The Penza region is one of the central regions of the Volga region. The nature of the land of Penza became a source of inspiration for Lermontov M. Yu., Kuprin A. I. and other poets and writers. The region freely stretches on the Volga Upland. The flowering of the steppes in the south of the region smoothly flows into the shade of deciduous and pine forests in the northern part of the region.

Wide plains are crossed by hills, separated by small and large ravines. Many rivers with picturesque banks and floodplains create a wide water web of the region. And all this rich natural space is filled with many species of animals and plants.

Flora of the Penza region

The meadow-forest landscape of the north and northeast passes in the south into meadow-steppe and steppe. Pine occupies the main place in the forests. It is this species that forms a third of the region's forests. Coniferous periodically pass into mixed and deciduous forests. There, the pines are already being replaced by oaks. There are also beautiful birch groves, aspen, ash, maple, linden, mountain ash and elm grow in mixed forests. Hazel reigns among the shrubs. More than 120 species of mushrooms and more than a hundred varieties of mosses and lichens grow under the canopy of forests.

Substantial part natural steppe used in agriculture. Small untouched areas have been preserved (Poperechenskaya, Kuncherovskaya, Ostrovtsovskaya reserved steppes). They became part of the specially protected natural areas Reserve "Privolzhskaya forest-steppe" Similar unique remains of the natural zonal steppe have not been preserved anywhere else in Europe. The steppe is dominated by perennial herbs and flowers: daisies, buttercups, cornflowers, beautiful and feathery feather grass.

Fauna of the Penza region

The fauna of the region is represented by more than 600 species. The most common forest dwellers are hedgehog, fox, hare, ferret, badger, squirrel, marten. In addition, you can meet a wild boar, a roe deer, an elk and even a wolf and a bear on the forest path. Do not be alarmed if you hear the hooting of the Tawny Owl, owls are very common in the Penza forests. Among birds, woodpeckers, nightingales, wagtails, tits and buntings are considered the most numerous forest inhabitants.

Marmots, steppe ferrets, ground squirrels, field hazel grouses, gray partridges and larks live in the steppe. You need to walk carefully through the forest and steppe: in addition to harmless snakes, you can meet with a poisonous common viper. Marsh turtles are found in a few swamps. On the territory of the region, it is possible to meet with a rare gray crane or egret.

More than 50 species of fish are found in numerous reservoirs of the region. Bream, pike perch, ide, catfish feel comfortable. Roach, perch, crucian carp, carp and pike are found in rivers and lakes. The most valuable fish that lives in the natural environment is the sterlet. This species is listed in the Red Book of the Penza region, as it is very rare.

Seasons in the Penza region

This region is characterized by a temperate continental climate.

Winter is quite mild, the average January temperature fluctuates around -11...-13 degrees. The first snow usually falls between November and December, and the snow cover remains until the end of March. In winter, its thickness is about 50 cm.

The summer is warm, the average July temperature is about 20 degrees. Mostly sunny weather pleases from May to September. In summer, there are often short rains. Autumn finally sets in at the end of September, when the average daily temperature drops below 10 degrees. Approximately 600 mm of precipitation falls in the region annually.

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Stag beetle The stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) is the largest stag beetle in our fauna and one of our largest beetles. It is black, the upper jaws and elytra are chestnut-brown in the male, black in the female. The length of the female is 28-45 mm, the length of the male without the upper jaws is 30-55 mm, and with them up to 75 mm. He lives in the south of the forest zone and in the forest-steppe, mostly in oak forests. In July and August, these beetles fly with a loud buzz around the tops of oaks, and during the day they can be found on the juice flowing from wounds on oak trunks. Near such wounds, sometimes several dozen beetles accumulate, which push, and often fight among themselves. At the same time, males fight not only because of a place on a site covered with juice, but also because of females. They rise high on their front and middle legs, almost rearing up, open their jaws wide and rush at each other with such ferocity that they often maim each other. The female lays large (up to 2.2 mm) oval eggs in hollows, in rotten stumps or in the soil at the foot of trees, the rotten wood of which the larvae feed on. The development of the larva lasts about 5 years; the adult larva reaches a length of 13.5 cm and a thickness of the thumb.

