Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. International Union for Conservation of Nature The publication of the Red Book is one of the achievements of the IUCN

IUCN Red List This article is about the Red Book - a list of rare and endangered species. This term has other meanings, see Red Book (meanings)

Red Book- an annotated list of rare and endangered animals, plants and fungi. Red Books are different levels- international, national and regional.

First organizational task protection of rare and endangered species - their inventory and accounting both on a global scale and in individual countries. Without this, it is impossible to proceed either to the theoretical development of the problem, or to practical recommendations for saving individual species. The task is not easy, and even 30-35 years ago the first attempts were made to compile first regional and then world reports of rare and endangered species of animals and birds. However, the information was either too laconic and contained only a list of rare species, or, on the contrary, very cumbersome, since it included all available data on biology and presented a historical picture of the reduction in their ranges.

IUCN Red List

Editions of the Red Book of the WSOP

The first edition of the WSOP Red Data Book was published in 2009. It was a "pilot" edition with a small circulation. Its two volumes include information on 211 species and subspecies of mammals and 312 species and subspecies of birds. The Red Book was sent out according to a list of prominent statesmen and scientists. As you accumulate new information, as planned, additional sheets were sent to the addressees to replace the obsolete ones.

Three volumes of the second edition of the book appeared in - years. Now she had a "book" format (21.0 x 14.5 cm), but, like the first edition, she looked like a loose-leaf thick calendar, any sheet of which could be replaced by a new one. The book was still not designed for general sale, it was sent to the list of environmental institutions, organizations and individual scientists. The number of species listed in the second edition of the WSOP Red List has increased significantly, since over the past time has been collected Additional Information. The first volume of the book includes information about 236 species (292 subspecies) of mammals, the second - about 287 species (341 subspecies) of birds, and the third - about 119 species and subspecies of reptiles and 34 species and subspecies of amphibians.

Gradually, the Red Book of the VSOP was improved and replenished. The third edition, whose volumes began to appear in the year, already included information on 528 species and subspecies of mammals, 619 species of birds and 153 species and subspecies of reptiles and amphibians. The heading of individual sheets was also changed. The first section is devoted to characterizing the status and state of the art species, subsequent - geographical distribution, population structure and abundance, characteristics of habitats, current and proposed protection measures, characteristics of animals kept in zoos, sources of information (literature). The book went on sale, and in connection with this, its circulation was sharply increased.

The last, fourth "type" edition, published in - years, includes 226 species and 79 subspecies of mammals, 181 species and 77 subspecies of birds, 77 species and 21 subspecies of reptiles, 35 species and 5 subspecies of amphibians, 168 species and 25 subspecies of fish. Among them, 7 restored species and subspecies of mammals, 4 - birds, 2 species of reptiles. The reduction in the number of forms in the latest edition of the Red Book was not only due to successful protection, but also as a result of more accurate information received in recent years.

Work on the Red Data Book of the WSOP continues. This is a document of permanent action, since the living conditions of animals are constantly changing and more and more new species can be in a catastrophic situation. At the same time, the efforts made by a person give good results, as evidenced by its green leaves.

Red List of Threatened Species

The second branch of the “bifurcation” of the idea of ​​the Red Book is the appearance of a completely new form information about rare animals in the form of a publication " Red Lists of Threatened Species" (eng. IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals ). They also come out under the auspices of the IUCN, but officially and practically they are not a version of the Red Book, they are not similar to it, although they are close to it. Such lists were published in , , , and years. The publication is carried out World Environmental Monitoring Center in Cambridge (Great Britain) with the participation of more than a thousand members of the Commission on rare species IUCN.

Structural basis new system form two main blocks: a) endangered taxa and b) low risk taxa (LC).

The first block is divided into three categories:

• taxa in critical condition (CR)
• endangered taxa (EN)
• taxa in vulnerability (VU)

In fact, these three categories are the main ones, warning about the seriousness of the loss of representatives of the taxon in the near future. It is they who make up the main array of taxa listed in the red books of various ranks.

