25.10.2019
Jungle (rain forest). Presentation for an extracurricular activity "jungle animals" Leopard or black panther
Jungle animals
Prepared
Grigorieva S.A.
The name of this animal translated from Greek means "river horse". It weighs more than three tons.
Water is the natural habitat where the hippopotamus spends most of its time. However, with such a thick 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.
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.
He enjoys the respect of all the other animals, who try to avoid meeting him. Newborn rhinoceros weighs about 65 kilograms. It has only one horn, and its body is covered with thick shields of leather. Horn a rhinoceros can reach a length 1.5 meters. It usually moves slowly, but if necessary it can reach speeds of up to 40 kilometers per hour.
Although in appearance leather it is rough, in fact very sensitive thanks to a coat of short and flexible bristles that respond to even the lightest touch.
Tusks and trunk are two miracle survival tools for elephants. Tusks The elephant protects itself from predators and uses them during periods of drought to dig up the ground in search of water. Very mobile trunk he picks leaves and collects water, which he then puts into his mouth. The elephant loves water very much and, at the first opportunity, climbs into a pond to freshen up. He's great floats .
The elephant willingly hides in the shade because its huge body has difficulty cooling down. For this purpose they serve huge ears, which he rhythmically fans himself to cool off.
Most often tapirs are eating leaves, shoots and stems aquatic plants. They love water very much and are great swim. 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.
Body The tapir is squat, has short legs, and has 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
They settle in 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. Swimming they use their paws and tail.
Young crocodiles eat mostly 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.
Teeth The crocodile does not need them to chew food, but only to grab prey and tear off pieces of meat from it.
Chimpanzee great climb, they spend a lot of time on the ground and even travel on foot. But sleeping they are still in the trees, where they feel safer.
These monkeys are practically omnivores. For example, insects, bananas.
live quite numerous societies.
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.
It's big, more two meters the monkey is very friendly in stature; 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.
Having woken up, the gorillas go in search of food. They devote the remaining time rest and games. After the evening meal, a kind of bedding is arranged on the ground, on which fall asleep .
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.
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.
Sloths so named for the extreme slowness of their movements, reminiscent of movements in slow motion filming. The constantly wet skin of sloths serves as a breeding ground for microscopic algae, which is why the animals' fur acquires a greenish tint, making them almost invisible among the foliage.
Its height is a little less two meters, and the mass is about 250 kilograms.
It is known that live they are in thickets of bushes, and their coloring, at first glance very unusual, in fact 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.
The giraffe can feed on tree leaves that other herbivores cannot reach: thanks to six meters tall he is taller than all other animals. A giraffe can take food from the ground, as well as drink water, but to do this, it must spread its front legs wide apart in order to bend over. In this position, he is very vulnerable to predators, because he cannot immediately rush to flight.
Giraffes live in herds, divided into two groups: one contains females with cubs, the other contains males.
The black panther is a dark-colored leopard.
She jumps from branch to branch as well as a monkey.
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.
"Secret weapon"The cheetah is distinguished by its flexible body with a strong spine, curved like the arch of a bridge, and powerful clawed paws that allow it to rest firmly on the ground. It is the fastest-footed animal. No one can imagine an animal running faster than a cheetah. In short moments, it reaches speeds of over 100 kilometers per hour. The cheetah climbs trees and surveys the area from above to detect herds of grazing herbivores that could become its prey.
adapt to the most diverse climatic conditions; They live in various areas, found in the mountains at an altitude 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 of a tiger. 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.
An animal similar to a leopard, but larger; It is also distinguished by a special pattern on the skin: ring-shaped dark spots, inside of which there are smaller specks. Jaguars hunt alone and mainly on the ground, although they crawl well in trees and swim. Having caught prey, the predator usually hides it somewhere in a secret place and then eats it piece by piece.
Leo prefers open spaces, where he finds coolness in the shade of rare trees. For hunting, it is better to have a wide view in order to notice herds of grazing zebras, buffalos, and antelopes from afar and develop a strategy on how best to approach them unnoticed. Outwardly, it is a lazy beast that dozes and sits around for a long time. Only when the lion is hungry and forced to pursue herds of herbivores or when he must defend his territory does he emerge from his stupor.
A characteristic feature of a lion is the thick mane of males. A lion's claws can reach 7 cm.
The zebra skin is original and easily recognizable. At first glance, all zebras seem the same, but in fact, each animal has its own stripe pattern, like human fingerprints.
Zebras lack horns and other means of defense and flee from predators. Once surrounded, they defend themselves with their teeth and hooves.
A pursued zebra can run at a speed of 80 kilometers per hour, but not for a long time.
The mass of the ostrich exceeds 130 kilograms . Long neck increases ostrich growth up to two meters. A flexible neck and excellent vision allow him to notice danger from afar from this height. Long legs give the ostrich the ability to run at speeds of up to 70 kilometers per hour. The ostrich prefers open spaces where it can see everything from afar and there are no obstacles for running.
Ostrich beak short, flat and very durable. It is not specialized for any special food, but serves to pluck grass and other vegetation and grab insects, small mammals and the snakes that it feeds on.
