Wildlife, jungle, animals of Thailand. Law of the Jungle: Amazing Wild India National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries

Longest neck

At the very beginning of this century, a “living fossil” of okapi was found in the jungles of Africa - relatives of the giraffe, which was considered extinct long ago. Okapi is no bigger than a donkey. And his neck is short. And, like the giraffe, it eats grass and leaves. The common ancestor of the giraffe and okapi looked like a short-necked runt. But over time, some of these animals moved to the open spaces of the savannah, where it was possible to “graze” in plenty only on the treetops. Therefore, animals with long necks survived. Gradually the giraffe grew one long neck that he became completely different from his distant ancestor. And okapi remained a copy of its great-grandfather.

Gorillas are the largest apes They also live in Africa. A gorilla in the jungle has almost no enemies, except people, of course. Most of the day, gorillas are on the ground, and not in the trees like other monkeys. Gorillas are vegetarians. They eat leaves, fruits, and tree bark. But in zoos, gorillas very quickly get used to different food, begin to eat meat and fish, and drink milk.

Relatives of the cat

Our domestic cat has 37 relatives. These are forest and reed cats, lynxes and manulas, servals and ocelots, snow leopards and leopards, jaguars and pumas, leopards, panthers and cheetahs, tigers, lions and other wild cats. Cats are the most agile predators. All wild cats hunt in approximately the same way: they sneak up on their prey, then freeze in anticipation. And having chosen an opportune moment, they overtake their victim with one throw. However, our domestic cat hunts mice in the same way as the African leopard hunts antelopes.

Wildlife, jungle and animals of Thailand. Amazing nature captivates travelers with its diversity and beauty.

This rainforests, mangroves, rivers, lakes, numerous waterfalls, mountains, caves, steep cliffs and snow-white coasts.

Jungles occupy most of the country's territory. Many species grow here tropical plants, such as teak and mahogany trees, ficus trees, many palms, fruit trees and all kinds of flowers, in particular lotuses and orchids.

The jungle is also home to a variety of exotic animals: elephants, rhinoceroses, tigers, monkeys, flamingos, peacocks, crocodiles and many others.

In order to get acquainted with all this splendor of the wild nature of Thailand, it is enough to take advantage of special excursions or trips.

Of course, those who for some reason are afraid to go into the forests can visit gardens, zoos and shows with snakes, crocodiles and other animals within the city.

But to appreciate the true natural beauty, it’s worth taking a trip to the real jungle!

Jeep Safari Thailand allows daring travelers to organize an independent trip along forest roads, rivers and hills and get a full overview of the magnificent landscapes.

• The favorite excursion of most tourists is this.

Here you can go rafting or body rafting - rafting in life jackets, as well as bungee diving and visiting a seven-level waterfall.

And then spend the night on a floating hotel among wild jungle.

Here and in many other places in the country, anyone has the opportunity to swim in waterfalls, walk along forest paths and rocky caves, visit a village where elephants live peacefully, and even ride on horseback on these powerful and graceful animals.

In the forests there are so-called Monkey Temples - these are abandoned or monasteries that were chosen by monkeys.

Tourists and local residents They often enter their territory to feed the animals and communicate with them.

There is also a Tiger Temple in Thailand. Despite the name, not only tigers live here, but also other wild animals.

The Tiger Temple is in the jungle with quite large areas that takes care of animals and heals the victims.

Many animals themselves come here in search of peace and security and live in peace with the monks and guests of the monastery.

This material tells about the life of animals tropical zone. The article is illustrated with photographs of animals tropical forests.

In an African forest.

Most of Africa's forests are located between two tropics: the Northern (Tropic of Cancer) and Southern (Tropic of Capricorn). In this part of the earth, all seasons are similar to each other; during a year average temperature and the amount of rainfall remains almost constant. Therefore, almost all animals in this zone lead a sedentary lifestyle - after all, unlike the inhabitants of temperate and cold climatic zones, there is no need to make seasonal migrations in search of suitable places to live.

Hippopotamus.

The name of this animal translated from Greek means “river horse.” It weighs more than three tons.