The second block includes representatives who do not belong to any of the categories of the first group, and consists of the following categories:

• taxa depending on the degree and measures of protection (CD)
• taxa close to threatened (NT)
• taxa of minimum risk (LC)

Two more categories that are not directly related to protection problems stand somewhat apart:

• taxa completely extinct (EX)
• taxa surviving only in captivity (EW)

The IUCN Red Book, like the Red Lists, is not a legal (legal) document, but is exclusively advisory in nature. She covers animal world on a global scale and contains protection recommendations addressed to countries and governments in whose territories a threatening situation has developed for animals. These recommendations are inevitably, precisely because of the global scope, are of the most general, approximate nature.

• See also IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria

Red Book of the USSR

Red Book of the USSR came out in August. Its release was timed to coincide with the opening of the XIV General Assembly IUCN, held in the USSR (Ashgabat).

The Red Book of the USSR is divided into two parts. The first is devoted to animals, the second - to plants. The plan for heading sheets devoted to animals and plants is different.

For animals, the following headings are accepted:

• name and systematic position of the species
• status category
• geographical distribution
• characteristics of habitats and their current state
• abundance in nature
• characteristics of the reproduction process
• competitors, enemies and diseases
• reasons for the change in numbers
• number in captivity
• captive breeding characteristics
• protection measures taken
• necessary security measures
• information sources

All these rubrics are filled in for each species of rare animals. Thus, information on each species is more diverse than in the IUCN Red List. But in the first edition of the Red Book of the USSR, a more simplified scale of status categories was adopted. Only two categories are considered:

• endangered species ( Category A)
• rare species ( Category B)

Category A included, first of all, the species included in the IUCN Red List (third edition) and living on the territory of the USSR (this principle was preserved later). In total, 62 species and subspecies of mammals were listed in the Red Book of the USSR (25 forms were classified in category A and 37 in category B), 63 species of birds (26 species in category A and 37 in category B), 8 species of amphibians and 21 type of reptile. For each species, there is a drawing and distribution map on the corresponding sheet.

By itself, the Red Book of the USSR did not have the force of a state legal act. At the same time, in accordance with the Regulations on the Red Book of the USSR, the inclusion of any species in it meant the establishment of a ban on its extraction, imposed on the relevant government bodies obligations to protect both the species itself and its habitats. In this aspect, the Red Book of the USSR was the basis for the legislative protection of rare species. At the same time, it should be considered as a scientifically substantiated program of practical measures to save rare species.

The Red Book of the USSR, like the Red Book of the IUCN, had to be replenished and finalized, in accordance with the changes environmental situation in the country, the emergence of new knowledge about animals, the improvement of methods for their protection. Therefore, immediately after the publication of the Red Book of the USSR (and possibly even earlier), the collection of materials for its second edition began. Thanks to the extremely intensive work of a group of highly qualified specialists, the second edition was published six years after the first, in the year. It fundamentally differed from the first one both in structure and in the volume of material.

The difference was primarily in the fact that the range of large taxa of animals included in the new edition has significantly expanded. In particular, in addition to the four classes of terrestrial vertebrates, it included fish, arthropods, molluscs and annelids. The Red Book of Plants was published as a separate volume. In addition, instead of two categories of status, five were singled out, as in the third edition of the IUCN Red Book, and the wording of the categories was practically borrowed from it:

• Category I - endangered species, the salvation of which is impossible without the implementation of special measures.
• Category II - species whose numbers are still relatively high, but declining catastrophically fast, which in the near future may put them under the threat of extinction (that is, candidates for category I).
• Category III - rare species that are currently not yet threatened with extinction, but they are found in such small numbers or in such limited areas that they can disappear if the habitat is adversely changed under the influence of natural or anthropogenic factors.
• Category IV - species whose biology has not been studied enough, the number and condition are alarming, but the lack of information does not allow them to be attributed to any of the first categories.
• Category V - restored species, the state of which, thanks to the conservation measures taken, no longer causes concern, but they are not yet subject to commercial use and their populations require constant monitoring.