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Steppe viper Virepa ursini is smaller than usual, and the length of its body with a head does not exceed 57 cm, usually no more than 45-48 cm. Females are somewhat larger than males. In contrast to the common viper, in the steppe viper, the lateral edges of the muzzle are pointed and slightly raised above its upper part, and the nostrils cut through the lower parts of the nasal shields. Above, it is brownish-gray in color with a dark zigzag stripe along the ridge, sometimes broken into separate parts or spots. Sides of the body with dark blurred spots. Black steppe vipers are very rare. Widespread from the steppes Western Europe(France, Italy, Austria, Yugoslavia, Albania, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria), through the steppe and southern part of the forest-steppe zone of our country up to East Kazakhstan and Northwest China. It lives in the Crimea, in the steppe regions of the Caucasus, Central Asia, Turkey, Iran. It rises to the mountains up to 2500-2700 m above sea level. Inhabits Various types steppes, sea coasts, shrubs, rocky mountain slopes, meadow floodplains, riverine forests, ravines, grass-salt semi-deserts and loosely fixed sands.

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Spadefoot GARLIC (Pelobates fuscus) is better known than others. Its back is colored yellow-brown or light gray with large and small brown and black spots with red dots. The skin is smooth, at times emits a strong smell, reminiscent of the smell of garlic. The forehead between the eyes is convex. Very characteristic of spadefoot is a large spade-shaped internal calcaneal tubercle, which develops in connection with their burrowing activity. Males have an oval gland on their shoulders. Body length up to 80 mm. Distributed from Central Europe to the Aral Sea and the south of Western Siberia; in the south to the Crimea, North Caucasus, and in the north - to the line Leningrad - Kazan. Spadeworts come to water bodies only during the breeding season, spending the rest of the time on land. They dig well and spend the day buried in the ground, leaving the shelter in the evening.

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Newt TRITON (Triturus vulgaris) is one of the smallest and most common newts, its total length reaches 11 cm, usually about 8 cm, of which about half falls on the tail. The skin is smooth or fine-grained. The coloration of the upper side of the body is olive-brown, the lower side is yellowish with small dark spots. On the head there are longitudinal dark stripes, of which a stripe passing through the eye is always noticeable. The coloration of males during the mating season becomes brighter and a scalloped crest grows from the back of the head to the end of the tail, usually with an orange border and a blue stripe with a pearly sheen. This fin fold is not interrupted at the base of the tail. Lobe rims form on the hind toes. The female has no mating coloration and no dorsal crest, but the coloration becomes brighter. The crest of the male newt is an additional respiratory organ and is especially rich in capillary vessels. Distributed from France, England and Southern Sweden to Western Siberia inclusive.

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The Ermine (Mustela erminea) is similar in general to the weasel, but larger than it and well distinguished by the black tip of the tail. Body length varies, from 16 to 38 cm, tail from 6 to 12 cm, weight up to 260 g, but usually less. Like the weasel, the ermine turns white in the winter and only the tip of the tail remains black. The animal is distributed from the Pyrenees, the Alps, Ireland and further throughout Europe, with the exception of most of Yugoslavia, as well as Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey. On the territory of Russia it is found almost everywhere. In Asia, it lives in Afghanistan, Mongolia, northeast China, northern Japan, and probably in the north of the Korean Peninsula. Finally, the ermine is found in Greenland and is distributed almost to the very south of North America. Ermine belongs to the most common predators. It reaches its greatest abundance in the forest-steppe regions of Western Siberia and Northern Kazakhstan.

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Boar BOAR (Sus scorfa) or wild pig is the most widespread species. Inhabits all of Europe north to the Scandinavian Peninsula. In Asia, it lives everywhere to southern Siberia, Transbaikalia and Far East to North. It also inhabits the tropical regions of the mainland, as well as the islands of Sulawesi, Java, Sumatra, New Guinea etc. Was in North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Egypt and other countries), but in most areas it was exterminated. Acclimatized in a number of places in the North and Central America and also in Argentina. Unusually variable in size, body proportions and coloration.

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Large Jerboa Jerboa LARGE (Allactaga major) or earthen hare is the largest of all species of the family. The length of its body is 19-26 cm, the tail is up to 30 cm; at the end of the tail there is a bright and wide “banner” combed on two sides with a black base and a white top. From above, a large jerboa is painted in brownish-gray or pale sandy-gray color, from below the color is white. The large jerboa is not only the largest, but also the northernmost of all jerboas. It is common in semi-deserts, steppes and even forest-steppes of South-Eastern Europe, Kazakhstan and southern Siberia.