Water is the natural habitat of this huge mammal, where the hippopotamus spends most of its time. However, with such a thick, squat figure, it is not easy to swim, so usually hippos do not go far into the water, but stay in shallow water, where they can reach the bottom with their paws. The sense organs - movable ears, nostrils equipped with closing membranes, and eyes with protruding supraeyes - are located on the upper part of the muzzle, so that the hippopotamus can be almost completely submerged in water, continuing to breathe air and carefully monitor everything around it. In case of danger threatening him or his cubs, he becomes very aggressive and, no matter where - in water or on land - immediately attacks the enemy.

Mothers give birth to their young either on the shore, or more often right in the water. In the latter case, newborns, as soon as they are born, swim to the surface so as not to suffocate. Hippopotamuses give birth during the rainy season, during which time the mother has an abundance of milk due to the abundant and varied food. To feed the cubs, the female climbs onto land and stretches out comfortably on her side.

Hippopotamuses never live alone; they gather in groups of several dozen individuals. Often, both in water and on land, adult males play with growing cubs. Moving on land. Hippos always follow the same familiar paths.

Feeling in danger, the hippopotamus emits a threatening roar, and opens its huge mouth as wide as possible, showing the enemy its unusually long lower fangs. This threatening pose usually leads to the desired result.

Crocodile.

Only sometimes crocodiles can swim into sea ​​water; usually they settle along the banks of rivers and lakes in areas with warm and hot climates. Crocodiles are much more comfortable and calm in the water than on land. They swim with the help of their paws and tail; Large individuals can spend about an hour under water. During the hottest hours of the day, crocodiles lie on land with their mouths wide open: due to the lack of sweat glands, they can only get rid of excess heat in this way, like dogs who stick out their tongues in the heat.

The female crocodile lays her eggs in a hole specially dug on the shore, not far from the water. The cub breaks the shell using a special horn located on its head, which soon falls off.

Young crocodiles feed mainly on fish, but also birds and insects. Only as adults will they be able to cope with more large mammals, which need to be caught, pulled from the shore and kept under water for some time.

A crocodile does not need teeth for chewing food, but only for grabbing prey and tearing pieces of meat from it.

Even such terrifying reptiles as crocodiles have enemies - animals that hunt for crocodile eggs. The most dangerous of them is the monitor lizard, big lizard. Having discovered an egg, he begins to unusually quickly dig the ground near him, distracting the female crocodile, who usually stands guard, and having stolen the egg from the nest, he takes it to a place inaccessible to crocodiles and eats it.

Like many other land animals that live in water for long periods of time, crocodiles' ears, nostrils and eyes are located on the top of the head so that they remain above the water when the animal swims.

Smallest crocodile: Osborne's caiman, 120 centimeters long.

Chimpanzee.

Thanks to its intelligence and learning ability, it is the most famous of all monkeys. Although chimpanzees are excellent climbers, they spend a lot of time on the ground and even travel on foot. But they still sleep in trees, where they feel safer. This is one of the few animals that uses various tools: chimpanzees take a broken branch into a termite mound, and then lick insects from it. These monkeys are practically omnivores. Communities living in different regions often eat differently.

Chimpanzees' "vocabulary" consists of various sounds, but in communication they also use facial expressions; their faces can take on a variety of expressions, often very similar to human ones.

As a rule, only one baby is born to chimpanzees; twins are extremely rare. The cubs spend their entire childhood literally in the embrace of their mother, tightly clinging to her fur.

Chimpanzees live in fairly large societies, but not as closed as other apes, such as gorillas. On the contrary, chimpanzees often move from one group to another.

The strongest males, defending their primacy, uproot small trees and wave this club with a threatening look.

There is usually a tender friendship between female chimpanzees. It is not uncommon for a mother to entrust her cub to another female for a time; Sometimes such nannies take, in addition to their own, two or three other people’s cubs for a walk.

Gorilla.

Despite its terrifying appearance, this large monkey, more than two meters tall, is very friendly; males from the same flock usually do not compete with each other, and in order for the leader to be obeyed, it is enough to widen his eyes and utter an appropriate cry, hitting himself on the chest with his fingers. This behavior is just an act and is never followed by an attack. Before a real attack, the gorilla looks into the eyes of the enemy for a long time and silently. Staring directly into the eyes is challenging not only in gorillas, but in almost all mammals, including dogs, cats and even humans.