In total, 223 taxa were listed in this edition, including species, subspecies and populations of terrestrial vertebrates (the inclusion of subspecies and populations in this edition was also an innovation). By reach species composition fauna, these taxa were distributed as follows: mammals - 96 taxa, birds - 80, reptiles - 37 and amphibians - 9 taxa. In terms of status categories, the distribution was in principle fairly even: of the mammals, 21 taxa were assigned to the first category, 20 to the second, 40 to the third, 11 to the fourth and 4 to the fifth category; from the class of birds, respectively, 21, 24, 17, 14, and 4 taxa; from reptiles - 7, 7, 16, 6 and 1; from amphibians - 1, 6, and 2 (there were no taxa belonging to the fourth and fifth categories among amphibians).

This edition collected significant material on the biology of rare species, which is still used today. The same material to a large extent formed the basis of the Republican Red Data Books, and later in the Red Data Book. Russian Federation. This edition of the Red Book of the USSR was published after the adoption of the Law "On the Protection and Use of Wildlife", which meant the introduction of special measures for the protection of rare species.

Red Book of the Russian Federation

As a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union in the year, many normative legal acts lost their legitimacy. After the formation of Russia as independent state and reforms of the whole system government controlled in the field of environmental protection, the question arose of preparing the publication of the Red Book of the Russian Federation on a new political and administrative basis. Behind scientific basis The Red Book of the Russian Federation was taken from the Red Book of the RSFSR, although it was a fundamentally new edition. The work of creating the Red Book of Russia was entrusted to the newly created Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation. In 1999, a Commission on Rare and Endangered Species of Animals and Plants was established under the ministry, to which leading experts in the field of protection of rare species from various institutions in Moscow and other cities were involved.

Despite the fact that in 1992-1995 the name, structure and personnel of the ministry changed many times, the Commission on Rare Species did a lot of work. For example, it was decided to propose six categories of status:

• 0 - probably disappeared. Taxa and populations previously known from the territory (or water area) of the Russian Federation and whose presence in nature has not been confirmed (for invertebrates - in the last 100 years, for vertebrates - in the last 50 years).
• 1 - endangered. Taxa and populations whose numbers of individuals have decreased to a critical level in such a way that they may soon become extinct.
• 2 - declining in numbers. Taxa and populations with steadily declining numbers, which, with further exposure to factors that reduce abundance, can quickly fall into the category of endangered.
• 3 - rare. Taxa and populations that are small and distributed over a limited area (or water area) or sporadically distributed over large areas (water areas).
• 4 - undetermined by status. Taxa and populations that probably belong to one of the previous categories, but there is currently no sufficient information about their state in nature, or they do not fully meet the criteria of all other categories.
• 5 - recoverable and recoverable. Taxa and populations, the abundance and distribution of which are influenced by natural causes or as a result of measures taken the guards have begun to recover and are approaching a state where they will not need urgent conservation and restoration measures.

Standard rules for compiling essays (lists) by species (subspecies, populations) were developed, illustrative materials were regulated, and the lists of species recommended for inclusion in the Red Book of Russia were revised and supplemented. In total, according to the first option, 407 species (subspecies, populations) of animals were recommended, of which 155 species of invertebrates (including insects), 43 species of cyclostomes and fish, 8 species of amphibians, 20 species of reptiles, 118 species of birds and 63 species of mammals. 9 taxa were categorized as extinct and 42 taxa were proposed for exclusion in comparison with the list of the Red Book of the RSFSR. In addition, a list of taxa in need of special control in nature was created. Essays (sheets) on individual taxa have been collected and edited. In general, the preparation of the manuscript by 1995 was almost completed.

