Message about the sea cow. Is the sea cow extinct or not? What does a sea cow look like? List of used literature

First, let's find out who the sirens are? This class herbivorous mammals, consisting of four representatives, lives in the water, eating algae and sea grass in a shallow coastal zone. They have a massive cylindrical body, thick skin with folds, reminiscent of the skin of seals. But, unlike the latter, the sirens do not have the ability to move on land, since in the course of evolution the paws completely transformed into fins. hind limbs and dorsal fins No.

The dugong is the smallest representative of the siren family. The length of her body does not exceed 4 m, and her weight is 600 kg. Males grow larger than females. Fossils of dugongs date back 50 million years. Then these animals still had 4 limbs, and could move on land, but they still spent most of their lives in the water. Over time, they completely lost the ability to go to the surface of the earth. Their weak fins are not able to withstand more than 500 kg. mammalian weight.

Dugong swimmers are not important. They move very carefully and slowly near the bottom, eating vegetation. In the fields, sea cows not only nibble grass, but also lift the bottom soil and sand with their snout, looking for juicy roots. For these purposes, the dugong's mouth and tongue are calloused, which help them in chewing food. In adults, the upper teeth grow into short tusks up to 7 cm long. With their help, the animal uproots the grass, leaving characteristic furrows at the bottom, which can be used to determine what was grazed here. sea ​​cow.

Their habitat directly depends on the amount of grass and algae that the dugong consumes for food. With a lack of grass, animals do not disdain small benthic vertebrates. This change in eating habits is associated with a catastrophic decline in the volume of aquatic vegetation in some areas where sea cows live. Without this "extra" food, dugongs would die out in some areas. indian ocean. Currently, the number of animals is dangerously low. Near Japan, herds of dugongs number only 50 heads. IN Persian Gulf the exact number of animals is not known, but, apparently, it does not exceed 7500 individuals. Small populations of dugong live in the Red Sea, the Philippines, the Arabian Sea and the Straits of Johor.

Man has been hunting dugongs since ancient times. Even in Neolithic times, cave paintings of sea cows are found on the walls of primitive people. At all times, animals were hunted for fat and meat, which tasted like the usual veal. Sea cow bones were sometimes used to make figurines resembling ivory crafts.

Uncontrolled extermination of dugongs, as well as degradation environment, led to an almost complete decline in the number of dugongs around the world. So, from the middle of the 20th century. the number of animals in northern Australia alone has decreased from 72 thousand heads to a catastrophic 4 thousand. And this part of the Indian Ocean is the most favorable for the life of sea cows. In the Persian Gulf, military conflicts have caused serious damage to the ecological situation of the region, as a result of which the dugong population has practically disappeared there.

Currently, dugongs are listed in the International Red Book. Their fishing is prohibited, and mining is allowed only to local aboriginal tribes.

This species was discovered during Bering's expedition to the coast of the Commander Islands in 1741. The Steller's cow got its name in honor of Georg Steller, a member of the expedition, a naturalist. It took humanity only 27 years to completely exterminate this amazing sea cow, or, as it is also called, cabbage.

SEA GIANT

In June 1741, on the packet boat "Saint Peter" Bering went to the north coast Pacific Ocean to find out if there is a land route from Siberia to America. It was from this expedition that neither Bering himself nor half of his team, consisting of 78 people, returned. Just before sailing, it turned out that the ship's doctor fell ill, so Bering invited the German doctor and naturalist Georg Steller to take his place.

Nothing foreshadowed trouble, the team successfully landed on the west coast of Alaska. But on the way back, scurvy broke out on the ship. When in early November the sailors saw the shore in the distance, they were very happy, deciding that they were near the mainland. However, they were soon disappointed - it was the coast of Kamchatka. But water and food were almost running out, so they decided to moor to the island, which today bears the name of Bering.

Weakened by illness and hunger, people somehow settled in hastily built huts. And their ship was torn off the anchor by a storm and thrown ashore.

Almost immediately, at high tide, Steller noticed the backs of some huge animals in the water, but the duties of a doctor did not allow him to study them. A few days later, when the disease receded a little, he was able to examine the animals better. The water just teemed with huge carcasses, according to Steller, it was impossible to count them.