Baby gorillas stay with their mother for almost four years. When the next one is born, the mother begins to alienate the older one, but never does it rudely; she seems to invite him to try his hand at adulthood himself.

Having woken up, the gorillas go in search of food. They devote the remaining time to rest and games. After the evening meal, they arrange a kind of bedding on the ground, on which they fall asleep.

Okapi.

These are relatives of the giraffe, its height is slightly less than two meters, and its weight is about 250 kilograms. Okapi are extremely timid animals and are distributed in a very narrow geographical area, therefore not studied enough. It is known that they live in thickets of bushes, and their coloring, which at first glance is very unusual, actually makes them completely invisible in natural environment a habitat. Okapi live solitary lives, and only mothers are not separated from their cubs for a long time.

With stripes on the back of the body and on the legs, the okapi resembles a zebra; these stripes serve them for camouflage.

Okapi resemble some types of horses, but the differences are quite noticeable; for example, males have short horns. When playing, okapi lightly hit each other with their muzzles until the defeated one lies on the ground as a sign of the end of the game.

When the mother hears the special calling cry made by the cub in case of danger, she becomes very aggressive and decisively attacks any enemy.

Asian jungle.

Some species of animals that inhabit the Asian jungle, such as elephants, rhinoceroses and leopards, are also found in Africa; however, over thousands of years of evolution, the inhabitants of the jungle have developed many features that distinguish them from their African “brothers”.

Monsoons are the name given to winds that periodically blow in tropical zones Asia. They usually bring heavy rains, which promote rapid growth and renewal of vegetation.

The monsoon season is also favorable for animals: during these periods, plant food is plentiful and varied, which provides the most Better conditions their growth and reproduction. Just like the Amazon forests, the Asian jungles are very dense and sometimes impenetrable.

Tapir.

They say about the tapir that he is a fossil animal; Indeed, this species, inhabiting several remote regions one after another, has survived on earth since very ancient times, surviving several geological eras.

black-backed tapir can walk on the bottom of the lake!

The female tapir is larger than the male. The most noticeable feature in the structure of the body is the elongated upper lip, which forms a small and very mobile trunk, with the help of which tapirs can pick leaves and tufts of grass - their usual food. Black-backed tapirs live in Asia. Their color is very expressive: black and white. It may seem that these contrasting colors should make them very noticeable, but in fact, from a distance they look very much like an ordinary pile of stones, which are many around. The cubs, on the contrary, have a pockmarked skin with small specks and stripes. In the second year of life, this color will gradually be replaced by an even black color with a characteristic white band - a saddle.

Most tapirs eat leaves, shoots and stems aquatic plants. They love water very much and swim well. They always walk along the same familiar paths, which over time turn into well-trodden paths, ending, as a rule, in a “gutter” - a convenient descent to the water.

The most terrible enemies of tapirs are various types of cats on land and gharials in the water. Very rarely does a tapir try to defend itself; he has practically no means for this and always prefers to run away.

The tapir's body is squat, its legs are short, and there is almost no neck. The movable trunk is a very sensitive organ of smell. - with its help, the tapir explores the surface of the earth and surrounding objects. Vision, on the contrary, is very poorly developed. Asian cats.

Asia does not have felines that live in groups like lions or cheetahs in Africa. All types of Asian cats are loners; each animal rules its own territory and does not allow strangers there. Only tigers sometimes go hunting in small groups. Representatives of the cat family live everywhere in Asia, even in areas with a climate that is not very suitable for them, such as Far East where he reigns Ussurian tiger. The peculiarity of tigers living in the jungle is their hunting style. It consists of sneaking up to the victim as close as possible, remaining unnoticed, and at the last moment rushing at him with one jump from a place or a short run-up.

The royal, or Bengal, tiger is now quite rare. Found in India and Indochina.

Leopard or black panther.

The panther also has spots characteristic of a leopard, although they are completely invisible against a black background. The black panther is a dark-colored leopard.

Clouded leopard. He jumps from branch to branch as well as a monkey. These cats are sometimes called tree tigers.

Speckled cat.

I also call her the fishing cat. In fact, she really likes to live near water and is a good swimmer. In addition to fish and shellfish, it catches small vertebrates on land. The habits of this animal have been little studied.

