadership: Part 1 - Guys.
Synopsis of the GCD "Magic Transformations of the Droplet" using elements of TRIZ technology (preparatory group) Integration educational areas: « cognitive development», « Speech development”, “Social and communicative development”. Tasks: 1. Clarify.
Abstract of a lesson in mathematics and orientation in space in the senior group using TRIZ elements Abstract of a lesson in mathematics and orientation in space in the senior group using TRIZ elements. Theme: Travel to Africa.
GCD "Journey to the Land of Mathematics" using elements of TRIZ technology Outline plan educational activities on the formation of elementary mathematical concepts in children of the senior group. Topic: “Travel.
Open lesson in the preparatory group using TRIZ elements "Visiting a fairy tale" Abstract of the lesson in preparatory group using TRIZ elements "On a visit to fairy tales" Purpose: To develop cognitive activity,.
"Paper". Experimental activities using elements of TRIZ technology Experimental activity using elements of TRIZ technology Topic: "Paper". Age group: middle group Preliminary.
Image Library:
