The largest continent on the planet is Europe. It is rich in a variety of picturesque landscapes, extraordinary plants and amazing wildlife. But some inhabitants of this territory are on the verge of extinction. For example, a bison is an animal of the Red Book from the first category.
Animal description
Bison belong to the genus of bison. In appearance, they resemble huge and powerful bulls. It is believed that the largest animal in Europe is the bison. The mass of this beast can sometimes reach 1000 kilograms, and at the withers they grow up to two meters. Females are much smaller than males. The bison physique is quite powerful. Its front part is much more massive and larger than the back. It is worth noting that these huge animals of Europe are very fast, and their gallop seems easy. They are able to jump over a barrier two meters high.
Bison are distinguished by a withers, which resembles a hump, as well as a long thick mane and beard. The animal has short, but thick and sharp horns. The most developed of the senses are the sense of smell and hearing. However, they do not see very well. It should be noted that this powerful and largest animal of Europe is in danger, the bison is in danger of extinction. His future depends entirely on how a person will respond to this.
Habitat
Many years ago, bison lived in the predominant part of Europe. They inhabited forest-steppes and deciduous forests. But gradually, human development pushed the animal into pristine forests. Also, people hunted the beast for the sake of "sports" interest. In the eastern part of Europe, the bison disappeared in the 17th century. Today it lives in nature reserves in the North Caucasus and in the central part of Europe.
Bison life
These animals of Europe live in a herd. But they change in numbers depending on the time of year. In the winter, bison are combined into large groups, in which there are one hundred or more individuals. By spring, they are divided into small herds of 10-15 goals. In such a family, there are several mature females and young males who have not yet reached puberty. Such communities are joined by bulls ready for mating; they, as a rule, are kept separate from other males. In 3-4 years, the females are ready to bring the first offspring. Bulls begin to breed at 5-6 years old. The race continues from August to October. In May-June, offspring appear. Usually a female carries one calf. In exceptional cases, two babies are born. In nurseries and zoos, the animal produces offspring every year. At large, pregnancy occurs once every two years. These animals of Europe lead a settled life, but young bulls can sometimes roam. Females live up to 24 years, males are slightly less - up to 20. Among them, long-livers can be found, sometimes females survive to 28 years.
Bison nutrition
As food, bison choose grass, leaves, shoots and bark. Their diet may include about 400 species of various plants. But, naturally, only the vegetation that grows in the bison habitat prevails in their diet. During the cold season, these animals visit salt licks and use artificial top dressing. For grazing, bison choose evening and morning hours. At lunchtime, animals lay down in the forest and chew gum. If the weather is hot, they visit the watering hole twice a day.
The Bears
But bison are not the only animals of Europe that have a huge size and impressive appearance. Brown bear is ranked among the most dangerous terrestrial animals. This animal lives in Russia. But it can be found in Finland, Scandinavia and Asia. This beast is a predatory mammal. He has a powerful physique. The largest representatives live in Kamchatka. In these places, the weight of the animal ranges from 500 to 1000 kilograms. Adult males are one and a half times larger than females. Their ears and tail are small, on massive paws there are retractable claws, reaching 10 centimeters. It can be noted that the bear stands confidently on its hind legs. The coat of the animal is very thick.
A bear is an animal that prefers to live in taiga and dense forests. Sometimes he can go into the tundra. The animal tries to choose a place for the den in old forests located near mossy swamps. Deep in the forest, he is looking for a mountain of brushwood or a large stump to prepare for hibernation. Brown bears are omnivores. They eat leaves from trees, and can also graze for a long time in the meadow, picking grass. The bear is very fond of treats such as nuts and berries. In addition, this beast is famous for its fishing skills. And sometimes he does not even refuse carrion.
Elk
In Europe, an animal elk lives. This large beast in this area is second only to the bison in size, but large males can even surpass it. At the withers, it grows to 230 centimeters. The weight of an adult reaches 570 kilograms, the female is much less - 400 kg. The front of the body is higher than the back, the head is elongated, the nose has a kind of hump. On the lower part of the neck the moose has a fold called the “earring”. The legs of the animal are very long, and in comparison with them the body does not seem so big. Males, from the second year of life, grow horns. Each year, closer to winter, they dump them, but in the beginning of spring the horns grow back. In August, you can observe a moose already with grown horns. Every year, the processes of the horns acquire more and more branches and become spade-shaped. But by old age they again look like pipes. These animals have poor vision, so they rely on hearing and scent.
Moose is very careful and even fearful. But if they are not hunted and chased in the area, these animals begin to trust people and can even go into cities.