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The mole rat (Spalax microphtalmus) has been studied somewhat more fully than others. Its dimensions are slightly larger. The color of the fur does not differ from the small mole rat. Distributed in forest field and steppe landscapes from the western regions. The highest density of its settlements are in virgin areas and adjoining crops of perennial grasses (up to 20 animals per 1 ha); no more than 1-3 mole rats per 1 ha are found on grain crops, and then only in the vicinity of beams, forest belts and edges forest areas. Mole rat burrows are located in 2 tiers: a complex system of horizontal passages is laid at a depth of 10-25 cm. These are feeding passages.

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Bustard bustard (Otis tarda) is one of the largest birds of the bustard order: depending on the sex and season, its weight ranges from 4 to 11 and even 16 kg. It is not difficult to distinguish the bustard from other birds by its large size, powerful unfeathered legs, variegated plumage, which combines red and white colors, and also by the mustache extending from the chin - bunches of elongated thread-like feathers. Bustard is a silent and cautious bird, especially in flocks. Thanks to well-developed eyesight, birds grazing in the steppe notice the approach of danger from afar and fly away. The bustard takes off with a running start, heavily raising and lowering its huge wings, but, having risen, it flies relatively easily and quickly, making uniform and deep strokes. Solitary birds, especially in the hot season, sometimes skillfully hide, which is facilitated by a well-pronounced protective coloration.

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Capercaillie Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) is one of the largest representatives of chicken, growing almost from a turkey. The weight of males ranges from 3.5 to 6.5 kg, females - from 1.7 to 2.3 kg. This is a large clumsy and shy bird. His gait is fast, while searching for food, he often runs on the ground. Capercaillie rises heavily from the ground, flapping its wings loudly and making a lot of noise. The flight is heavy, noisy, almost direct and short unless absolutely necessary. Capercaillie usually flies above the forest itself or at the height of half a tree; only in autumn, making more significant movements, it keeps high above the forest. The capercaillie has pronounced sexual dimorphism. The male capercaillie is much larger than the female and differs sharply from her in plumage color.

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Municipal budgetary educational institution The main comprehensive school with. Malaya Sergievka Tamalinsky district Penza region Animals of the Penza region, listed in the Red Book of Russia Completed by: Rozhkova Lyubov Vasilievna teacher of biology

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Purpose: To deepen knowledge about the animals of the Penza region, listed in the Red Book of Russia; Activate cognitive interest in nature and its study. Reveal the diversity of the local fauna; Reveal the aesthetic value of the observed objects; Show them relative nature, especially with active human intervention in the habitat of animals; Cultivate a sense of proportion, responsibility and benevolence towards nature; Show the need to protect the environment.

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The main part of the animals of the Penza region, listed in the Red Book of Russia, is located on the territory of the reserve "Privolzhskaya forest-steppe". State nature reserve"Privolzhskaya forest-steppe" was created in 1989, primarily to preserve the unique steppes of the northern type, located in the Penza region, in the forest-steppe zone of the Middle Volga region of Russia. Among the animals listed in the Red Book of Russia on the territory of the reserve were noted: 8 species of insects, 3 species of fish and cyclostomes, and 8 species of birds. Butterflies: common Apollo and Mnemosyne; beetles: odorous beetle and stag beetle; grasshopper - steppe hymenoptera: carpenter bee, large parnodog, Armenian bumblebee; fish - Russian quicksand and common sculpin; Ukrainian lamprey; birds: steppe harrier, golden eagle, saker falcon, bustard, middle woodpecker, gray shrike, dubrovnik, red-footed falcon.

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Habitat. Desman's favorite habitats are oxbow lakes, floodplain lakes with a depth of up to 5 m, small rivers with a quiet course and backwaters. Desman On the territory of the region, the muskrat is still preserved in the river systems of Khopra, Vorona and Vysha. The species is listed in the Red Book of the Penza Region (2005) with the status of endangered.

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Evening giant Rare species, listed in the Red Book of the Penza region (2005). Over the past 30 years, three cases of visual registration of the species are known: in 1984 in the Bessonovsky district near the village. Leonidovka, 1985 in the vicinity of the village. Akhuny (near the city of Penza) and 2000 near the village. Mikhailovka Zemetchinsky district. Flight view. In spring, it appears in the area in early May. The timing of the autumn departure is not known. Habitats are mixed (2 meetings) and deciduous (1 meeting) forests.