Regional Red Books in Russia

Since the second half of the 1980s, the USSR began compiling regional books on rare species of animals and plants on the scale of republics, territories, regions, autonomous regions. This was due to the need for immediate protection of a number of species and forms of animals and plants, perhaps not rare in the country, but rare in certain regions, as well as the independence of local authorities rapidly growing in these years and the desire to independently solve their environmental problems. It was expedient to give such regional books about rare animals the status of regional Red Books. It strengthened them legal status and increased practical impact on society. This was of particular importance for national autonomies.

In essence, there is only one non-regional Red Book on Earth: it is the IUCN Red Book - the only one that provides information on rare species within the entire range. Only in this case we are talking about the planetary conservation of rare species. All other national Red Books are regional, only their territorial scope is different. For example, in the Red Book of the USSR (now it is Russia, the CIS countries and the Baltic States), out of 80 bird species, less than 20 are listed in the IUCN Red Book, and the rest are, therefore, regionally rare.

National Red Books, with rare exceptions, provide information only on parts of the ranges of species and subspecies of animals and plants. Only in cases with narrow-range species can we talk about the preservation of the world gene pool on the scale of a particular national or even regional Red Book. It's good enough for animals. a rare event(for example, Russian desman or endemics of Lake Baikal).

As a rule, the larger the region, the more significant it is for wildlife conservation. The exception is some relatively small areas with exceptional biological diversity, an abundance of endemic species or species that are rare and disappearing on a global scale. These are, for example, the Caucasus, Altai, the south of the Far East, some regions of Central Asia.

In the 1990s-2000s, a number of new regional Red Books of various administrative levels appeared. Moreover, it should be noted that in terms of their scientific, environmental and printing levels, the Red Data Books of Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine are significantly superior to their predecessors of the Soviet period.

The following editions were published in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation:

Develops general principles and strategy for nature protection, determines the directions of international cooperation and national policy states in the field of environmental protection.

IUCN is involved in data collection and analysis, research, field projects, advocacy and education. IUCN's mission is to "influence, encourage and assist societies around the world to conserve nature and ensure that any use natural resources was fair and environmentally sustainable."

With the help of special commissions (on rare species, on national parks etc.) and national committees prepares specific programs on the conservation of the biological diversity of the Earth, publishes the Red Book and other documents.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN/IUCN) is the oldest and largest international environmental organization in the world. The International Union for Conservation of Nature was founded in 1948, the headquarters of the union is located in the city of Gland (Switzerland). The Union's activity program is regulated by the World Environmental Strategy adopted in 1979.

In 1963, at a meeting of its members, IUCN adopts a resolution establishing the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). In 1973-74, the IUCN adopts Active participation in obtaining the consent of its members to sign the CITES Convention, the Secretariat of which was originally represented by IUCN.

The Union unites 213 government agencies of states, more than 1100 non-governmental organizations, more than 14500 voluntary experts work in six commissions that assess the state of the world's natural resources. Permanent missions of IUCN operate in more than 160 countries. IUCN partners are hundreds of non-governmental and commercial organizations Worldwide.

Nature-based Solutions (NbS)

From 2009 to the present, IUCN has been defending and promoting the concept of "Nature-based Solutions" (NbS) - the use of the ecosystem and nature to solve social and environmental problems, which include issues such as climate change, water security , water pollution, food security, human health and risk management natural Disasters.

Climate change, food security, natural disaster risks, water security, social and economic problems are common to all countries, according to the IUCN.

Arising before the international community global ecological problems forced to abandon the idea of ​​human dominance over nature in favor of finding solutions based on "partner" relations with it.

The emergence of the concept of "Nature-Based Solutions" (NbS) in environmental science in the context of nature conservation has led to international organizations, such as IUCN and The World Bank, began to look for natural solutions to change ecosystems, rather than relying on traditional engineering interventions such as seawalls. Solutions to mitigate climate change while improving sustainable livelihoods and protection natural ecosystems and biodiversity.