Tiger.

Tigers adapt to a wide variety of climatic conditions; they live in flat tropical areas, but are also found in the mountains at altitudes of up to 3000 m and in very cold areas; in the latter case, a thick, more than five centimeters, layer of fat forms under their skin, protecting them from heat loss.

Almost all jungle inhabitants are at risk of becoming prey to a tiger. Only large and warlike pachyderms, and even bulls and buffaloes with strong horns, can feel safe.

Contrary to popular belief, the tiger is not a very clever hunter; he's so heavy. That for a successful jump he needs to start his run from a distance of 10 - 15 meters; if the tiger gets closer to its prey, it risks missing.

A tiger litter usually consists of two, three or four cubs. For eight weeks, the mother feeds them exclusively with milk; then it is gradually added to their milk solid food. Only six months later the female begins to go hunting, leaving the cubs for more than a day.

Tigers, like all wild animals, are afraid of humans. However, it happens that an old or sick animal, for which ordinary hunting becomes too difficult, overcomes its innate fear and attacks people.

Monkey.

Among the numerous species of monkeys, there are animals that weigh no more than 70 grams, and there are also those whose weight reaches 250 kilograms. In Asian monkeys, the tail does not have a grasping function, i.e. a monkey cannot, having caught it on a branch, support its body so that its arms and legs remain free; this is typical only for monkeys living on the American continent.

Orangutan.

The most common monkey in Asia is the orangutan. This is a large monkey that spends most of its time among the branches and only sometimes descends to the ground.

Female orangutans, perhaps more than any other monkey, care about raising their children. Mothers bite their cubs' nails, bathe them in rainwater, and shout at them if they start acting up. The upbringing received in childhood subsequently determines the character of an adult animal.

Nosach.

This monkey owes its name to its huge, ugly nose, which in males sometimes goes down to the chin. The proboscis whale not only climbs trees well, but also swims very well and can stay under water for a long time.

Slender loris.

The pointed muzzle and huge eyes that can see in the dark make this prosimian very cute. During the day, the loris hides in the branches, and at night it gets its food.

Indian pachyderms.

The differences between Indian pachyderms and African ones are not noticeable at first glance. The behavior of both is also very similar: they do not stay in one place for a long time, but move quite long distances in search of suitable food, mainly young foliage. They love water and swim well, sometimes for long periods. They often relax near the water, bathing in muddy mud, which is very beneficial for their skin.

Rhinoceros.

He enjoys the respect of all the other animals, who try to avoid meeting him. Only elephants do not fear them and easily put them to flight if they bother them. Newborn Indian rhinoceros weighs about 65 kilograms.

Unlike the African rhinoceros, it has only one horn and its body is covered with thick shields of skin. It usually moves slowly, but if necessary it can reach speeds of up to 40 kilometers per hour.

Elephant.

Although its skin appears rough, it is actually very sensitive thanks to a covering of short and flexible bristles that react to even the lightest touch.

The mother never allows the baby elephant to leave her. She watches the cub all the time and begins to call him as soon as she notices that he is a little behind.

Female Indian elephant carries the fetus for about 20 months!

Tree-like acacias are found everywhere in Africa, except in mountain and tropical rainforests. They may look like mighty trees almost twenty meters high, or like low shrubs, but acacias always have feathery leaves, curved spines or long thorns and sweet-smelling flowers that attract bees. Thorns and prickles are a means of self-defense, although one type of acacia has a more cunning way to remain untouched and uneaten. At the base of each thorn this acacia grows an egg-shaped swelling. It dries out and a colony of small ants settles in it. As soon as some animal encroaches on the young shoots of the plant, ants pour out from this growth and attack the newcomer.

More animals live in savannas than anywhere else on earth. Why? Millions of years in tropical Africa Only rain forests grew. Then changes happened. The climate has become drier. Large areas of the rain forest have disappeared, replaced by open forests and grassy open spaces. Thus, new power sources were born. The “pioneers” moved to the newborn Savannah. One of the first were giraffes to leave the jungle. Many antelopes also came here. For them, the savannah was paradise - so much food!
The animal world is simply amazing in its richness and diversity! In the savannah you can see zebras and ostriches grazing nearby. IN warm water lakes, in their mud "baths", bask hippos and rhinoceroses. Lions rest in the shade of spreading acacias. The largest animals on land, elephants, tear off branches with their trunks. And monkeys scream in the treetops. And also a huge number of species of insects, snakes, birds...
In the savanna you can also see towering cone-shaped termite mounds.