This bird cannot be confused with any other because of the huge motley beak, which toucans sometimes longer than the entire body. Toucans make nests in the recesses of tree posts, but often occupy hollows left by families of woodpeckers.
This tiny bird(size from 5.7 to 21.6 cm; weight from 1.6 to 20 g.) with a long curved beak is capable of flapping its wings so often that it manages to hang almost motionless in the air, sucking nectar from a flower. This is the only bird in the world that can fly backwards.
"Savannah" is a Portuguese word; it means “steppe with trees.” Savannah is also called open forest. I somehow prefer the second option)))
And when it comes to savannah, one always imagines an African savannah with sun-scorched grass and sparsely standing acacia trees, with strolling elephants and running zebras and antelopes. Something like that:
We looked at the savannahs on the world map:
And they focused their attention on African savannah(I’m going to talk more about the savannas of other continents a little later). This typically African landscape occupies about 30% of the entire continent.
Senka and I have already talked about the savannah of Africa more than once, and he already knows many of the animals, but since we traveled here for a long time on the black continent (we walked along the Sahara, yes Ancient Egypt studied), we decided to continue our acquaintance with the types of forests on our planet according to this picture:
Topic start .
... and at the same time repeat the information we already know + supplement the knowledge with new interesting facts.
I haven’t made books using G. Doman’s method for a long time now and I’m sad for the time when my son read and absorbed them avidly interesting information while practicing reading skills; But I still continue to make some reading materials with various pictures to make it more interesting to read, like this:
I post the sections “African Savannah” and “African Jungle” of this “book” here, so if someone decides to repeat the lesson, they can copy it, diluting it with their own photos, or make books using Doman’s method, selecting the basic information. Now we have mini-lessons, more even repetition, so I didn’t talk much, Sena had to work more: read and answer questions.
Text from our book:
African savannas are spaces entirely covered with tall grasses and separately standing trees or groups of them. IN rainy time grasses grow quickly and can reach a height of 2 - 3 m and higher. The trees are covered with leaves at this time.
But as soon as drought comes, the grasses burn out, some types of trees shed their leaves and the savanna takes on a yellow color. Yellow and black, because fires often occur here during dry periods.
The dry season lasts here for about six months. During this time, there are only occasional showers.
During drought, countless herds of antelope wander, making long journeys to places where water can be found. And they are followed by predators - cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, jackals...
When the rains begin, the dusty yellow-black region turns into an emerald green park with shady trees. The air, hazy from fire smoke and dust, becomes transparent and clean. The first tropical showers after a drought make a strong impression. It's always hot and stuffy before it starts to rain. But then a big cloud appears. Thunderclaps are heard. And then a downpour hits the ground.
With the onset of the rainy season, antelopes return to their former pastures.
The most characteristic of grass savannas is tall elephant grass,
and among the trees here there is an oil tree and an oil palm, a ramp, and a baobab is often found. Along the river valleys stretch gallery forests with many palm trees resembling wet rainforests.
Grass savannas give way to shrub or acacia savannas. The grass here is narrower in height, only 1-1.5 m, and the trees are represented mainly by several types of acacias with a dense crown in the form of umbrellas.
There is also a baobab tree, which is also called monkey tree or breadfruit tree.
Tree-like acacias are found everywhere in Africa, except in mountainous and humid areas. tropical forests. 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 grew rain forests. 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 read about all the animals of the savannah:
- our homemade book (or rather, Senya read it himself), but unfortunately, I did not have a file with facts about animals;
- ,
- books by Kipling and another wonderful book " Funny stories about animals" by T. Wolf:
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
In Africa there are not only deserts and savannas, there are also tropical rain forests. Why rain? Certainly! Because it rains there very often! There is another name for such forests - jungle, which means "impenetrable thickets."
We know that the largest jungle exists in the Amazon River Basin (Amazon Rainforest) in South America. We remembered where there is still a jungle:
I hope we will talk about all the jungles of the planet, but for now we have examined the African ones in more detail.
Text from our book:
The heart of Africa is not black at all, it is green. And this is the jungle...
These forests are not at all like ours, where in the summer the ground is shaded by leaves and in the winter there is snow. Tropical forests are always hot, humid and dark. The forest is so dense that it is impossible to see anything in the distance; everything is blocked by bushes, vines climbing trees, fallen tree trunks overgrown with ferns and moss. Shrubs and small trees rise above these rubble, from which individual tree giants eventually grow. The branches of the lower plant layer are intertwined so densely that the crowns are not visible through them tall trees top tier. And these trees are huge, they are crowned with lush crowns, and their trunk-columns rest below on board-shaped outgrowths on the roots, a kind of supports. Each such trunk rises 40 m or more. And there, at a 40-meter altitude, there is a completely different world. Here is the engine of all jungle life. The leaves absorb the energy of the African sun and transform it into plant foods. They live here apes gorillas and chimpanzees, numerous monkeys and baboons.
The forest canopy is a world of extremes, a world of scorching sun, hot winds, heavy torrential rains. Drought gives way to rain, the seasons differ sharply from each other. The jungle palette is changing. Green foliage gives way to red, yellow, light green and orange. But this is not old, but new foliage. In the jungle, spring dresses up in autumn colors.