Rows of trees and shrubs to protect the stream

Natural solutions in urban construction

Natural coastline for storm protection

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) defines NbS as actions to protect, manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems that effectively and adaptively address social problems while delivering benefits to human health and biodiversity.

IUCN Red List - IUCN Red List

Since 1963, the IUCN has maintained a list of endangered species of animals and plants - IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, which presents various degrees of risk of extinction of certain species of plants, fungi and animals. The main purpose of creating the IUCN Red Book (list) is to identify the most vulnerable species for which there is a high risk of global extinction.

The first edition of the Red Book (list) of the IUCN, published in 1964, included information on 211 species and subspecies of mammals and 312 species and subspecies of birds.

Currently, the IUCN Red List contains an assessment of the status of more than 98,500 wildlife, of which more than 27,000 species are threatened with extinction - more than 27% of all studied species.

According to the IUCN Red List, 40% of amphibians, 34% of conifers, 33% of corals, 31% of sharks and rays, 25% of mammals and 14% of birds are endangered.

The degree of threat of extinction of the species

Extinct (Disappeared species) - EX

Extinct in the Wild - ew

Critically Endangered - CR

Endangered - EN

Vulnerable (Vulnerable View) - VU

Near Threatened - NT

Least Concern (Least Concern) - LC

Data Deficient (not enough data) - DD

Not Evaluated (threat is not evaluated) - NE

The IUCN Red List is the most important indicator of the state of biodiversity in the world.

The IUCN Red List is much more than just a list of species with status status, it is a powerful tool for informing and galvanizing action on biodiversity conservation and policy changes critical to protecting natural resources essential for survival.

The IUCN Red List is critical not only to help identify species in need of targeted restoration efforts, but also to identify habitats that need to be protected.

One of the key objectives of IUCN is to increase the number of assessed species to at least 160,000 by 2020.

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Russia

As part of the European program adopted by the IUCN, since 1991, an operating IUCN office for the Commonwealth countries has been opened in Moscow, which later grew into a representative office. Russia is represented in IUCN by 7 organizations:

At the All-Russian Forum on Specially Protected Natural Areas, which was held in Sochi from September 28 to October 2, 2017, the President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Zhang Xinsheng called Russia one of the leaders of the environmental movement in the world. According to him, Russia is aware that only sustainable development will allow mankind to develop further. The IUCN President thanked the Government of the Russian Federation and the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources for the invitation to the Forum and emphasized IUCN's readiness for comprehensive cooperation in the environmental field.

At the beginning of 1924, the Department of Nature Protection of the People's Commissariat of Education of the RSFSR put forward a proposal to formalize the formation of an environmental public organization in the traditional form - in the form voluntary society nature conservation. The idea of ​​organizing the Society was approved by the leaders of the People's Commissariat of Education A.V. Lunacharsky, N.K. Krupskaya, M.N. Pokrovsky. The charter was approved on November 29, 1924, and this day became the day of the foundation of the Society.
The purpose of the creation of the Society was the need for a voluntary association of scientific forces and the most progressive-minded public for the restoration and rational use of the country's natural resources, undermined by merciless exploitation, civil war and ruin.
On July 25, 2013, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation issued a State Registration Certificate for the All-Russian Public Organization "All-Russian Society for the Protection of Nature".
The All-Russian Society for the Conservation of Nature joined the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) in 1960.

The Scientific Center "Protection of Biodiversity" has been working in the field of environmental consulting and protection of natural resources for 18 years. The basis of the team is the leading specialists of the Federal State Institution All-Russian Research Institute for Nature Conservation, Moscow State University, IGAN and others scientific organizations countries. Currently, the Scientific Center "Biodiversity Protection" is a successful company in the market of environmental services and is one of the leading organizations in practical and research activities in the field of nature protection and production ecology.