We listened to enz. Chevostik "Animals of Africa" ​​and watched "Safari with Kuzya":

Finally, my son enjoyed watching all the episodes (some more than once)! I myself really liked this cartoon (or rather, the animated series), but before Sena was not interested, but now I simply devoured all the episodes.
Animals were used to replicate .
Then I wanted to take out from a distant drawer the no longer needed savannah model that my son and I once made... From the pile of animal figurines, I asked my son to find the inhabitants of the savannah and populate our model:

The savannah, lifeless at the very beginning, became like this:

They played with some things, even added fabric - a lake - for a “riot of colors”:

We played out animal watering situations.
But (as I already wrote) Senya won’t sit with toys for a long time, so I immediately wanted to start a new topic))

Jungle

We liked this video:

Photographer and zoologist Axel Gomil has been exploring India for the past 25 years. There is both a tropical coast and snowy mountains The Himalayas, and the Thar Desert, and tropical forests in the northeast of the country. Such different landscapes provide incredible biodiversity.
For example, out of 37 species wild cats 14 live in India, more than in any other country. For comparison, there are only ten cats living on the entire African continent.

Jungle. The image of an impenetrable, overgrown and hostile place where light barely penetrates often appears in your head. In fact, jungles are the world's hottest biodiversity hotspots.


The jungles of India are home to some of the world's rarest and most exotic animal species, and none symbolize Indian wildlife better than the tiger.
The tiger is considered the king of the jungle and the most powerful predator in the Indian subcontinent. Today there are about 50 reserves with a total area of ​​more than 70,000 square kilometers where tigers live. Such large conservation projects for tigers and their habitats have also benefited other jungle species.
Tigers love to relax in the shade during a hot day. Like all cats, they are always wary of environment. And judging by her face, she recently had breakfast. The rest of the jungle inhabitants can relax for now - the next hunt will begin at night...


In the jungle, even squirrels are the size of a house cat. This is the Indian giant squirrel, it lives in upper tier forests and rarely leaves the trees. Squirrels jump from tree to tree, covering about 6 meters. When in danger, these squirrels do not run away, but seem to “hang” and cling to tree trunks. Main enemies - predator birds and leopards.


Water is life, especially in such a hot climate. It's no surprise that wetlands are a magnet for wild animals, who come here to drink or find some cool weather.
There is a very wide variety of residents here. The local masters, sitting at the top of the food chain, are crocodiles. In India, the marsh crocodile is the most common species.
This sika deer. Birds are calm, they know that herbivores do not pose a threat.


Gray pelicans. These birds live mainly in shallow lakes.


Northwestern India is dominated by the Thar Desert. It is a very dry area with sand dunes. The distribution of precipitation is uneven: most of it occurs from July to September. Precipitation falls towards the west. In the driest areas there may be no precipitation for up to 2 years.
The appearance of this sloth bear is so unique that it has received the nickname “sloth bear.” The sloth bear is very different in appearance and lifestyle from real bears and is classified as a separate genus. The sloth bear, like the anteater, during evolution has adapted to feeding on colonial insects (ants and termites)


A female leopard stands at the entrance to a cave in a remote area of ​​Rajasthan, which she uses as a safe haven for her family.


Cranes are defenseless against predators. The most they can do is fly away quickly.


Kicks well.


And we are moving to the mountains. Some of the most impressive and diverse animal habitats in India are found in the north. This is the realm of the magnificent and ghostly snow leopard, others need to be on their guard.


Big cats have a hard time. People are taking over everything and taking over their original habitats. Food is becoming tight. Leopards are forced to visit villages and find easy prey - goats, poultry and even dogs.


Ranthambore National Park is located in the state of Rajasthan and is considered the best tiger reserve.


Life is tough for tigers these days. Over the past century, their number has increased wildlife has seriously decreased from about 100,000 to 3,900, half of them live in India...