The most desired delicacy that the jungle gives in spring is honey. But in order to get it, you need to climb to a height of forty meters, using the branches of vines, and then also withstand the onslaught of bees.
In the spring, getting food in the forest is not an easy task, but later there is abundance.
Figs are bearing fruit here all year round, so it is easier to observe wild animals near these trees.
Okapi is always cautious and very timid, it is very difficult to meet him and at the slightest danger he takes off running.
Not afraid of dense tropical vegetation and African elephant. You can also see a leopard on the branches of trees. There are many insects and snakes in the jungle. But most of all, birds love tropical forests, but it is not so easy to see them here. The feathered inhabitants of tropical forests are well camouflaged and, at the slightest danger, immediately hide in the foliage.
We liked this video:
The exotic nature of Thailand attracts everyone with its diversity and amazing beauty. On the territory of the kingdom you can find lakes, mountains, waterfalls, tropical forests and jungles.
The country itself is located on two peninsulas: part on the Indochinese, the second on the Malay. The shores of Thailand are washed by two seas: the South China and the Andaman.
The climate on the island is tropical, and the year consists of only:
- Thai summer. Lasts from March to May. Characterized by very hot weather;
- Cold period. Lasts from May to November. At this time, the monsoons bring heavy rains to the country;
- Warm period. Lasts from November to March. It is during this season that he comes to Thailand a large number of tourists, since the weather there at this time is warm and there is no rain.
As for the relief of Thailand, the country is conventionally divided into five regions: the North-Eastern Plateau, the Southern Region, the Southeast, the Northern Highlands and the Central Plain. The soils in Thailand are different, depending on the location: in the north - red, in river valleys - alluvial and meadow, in the mountains - red soil, and in the southern part - podzolized laterite.
Jungle and wildlife of Thailand
Thai jungles occupy 60% of the territory, that is, most of the kingdom. They are real thickets of teak and mahogany, bamboo, xylia, palms, ficus, as well as all kinds of fruit trees and wild flowers.
The unprecedented jungle of Thailand In general, more than 500 species can be found in Thailand. different trees and 25000 various types colors. This rich wildlife environment is home to animals such as tigers, tapirs, leopards, bamboo bears, elephants, rhinoceroses, etc.
Habitat clouded leopard 
Monkeys of the Kingdom of Thailand The country is also home to more than a thousand species of birds, from flamingos to parrots of different colors and sizes.
Siamese Lofura was selected national bird Thailand Exploring the nature of Thailand on your own is quite risky. It is best to experience wildlife in the company of an experienced guide. Thailand, whose nature truly delights travelers, offers many excursions and trips into the wild jungle.
You can go swimming on the River Kwai, or stroll along forested hills and trails, exploring the Thai landscapes. In addition, the nature of this country can be explored in safer conditions. For example, in gardens or zoos.
National parks and reserves
Another way to safely explore Thai wildlife is through national parks and various nature reserves. They are located throughout Thailand and provide an opportunity to admire in different parts countries. In total, there are more than 50 reserves in the kingdom and national parks, which take up a total of 25 thousand square kilometers.
One of the most popular is this. The park consists of seven tiers, and on its territory there is the Erawan waterfall, which impresses all travelers with its wild beauty.
Another park that offers the opportunity to admire nature and animals is Khao Yai. It is located 200 km from Bangkok. There are also several waterfalls on its territory. Tourists are also invited to explore the mountain peaks.
Erawan Falls impresses all travelers with its wild beauty. For lovers of more extreme entertainment You can choose one of the nature reserves located in the mountains. A walk along mountain paths and slopes in the natural habitat of wild animals will give you a lot of emotions and adrenaline. . This can be done in national park Doi Inthanon.
It is located in the province. The mountains there rise 2565 meters above sea level. At the same time, at an altitude of 1800 meters there are beautiful forests where wild orchids and lichen grow.
Wild orchids in the tropical forest There are also several waterfalls just below. At the same time, the park is not just a place for tourists to visit, but also home to the Meo and Karen mountain peoples who live in the villages built there.
Meo Highland Village Hot springs are also popular. Most of them are located in forest areas. Therefore, there you can not only relax and treat your health in hot water, but also to see many trees and birds and animals living in this environment.
In addition, Thailand has many parks and reserves that provide an opportunity to admire the wealth underwater world. One of these is Koh Samet Island in Rayong Province. Despite its small size, it is very colorful. The park is surrounded coral reefs And beautiful beaches.
The wealth of the underwater world For divers and lovers of calm beach holiday You'll definitely like it here. Tarutao National Park, located in Satun province, is also suitable for scuba diving. Its territory is limited to 51 islands. Another marine park is in . National Park Ang Thong attracts visitors to the kingdom with its silver sand beaches.
The nature of Thailand is diverse and beautiful. Tropical climate provides an abundance of exotic plants and flowers all year round, and caring Thais do everything possible to ensure that you can get acquainted with it in conditions that are safe for life and health.
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... 