The Ecological and Educational Center (EcoCenter) "Zapovedniki" is an association of conservation professionals and their like-minded people in order to organize public support for specially protected natural areas of Russia - nature reserves and national parks.
EcoCenter "Zapovedniki" tells, convinces and proves that the future of our country is unthinkable without the preservation and development of the system of specially protected areas. Protected areas occupy almost 11% of the area of ​​the Russian Federation, make a key contribution to the stabilization of the ecological situation on Earth, to the preservation of a favorable environment for human life. They preserve those values, the loss of which is irreplaceable.

specially protected natural areas Russia (SPNA) are areas of land, water surface and airspace above them, where natural complexes and objects of special environmental, scientific, cultural, aesthetic, recreational and health significance. Specially protected natural territories of Russia are completely or partially withdrawn from the list by decisions of state authorities. economic use and for them (PAs) a special protection regime has been established.

The working group of the "Baltic Fund for Nature" "Biologists for Nature Conservation" has been working to conserve the biodiversity of the Baltic for over 20 years. "Biologists for Nature Conservation" is a partner of the Russian and international offices of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Association of Reserves and National Parks of the North-West of Russia and other organizations involved in the study and conservation of the nature of the Eastern Baltic.
The Interregional Charitable Public Organization (IBOO) “Biologists for Nature Conservation” actively contributes to the development of a network of environmental organizations in the North-West of Russia, promotes international cooperation on the conservation of biological diversity and unique ecosystems of the Baltic region and the entire North-West region.
In 2000, the BFP, as part of the St. Petersburg Society of Naturalists, became the first organization in the region to become a member of the World Conservation Union (IUCN).

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 working in the field of conservation wildlife and reduce human impact on environment. The organization was formerly known as the World Wide Fund for Nature and is still the official name in Canada and the United States.
WWF is the world's largest independent conservation organization with over five million supporters worldwide, active in over 100 countries, and supporting nearly 1,300 conservation and conservation projects worldwide. WWF has invested over $1 billion in over 12,000 conservation initiatives since 1995.
The WWF Living Planet report has been published every two years since 1998 and is considered one of the world's most cited and authoritative sources of information on the environmental situation on the planet. The report defines the health of the planet in several ways: the state of animal populations, the use of natural resources by mankind, the use of renewable energy and resources, the amount fresh water consumed in production, and so on.
In February 2019, WWF published the "50 Foods for Healthier People and a Healthier Planet" report, compiled in collaboration with the German food and beverage brand Knorr (Knorr), owned by the Dutch-British company Unilever. The Future 50 Foods report identifies 50 plant-based foods "that can boost nutritional value our meals while reducing the environmental impact of our products", and "promoting the sustainability of the global food system".
The first WWF projects in Russia began in 1989, and in 1994 the Russian representative office of WWF was opened. In 2004, WWF Russia became a Russian national organization. For more than 20 years, the Fund has successfully implemented more than 1,000 field projects in 47 regions of Russia and has invested over 137 million euros in the work to preserve and increase the country's natural resources.

I recently found on my bookshelves a smaller copy of the famous Red Book. This edition did not include full list endangered animals, but the title of the book had interesting name: "IUCN Red List". What does the last abbreviation mean and what does the Red Book consist of, I decided to find out.

What is the IUCN Red List

Let's start with the fact that "IUCN" can be translated as International Union for Conservation of Nature. In 1948, this union was able to unite and lead the work related to wildlife conservation in many countries of the world. And already in 1949, it was decided to create a commission regarding certain creatures. The main task of the commission was identification of rare species animals (as well as plants) that are on the verge of extinction (as well as the development of measures to protect them).

Thus, the leading goal of the Commission was the formation of a special list of organisms, the number of which critically low. This list is called "Red Book". The fact is that the color red subconsciously symbolizes danger and threat. And so the Red Book, familiar to this day, appeared.