According to the description of the scientist, they were giant animals. Some individuals reached a length of 10 meters, and weighed from 4 to 11 tons. The head of the beast was incomparably small compared to the body, which ended in a forked whale's tail. These waterfowl moved with the help of rounded front flippers, at the end of which there was a horny outgrowth, shaped like a hoof. The folded skin, similar, according to the scientist, to the bark of an old oak tree, was strong, and the subcutaneous fat was thick, which protected the animal from sharp stones and cold.

The sea cow ate algae, for which it received the name cabbage. Peace-loving, trusting animals at first were not afraid of people, swam up to them so close that they could be stroked. If a person hurt them, they left with resentment, but quickly forgot everything and returned. They loved to soak up the shallow water near the shore in dense algae. Adult individuals carefully guarded their cubs; when “moving” to a new place, the babies were placed in the center of the herd so that none of them became a victim of a predator.

REASONS FOR DISAPPEARANCE

At first, sailors did not consider Steller cows as potential food. But this is hardly because of sympathy for animals. Apparently, people were so weakened that it was easier for them to kill with a club and eat a sea otter, and there were a lot of them here. But the sea otters quickly realized that people were a danger to them, and became more careful. It was then that the idea arose to try the meat of a sea cow - it turned out to taste like beef. Animal lard had a pleasant taste and smell, and milk was fatty and sweet.

Steller cows were caught in the following way. A huge iron hook was loaded into the boat and swam up to the animal. The strongest struck with a hook, and when he plunged into the body of the unfortunate victim, 30 people pulled her to the shore with a rope tied to the hook. Those in the boat continued to strike with knives so that the animal resisted less. Pieces of meat were cut from a still-living creature, which beat so hard that the skin fell off in scabs.

Other cows, when their brethren began to thrash and thrash about in pain, rushed to help. They tried to turn the boat over, threw themselves on the rope with their whole body, in order to break it, beat the hook with their tails. And, I must say, not all of their attempts were unsuccessful. And if a female became a victim, then the male, not reacting to danger and pain, rushed to help. He didn't leave her, even if she was already dead. One morning, the male was found on the shore next to the body of a friend. For three days he did not leave her.

As one of the expedition members later said, from the extraction of one cabbage one could get three tons of meat, which would be enough to feed 33 people for a whole month. The subcutaneous fat of the animal was used not only for food, but also for lamps. Boats were made from the skin of Steller's cows. It is clear that the sailors had to somehow survive, but with such a barbaric attitude, catching one animal, they simultaneously killed five more.

Soon the sailors restored their ship and set off for their homeland. They brought with them about 800 skins of sea otters and stories about the abundance of fur-bearing animals on the Commander Islands. As a result of such advertising, a huge number of arctic foxes and sea otters were destroyed here in a short time. And the cow... She was of no value to fur traders, but was excellent food for hunters. During the year, people destroyed more than 170 animals. And by 1768, the two thousandth population of Steller cows on the Commander Islands had completely disappeared.

AND SUDDENLY THEY SURVIVED

After the seemingly complete disappearance of cabbage, several decades passed until they were talked about again.

During round the world expedition 1803-1806, the naturalist Wilhelm Tilenau saw this animal. In 1834, two hunters said that not far from Bering Island they met a lean animal with a cone-shaped body, small forelimbs, which breathed through the mouth and did not have hind fins.

At the beginning of the last century, fishermen found a Steller's cow, taken out by a storm, on the southern coast of the Chukotka Peninsula. And the sailors of the whaling ships said that sometimes they saw an unusual animal in the sea, either a fish or a whale.

One such eyewitness account from the whaler Buran was published in 1963 in the journal Nature. The man claimed that in the Bering Sea he saw a flock of huge unknown animals, whose body length was eight meters. That is, they could not be seals, or walruses, or killer whales. Most likely, Steller's cows lived not only in the region of the Commander Islands. In old records, you can find evidence that cabbage girls were seen in Chukotka, California and the Aleutian Islands. Therefore, the sailor from the "Buran" could meet them.

In 1966, an article appeared in the newspaper Kamchatsky Komsomolets stating that unknown animals with a dark skin were seen on the shallows in the northeast of Kamchatka. And in 1967, inspector Pinegin, bypassing the coast of Bering Island, stumbled upon a pile of bones that clearly belonged to a Steller's cow. And the bones were fresh.