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Steppe marmot A rare species distributed in a limited area (Bessonovsky, Neverkinsky and Kameshkirsky districts), listed in the Red Book of the Penza Region (2005). The total number, according to an indirect estimate, does not exceed 250-300 individuals. Inhabits ravine-beam systems in hilly areas with grass-forb steppe vegetation, avoids damp places and areas with high groundwater levels.

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Middle Woodpecker Similar to the more common and well-known Great Spotted Woodpecker, but on closer inspection the two species are distinctly different from each other. Despite enough bright color, the middle woodpecker does not stand out as much as its larger relative. It knocks little, in summer it spends most of its time in the canopy of trees and generally rarely descends to the surface of the earth. Most often, this woodpecker can be seen alone, but in winter it can accompany flocks of tits or other species of woodpeckers that have flown into its territory. In 2002, nesting of the middle woodpecker was recorded on the territory of the reserve for the first time. This species was recorded for the first time in the Penza region in 1999 in the Serdobsky district and in 2000 in the vicinity of the city of Penza (Frolov et al., 2002).

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The Gray Shrike The Gray Shrike is a rare bird in the Penza Region. Sosnovka. The bird, frightened in the field, flew in a southerly direction to the forest tract "Moose Dol".

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Dubrovnik Dubrovnik can be attributed to relatively rare nesting species. Short description. The size of a sparrow. The female has a rather uniform pale yellow coloration of the lower side, a brownish, barely noticeable band passes across the goiter, and there are numerous streaks on the sides; in general, the bird is inconspicuous, keeps secretly, is silent, it is very difficult to recognize it in nature. The male, on the contrary, is very elegantly colored: the entire top is chocolate brown, turning into black on the head, which covers the entire “face”, the entire bottom is bright yellow, tied with a wide brown “belt” across the goiter, on the wing there are two wide oblique white stripes . He behaves defiantly - he sits on top of a perch that dominates the biotope, usually a bush of horse sorrel; sings a marriage song - overflowing with melodically ringing knees, pronounced at different pitches, according to an approximate pattern: "dzu" li-dzu "li-vu" li-vu "li-vli"-vli "".

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Kobchik Habitats. Breeds in forest plantations: floodplain forests, old windbreaks, parks and gardens settlements. Often settles near water bodies, occupying old nests of rooks or gray crows.

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White-tailed eagle Sedentary, very rare view. Listed in the Red Books of Russia, Penza region. The largest of the predators nesting in our region. In the Penza region at the beginning of the twentieth century, a rare sedentary species. After the creation of the Sursky reservoir in 1978, birds began to be recorded annually during the period of seasonal migrations. During the nesting season, solitary birds are found in the floodplain of the Sura, Khopra, Crows in the Luninsky, Serdobsky, Bekovsky, Belinsky districts. The number does not exceed 4-5 nesting pairs.

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Bustard In the first half of the 20th century, the bustard in the Penza region was among the common (previously - hunting and commercial birds) birds, both on nesting and on migration, and it inhabited most of the territory of the region. Even in the second half of the 20th century, when the widespread reduction in the range and number of bustards in Russia began, the birds nested and bred. A further general decline in numbers led to its almost complete disappearance in the region. IN last years feeding and fluttering bustards were noted in Kameshkirsky, Kolyshleysky, Mokshansky and Neverkinsky districts.

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Falcon- Saker Falcon Habitat. Deciduous and mixed forests surrounded by open spaces - steppes, etc. Saker Falcons need trees for nesting, open spaces- for hunting. Under these conditions, Saker Falcons are found both in the depths of the forest, and on the edges and outskirts. Saker falcons keep in old tall forests, as they nest on tall trees. According to the results of research conducted in 1971–2001, the Saker Falcon is classified as a group of rare migrant birds of the Penza region. The last reliable fact of its nesting here dates back to 1962.

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Osprey Migratory-breeding species, solitary. Listed in the Red Books of Russia and the Penza region. In the Penza region, single meetings were noted in the Sura valley. Only with the creation of the Sur reservoir in 1978 did the species begin to occur systematically. During the nesting season, solitary birds were noted in the Vadinsky, Luninsky, Penza and Gorodishchensky districts. In total, there are 3-4 nesting pairs and 5-6 single birds migrating in summer in the region.