The first edition of this book was published a long time ago. 1963. Then it gradually expanded, supplemented and improved. Changes in the Red Book are being made today.

The Red Book is a document that has permanent action. This can be explained by the endless change natural conditions and the formation of threats to species. It is worth noting that the efforts made by people still bear fruit. What are they talking about green sheets books.

Separately, it is worth mentioning Red Book of the USSR. It was distinguished by the fact that only those species that lived in the territories of the former Soviet state.

Taxa in the Red Book and their species

The Red Book includes taxa(groups) of organisms, which are divided according to the relevant criteria and blocks.

There are two main blocks in total. The first one consists of:

• taxa in critical condition;
• taxa under threatened with extinction;
• and taxa residing in vulnerabilities.

This block warns of species that may disappear in the near future.

The second block includes:

• taxa whose safety depends on degree of protection;
• taxa that can move into group of threatened;
• as well as taxa with minimal risk.

These sections are very helpful when reading the Red Book and facilitate understanding. We all need to remember about the importance of animal and plant conservation on the ground.

Why is it listed in the Red Book

Despite the fact that the small horseshoe bat is found in a large area, its numbers are declining. Therefore, it has a third protection category - a rare and vulnerable species.

Security: Listed in IUCN-96 Red List. Due to the sporadic distribution on the territory of Russia, the threat of direct destruction of the small horseshoe bat is small, however, if large colonies are found, it is necessary to organize their protection and carry out explanatory work among the population.

How to find out

All horseshoe bats got their name because of the skin-cartilaginous outgrowths around the nostrils, which resemble a horseshoe. Interestingly, these "horseshoes" are not just a fancy decoration, but a complex apparatus for generating echolocation signals. The length of the small horseshoe bat is about 45 mm, the coat color is grayish-brown on the back and whitish on the abdomen. They seem to be wearing light-colored vests.

Spreading:

In Russia, distributed in Ciscaucasia and the North. Caucasus from Black Sea coast Krasnodar Territory to Dagestan. Known from few finds. Outside of Russia, the range covers Europe from Ireland to Moldova and southern Ukraine, the Mediterranean, North. Africa, Front and Central Asia, reaching Kashmir and north-west. Himalayas.

Lifestyle and biology

Habitat: Inhabits both the foothills and the middle belt of mountains up to a height of 2000 m above sea level, as well as plain regions with a strongly rugged relief, with varying degrees of desertification and the presence of karst caves. It can develop anthropogenic landscapes in the presence of suitable shelters.

Inhabits natural and artificial dungeons, rock cracks, etc., in the anthropogenic landscape - human buildings. In summer, it forms small brood colonies in these shelters (several dozen individuals each). There is usually one cub in a litter; childbirth occurs in late June-early July, the duration of lactation is 4-5 weeks.

Most individuals reach sexual maturity in their second year of life, although a small percentage of females in the population do not breed. The ratio of sexes of newborns is 1:1; among adults, the proportion of males is higher, which is apparently caused by different biotopic confinement of the sexes.

They do not make long-distance seasonal migrations. The average life expectancy is less than 3 years, the maximum is about 18 years. These animals sleep like everyone else the bats, in limbo, clinging with claws to some kind of base and hanging upside down. Animals hibernate in winter

Approximately 20 minutes after sunset, "night snipers" fly out in search of suitable food. Who will be the victim? Nocturnal insects and spiders. Small horseshoe bats can make 16-18 wing beats per second, which allows them to quickly overtake prey.

Number:

The population density of the little horseshoe bat in Russia has been estimated at about 2-5 individuals/km2 of habitable area, based on its abundance, relative to other bat species. These data are several times higher than the estimates of its density for a number of places. Central Europe.

When calculating the area potentially available for the habitation of the small horseshoe bat, its number in Russia was estimated at 80-100 thousand individuals. However, given the sporadic occurrence of this species and the poor knowledge of its population in Russia, these figures can hardly be considered reliable.