In 1976, the editors of the magazine "Around the World" received a letter from Kamchatka from a local meteorologist. He wrote that at the end of summer near Cape Lopatka he saw a sea cow, about five meters long. First, a small head appeared out of the water, then a huge body, and finally a characteristic tail, similar to that of a whale.

The latest evidence is from 2012. Some online publications published sensational news: near small island In the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, a herd of Steller cows was discovered, consisting of 30 individuals.

So I want to believe that several pairs of these peaceful and trusting animals were able to hide in secluded bays and wait out the fur boom there. They just don't trust people anymore, and that's why they hide.

A striking representative of mammals that are large in size, from the genus of sirens is the manatee. As a habitat, he chooses shallow water, eats exclusively plant foods. Approximately thirty kilograms of algae the animal eats during the day. Apparently this feature was the reason for the appearance of its second name - sea cow.
According to unofficial information, in the old days, the genus of sirenaceae consisted of more than twenty species. Unfortunately, modern man only three are known: the manatee, the dugong, and the Steller's cow. The last of these representatives was completely destroyed in the 18th century. Dugongs are vulnerable creatures, manatees are included in the category of an endangered species.
A large manatee animal can weigh more than 400 kilograms, sometimes reaching four meters in length. And this is not the limit, since the female is heavier and larger than the male. Whatever the size of the animal, it is completely harmless. It is distinguished by a meek, trusting character, easily tamed in captivity. In nature, there are American, Amazonian, and African manatees.

- on average, the animal lives 60 years,
- a sea cow moves at a speed of 5-7 kilometers per hour, in conditions of a short distance it is able to develop 30 kilometers,
- according to researchers, the progenitor of manatees is a quadruped land mammal, which lived about 50 million years ago,
- close relatives of the animal are elephants, since there is a change of molars,
- despite the peculiarity that manatees feed under water (about 12 minutes they are able to stay in marine environment), they breathe oxygen.
Animals are well adapted to fresh water and also salty. A sea cow feels comfortable at a depth of one or two meters. Deeper than six the animal does not fall.
The habitat of the American manatee is considered to be the shallow waters of the Atlantic off the coast of South, North, and Central America. IN cold period it can be found near Florida, in warm weather - in the area of ​​​​Louisiana, Virginia. Also, the animal chooses for itself the southern waters of the United States, swims near the islands of the Caribbean.

If manatees do not pose any danger to human life, then a rational being is capable of causing irreparable harm to this good-natured creature. Many years ago, man hunted the manatee for fat, tasty meat. Hunting is currently prohibited. However, fishing nets often become the cause of animal death. For example, as shown in the photo, the manatee eats parts of the nets, there may also be garbage, as a result - these fragments accumulate in its intestines, which leads to a slow death.
The main threat is borne by boats, boats, or rather their propellers. The manatee is unable to recognize low frequency sounds. He only hears high frequencies.
In addition to manatees, the sea cow is commonly called the dugong. It can be found in the waters of the Indian Ocean. This is the smallest representative of the genus of sirens. They are not good swimmers. They usually move near the bottom. Their movements are cautious, measured, during which time vegetation is eaten. The dugong is able to lift the bottom soil, sand, to find roots rich in vitamins, nutrients. Adults have upper teeth that develop into tusks (up to seven centimeters). So it is possible to facilitate the extraction of tasty grass. Characteristic traces remain at the bottom, which indicate that a sea cow has visited this place and found its delicacy.

In the legends and stories of sailors, there are often references to mermaids and mysterious sirens. Maybe there is some truth in their words. After all, many contemporaries believe that the amazing animals of the Siren detachment, including dugongs, manatees and sea cows, served as their prototype.

Genus Sea cows

Their second name is hydrodamalis. The genus includes only two species large mammals which are characterized by an aquatic lifestyle. The habitat was limited to the northern part of the Pacific Ocean. Animals preferred quiet and calm waters, where they would be provided with a sufficient amount plant food, but a lot of it was required.

The sea cow is a herbivore whose main diet was algae. Actually, for a similar way of life and peaceful disposition, they received such a name by analogy with their land namesakes.