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Burial ground Available data on the state of the burial ground at the end of the 20th century. let's talk about him as a bird nesting in the Penza region. in the amount of 3-4 pairs.

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Steppe harrier Since 1977, the steppe harrier has been observed nesting in the Penza region. (Zemetchinsky, Tamalinsky, Kuznetsky and Shemysheysky districts). It is currently a rare species.

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Golden eagle Golden eagle belongs to the group of very rare migrant birds of the Penza region Recorded in early March 2005. The bird soared over a meadow stretching along the Kasley-Kadada, 1.5 km northeast of the village of Dvoriki. The golden eagle made several circles and flew to the east.

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Sterlet The rarest species in the Penza region The most valuable fish living in natural waters is the sterlet. It occurs singly and is listed in the Red Book of the Penza region.

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Ukrainian lamprey Currently, only Ukrainian lamprey lives in the Penza region, until recently it occupied the Don basin, but over the past decades, the species has become widespread in the Volga system, including in the Sura river system: the Elan-Kadada, Uza rivers ( with tributaries Chardym, Verkhozimka and Tersa), Ardym (a tributary of the Penza River), as well as in the Sura itself (Levin, Holčík, 2006).

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Russian Bystryanka Bystryanka is similar to common bleak, but at first glance it differs from it in two dark stripes running along the middle of the body, on the sides of the lateral line, and in that it is noticeably wider and more humpbacked. The openings of the lateral line are bordered with black dots above and below, so a dotted double stripe stretches along the lateral line. In the Penza region in 2000, Bystrianka was found in the Uza River, and in 2003-2004 - in other Sura tributaries - Kadade, Aiva and Inza.

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Steppe Dybka Steppe Dybka, one of our largest grasshoppers, 6–8 cm long. It reproduces parthenogenetically, resembles a praying mantis in habits, because it lies in wait for its prey, large insects, to-rykh catches with the forelimbs. Preserved in the steppe part of the state. Reserve "Privolzhskaya forest-steppe". Extremely rare.

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Carpenter bee The carpenter bee owes its name to the fact that it lives in wood. Gnawing passages in the tree and equipping rooms for life, the bee became a carpenter among the people. Lives on the territory of the Reserve Privolzhskaya Forest-Steppe. Occurs on the territory of the Tamalinsky district

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A large parnodog is a rare species of wasps from the subfamily Chrysidinae. The only species of the genus listed in the Red Book of Russia. Sometimes called meat-red glitter. Parnopes - large

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Steppe Bumblebee Light yellow hairs predominate (occiput, anterior part of dorsum, scutellum, and abdominal tergites). Most of the head, a transverse band on the back between the bases of the wings, legs and underside of the body with black hairs.

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Armenian Bumblebee Body length 21-32 mm. The cheeks are strongly elongated. Head, dorsal band between wing bases, posterior segment of abdomen (pygidium) and legs with black hairs, other parts of body with light yellow hairs. Wings are brown. Occurs on the territory of the reserve Privolzhskaya forest-steppe

The fauna of the region is quite diverse. Elk, badger, marten, many species of birds, including waterfowl, are found in the Penza forests. Siberian roe deer, wild boar, spotted deer, muskrat, raccoon dog, and beaver are well established in the region. There are many custom hunting grounds in the region.

In connection with the reconstruction of the hunting and commercial fauna of the country's mammals, 7 species of animals were acclimatized in our region, including: American mink, muskrat, raccoon dog, wild boar, Siberian roe deer, red and spotted deer. In parallel, work was underway to reacclimatize the steppe marmot, beaver and muskrat.Now the beaver population has been completely restored. The muskrat and the American mink are widely settled in the reservoirs of the region.In order to protect valuable species of animals, 5 reserves have been created in the region, and several dozens of hunting farms have been created for amateur hunting.

In the reservoirs of the Penza region, there are about 50 species of fish. In the largest - the Penza reservoir - about 30 species. The main commercial species of the reservoir include: bream, pike perch, silver bream, ide, catfish. In the rivers and small reservoirs of the region - roach, perch, crucian carp, carp, pike. The most valuable fish living in natural reservoirs is the sterlet. It occurs singly and is listed in the Red Book of the Penza region.

In total, 10 species of fish are listed in the Red Book of the region.