Less than other species of the genus, the lesser horseshoe bat is at risk of direct extermination due to the low density of accommodation in shelters. Apparently, the greatest danger for the small horseshoe bat is indirect anthropogenic impact, however, specific mechanisms of its influence on the state of populations of this species have not been identified.

Sources:. 1. Kazakov and Yarmysh, 1974; 2. Amirkhanov, 1980; 3. Duvarova, 1980; 4. Yarmysh et al., 1980a; 6. Strelkov, 1963; 7. Gaisler, 1969; 8. Panyutin, 1980; 9. Bezem et al., 1960; 10. Panyutin, 1985 Compiled by: K.K. Panyutin, A.V. Borisenko

Skaldina O. V. Big Red Book / Oksana Skaldina - M .: Eksmo, 2014. - 480 p.: ill. - (Red Book).

Image: "Bat(20070605)" by Lylambda ( [email protected]) - own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 from Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bat(20070605).jpg

Animals of the Red Book Does not need urgent special protection measures. Protected in the Daursky nature reserve. The preservation of the species will be facilitated by the measures necessary to maintain the general natural balance in the steppe and forest-steppe zones Transbaikalia. The most specific of them are: expansion of the network of specially protected territories; reducing the number and scale of artificial forest and steppe fires; introduction of environmentally friendly methods of agricultural harvesting; prohibition of the large-scale use of insecticides and poisons used to destroy carriers of especially dangerous infections and rodent pests Agriculture; restriction of free keeping of dogs

Red Book Animals Included in the IUCN-96 Red List. In Russia, a mining ban was introduced in 1920 and lasted with a short break until 1946, when licensed mining was allowed, in 1956 a 5-year ban was reintroduced; the final ban on the extraction of muskrat was established after the species was listed in the Red Book of the USSR. It is protected in the Voronezh, Khopersky, Mordovian, Oksky, Kerzhensky, Voronensky reserves, as well as in more reserves (about 80), where more than 25% of the total desman population lives. It is kept in the vivarium of the Khopersky Reserve, but does not breed.

Animals of the Red Book Listed on the IUCN-96 Red List. Harvesting of polar bears in the Russian Arctic has been prohibited since 1956. In 1973, the Arctic countries signed the Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears, which, after its ratification and entry into force (1976), became the international legal basis for the protection, study and use of the species. Conservation of populations polar bear in the Russian Arctic, the organization of a special protection regime in places where family lairs are concentrated (Wrangel and Herald Islands and Franz Josef Land

Animals of the Red Book Listed in the IUCN-96 Red List, Appendix 1 of CITES. It is protected in the Sayano-Shushensky and Altai reserves. The Sayano-Shushensky Reserve is the main reserve for the conservation of the snow leopard in Russia and the second most important in the Mongolian-Siberian part of the range (after the Great Gobi Reserve)
Animals of the Red Book Listed in the IUCN-96 Red List, Appendix 1 of CITES. Leopard hunting has been banned since 1956, and in 1966 a ban on catching live animals was introduced. Within the range of the Persian leopard in Russia, there are some reserves of the Caucasus. It is necessary to create an alpine reserve on the Bogossky Ridge. or the Dyultydag mountain range. Far Eastern leopard protected in the Kedrovaya Pad nature reserve
Animals of the Red Book Listed in the IUCN-96 Red List, Appendix 1 of CITES. The ban on tiger hunting has been in force since 1947. In 1955, the capture of cubs was banned and then severely restricted. Tigers are protected in reserves, among which Sikhote-Alin and Lazovsky are the main tiger reserves. The "Strategy for the Conservation of the Amur Tiger in Russia" was developed and published in 1996, containing a detailed rationale for the system of measures for its protection. Amur tigers are kept and breed well in many zoos around the world. As of December 31, 1993, there were 604 tigers in them.