The genus includes two species: Cuesta hydrodamalis and Steller's cow. Moreover, the first, according to scientists, is the historical ancestor of the second. For the first time, hydrodamalis Cuesta was described in 1978 based on the remains found in California (USA). This species became extinct about 2 million years ago. The exact reasons are not called, from the hypothetical - cooling and the beginning of the era ice age, which led to a change in habitat, a decrease in food supply, etc. However, according to scientists, before the complete disappearance, this sea cow gave rise to a new and more adapted species.

Sea, or Steller's, cow

In fact, the first name is generic, and the second is specific. Also, this species is sometimes called cabbage, which is associated with the type of food. As already mentioned, the ancestors of the described animals are Cuesta hydrodamalis. Steller's cow was first discovered and described during the expedition of V. Bering. On board the ship was the only specialist with a natural science education - Georg Steller. Actually, this animal was later named after him. Once, being on the shore after a shipwreck, he noticed large objects swaying in the waves, having an oblong shape and resembling boats turned upside down. But it soon became clear that they were animals. Cabbage (sea cow) was described by G. Steller in sufficient detail, he did this on the example of a large female, sketches were drawn up, observations regarding nutrition and lifestyle were recorded. Therefore, most of the later work is based on his research. The photo shows the skeleton of a sea cow.

The external structure and appearance of the cabbage are characteristic of all representatives of the Siren squad. The only significant difference is that it greatly exceeded its contemporaries in size. The body of the animals was valky and thick, and the head, relative to its proportions, was small, but mobile. The pair of limbs were flippers, short and rounded, with a horny outgrowth at the end, often compared to a hoof. The body ended with a wide tail blade, which has a notch in the middle and is located in a horizontal plane.

It is noteworthy what integuments the animal possessed. The sea cow, according to G. Steller, had a skin resembling oak bark, it was so strong, thick and all in folds. Later, studies of the surviving remains made it possible to establish that, in terms of its performance, it resembled modern rubber. This quality was clearly protective.

The jaw apparatus had a rather primitive structure; the sea cow ground the food with the help of two horny plates (on the upper and mandible), teeth were missing. The animal had an impressive size, which was one of the main factors in active fishing for it. The maximum recorded body length is 7.88 meters. It is worth noting that in a medium-sized female (about 7 m), the body circumference at the widest point was about 6 meters. Accordingly, the body weight was huge - several tons (from 4 to 10). This is the second largest (after whales) marine animal.

Behavioral features

Animals were inactive and clumsy. They spent most of their lives in the process of eating food. They swam slowly, preferred shallow water, with the help of large fins they leaned on the ground. It is believed that sea cows are monogamous and lived in families that gathered in large herds. Their diet consisted exclusively of coastal algae, namely, sea kale, hence the name.

The animals were characterized by a fairly high life expectancy (up to 90 years). Information about natural enemies missing. G. Steller in his descriptions mentioned the death of animals in winter period under the ice, as well as during a strong storm from hitting rocks. Many zoologists say that, having such a "compliant" disposition, cabbage could become the first aquatic pet.

The animal is officially considered extinct and is listed in the Black Book. The main reason is the active extermination of Steller's cows by humans. By the time this species was discovered, it was already small in number. Scientists suggest that at that time the number of cabbage was about 2-3 thousand. In this state of affairs, it was permissible to slaughter no more than 15-17 individuals per year. In reality, this figure was exceeded by almost 10 times. As a result, around 1768, the last representatives of this species disappeared from the face of the earth. The task was also simplified by the fact that the Steller's cow led a sedentary lifestyle, did not know how to dive and was not at all afraid of the approach of people. The main purpose of cabbage hunting is the extraction of meat and fat, which had high taste qualities, and the skins were used in the manufacture of boats.

In the media and on television, the topic is periodically raised that sometimes a sea cow is found in remote corners of the ocean. Is cabbage dead or not? Scientists will definitely answer this question in the affirmative. Is it worth believing the "eyewitnesses", this is a big question, because for some reason no one provided photos and video materials.

Related species

According to many scientists, the closest relative of cabbage from mammals living in sea waters is the dugong. Sea cow and he belong to the same family. The dugong is its only representative in modern period. It is much smaller in size, the maximum recorded body length is about 5.8 meters, and the weight is up to 600 kg. The thickness of his skin is 2.5-3 cm. The largest population of dugongs (about 10 thousand individuals) now lives in the Torres Strait and off the coast of the Great Barrier Reef.

Possessing a structure and lifestyle similar to cabbage, this animal also became an object of fishing. And now the dugong is also listed in the Red Book under the status of a vulnerable species. The sea cow was, unfortunately, eaten in the truest sense of the word. I would like to believe that at least one representative of the Dyugoniyev family will still be preserved.

Marine mammal of the siren order. Length up to 10 meters, weighed up to 4 tons. Habitat - Commander Islands (however, there is evidence of habitation off the coast of Kamchatka and the Northern Kuriles). This sedentary toothless dark brown animal, mostly 6-8 meters long with a forked tail, lived in small bays, practically did not know how to dive, fed on algae.

Story

Hope for the preservation of the species

I can say that in August of the year in the area of ​​​​Cape Lopatka I saw a Steller's cow. What allows me to make such a statement? Whales, killer whales, seals, sea lions, fur seals, sea otters and walruses have been seen numerous times. This animal is not like any of the above. The length is about five meters. It swam very slowly in shallow water. As if rolling like a wave. First, a head with a characteristic growth appeared, then a massive body and then a tail. Yes, yes, which attracted my attention (by the way, there is a witness). Because when a seal or a walrus swims like this, their hind legs are pressed to each other, and it is clear that these are flippers, and this one had a whale-like tail. It seems that each time she emerged with her stomach up, slowly rolling her body.

Written by one of the expedition members. There were other similar messages. However, the animals were not caught, and there were no photographs or videos left.

Discoveries of unknown animals on the planet are still ongoing, and old, already buried species, it happens, are being rediscovered (for example, kehou or takahe). Found in sea ​​depths prehistoric coelacanth fish … Although unlikely, it is possible that at least a few dozen animals have survived in quiet bays.

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See what "Sea cow" is in other dictionaries:

- (steller's cow), marine mammal(siren squad). It was discovered in 1741 by the German biologist G. Steller near the Commander Islands. Length up to 10 m, weight up to 4 tons. As a result of predatory fishing in 1768, … Modern Encyclopedia

- (steller's cow) marine mammal of the siren squad. Discovered in 1741 by G. Steller (companion of V. I. Bering). Length up to 10 m, weight up to 4 tons. Lived near the Commander Islands. As a result of predatory fishing, by 1768 ... Big encyclopedic Dictionary

Steller's cow (Hydrodamalis gigas), a mammal of the family. dugong. Discovered in 1741 and described by G. Steller (companion of V. I. Bering). Exterminated by 1768. Long. 7.5 10 m, weight up to 4 tons. The body is massive, the skin is rough, folded. Tail fin…… Biological encyclopedic dictionary

Exist., number of synonyms: 7 dugong (1) dugong (4) manatee (7) ... Synonym dictionary

Sea cow- (steller's cow), marine mammal (siren detachment). It was discovered in 1741 by the German biologist G. Steller near the Commander Islands. Length up to 10 m, weight up to 4 tons. As a result of predatory fishing in 1768, it was completely exterminated. … Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (steller's cow), a marine mammal of the siren order. Discovered in 1741 by G. Steller (companion of V. I. Bering). Length up to 10 m, weight up to 4 tons. Lived near the Commander Islands. As a result of predatory fishing, by 1768 it was completely exterminated. * * *… … encyclopedic Dictionary

Steller's cow (Hydrodamalis stelleri, or N. gigas), a marine mammal of the siren order (See Sirens). M. to. was discovered and described by G. Steller (companion of V. I. Bering (See Bering Island)) in 1741. The length of the body reached 8 m; M. k. ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

sea ​​cow- jūrų karvė statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis apibrėžtis Išnykusi. atitikmenys: lot. Hydrodamalis gigas engl. great northern sea cow; Steller's sea cow vok. stellersche Seekuh rus. cabbage butterfly; sea ​​cow; Steller's ... ... Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

Cabbage (Rhytina gigas Zimm. s. Stelleri Fischer) discovered in 1741 by the crew of the ship St. Peter of the second expedition of Bering off the coast of the island, later named. about Bering's wom, a marine mammal from the order of sirens (Sirenia), which shortly after ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron