In almost every corner of the planet there are rare animals listed in the Red Book. In Crimea, where there is a rather diverse climate and unique nature, unique species of fauna are also on the verge of extinction.
Red Book of Crimea
Currently, work is still underway on the creation of this title of protection, although this idea was born a very long time ago, thirty years ago. In Ukraine, it was not possible to realize it, because the Red Book was one for all regions. To this day, a group of authors (Kryukova, Privalova, Lux, Kostin, Maltsev and others) have contributed to solving the problem of preserving flora and fauna on the peninsula by issuing such books containing information about rare plants and animals of the Crimea. Although they contained lists of animals that needed protection, these collections did not have official status.
In 1999, an initiative group established under the Crimean Council of Ministers presented the concept and proposed lists - which animals are listed in the Red Book of Crimea, which is still under construction. A discussion and analytical compilation entitled “Issues of the Development of Crimea” published all materials on this topic.
Work on the Red Book
This process became possible due to the integration of Crimea into Russia, where Red Books were created for each region. Despite the fact that a list with the names of rare and endangered animals has already been compiled, much work remains to be done. It is necessary to monitor the number of individuals of rare species and determine their habitat.
Animals listed in the Red Book in Crimea will be designated on a special eight-point scale that determines the degree of rarity. The smaller the number, the less common this or that species in nature. As it turned out, from the entire list of applicants there is not one with a mark above five. Beluga took the first position as an almost extinct species.
It is planned to add 893 representatives of the fauna to the Red Book.
Today, the protection of wildlife in the Crimean peninsula has increased in accordance with the legal field of Russia. Administrative, and sometimes criminal, liability is threatened not only in cases when animals listed in the Red Book in Crimea are destroyed, but also when they are kept in captivity.
Limiting factors
Features of flora and fauna on the Crimean peninsula are determined by its geographical location. Vast territories adjacent to the Black Sea basin are located almost at the intersection of migration routes of various representatives of flora and fauna.
According to the observations of scientists, very high rates of genetic erosion are observed in Crimea, due to which several plant species have disappeared over the past decades. In addition, the rare animals of Crimea, listed in the Red Book, suffer from the factor of anxiety, environmental pollution and human activities.
Protected animals of Crimea
The rarest mammals that inhabit the Crimea are the common shrew, steppe ferret, the number of which is rapidly decreasing. Under constant protection are mouflons - wild sheep from the bovine family.
In all of Eastern Europe, the only herd of these most beautiful animals remained and it was formed in the Crimea from the livestock that was kept in the Chuchelsky menagerie, which at one time belonged to the royal family.
An amazing lizard belonging to the spindle family, with an unusual name, the yellow-bellied also belongs to endangered species. Due to its external resemblance to a snake, it often loses its life. Although, if you look closely, except for the missing legs, these reptiles have nothing in common. The yellowtail has a large head and quite prominent eyelids. Its coloration is yellowish-sand with a bright dark pattern in the upper part of the body. Like all other Crimean animals listed in the Red Book (photos can be found in this article), this lizard is strictly protected by law.
Inhabitants of the sea
A monk seal (or white-bellied seal) is threatened with extinction. Today, there are only about 600 individuals of these animals on the entire planet.
They were called monks for short hair on their heads and a tendency to seclusion. Clumsy and clumsy on land, seals are surprisingly agile in the water, can swim quite far from the coast and dive to a depth of 500 meters in search of fish.
Their body length reaches more than two meters, and the average body weight is about 300 kg. The males are covered with thick black fur; in females it is slightly lighter - from gray to brown. The lower part of the body is light, almost white, for which the seal was called the white-bellied seal.
Bottlenose dolphins are Crimean animals listed in the Red Book of Russia. These active and funny creatures are capable of jumping up to 5 meters in height and swimming at a speed of 40 km / h. Fishing for these dolphins has been banned in Russia since 1956.
Birds under guard
On the list of legally protected birds is the gray crane. Today, hunting is banned everywhere. In Crimea, this bird lives mainly in swampy meadows, in reed beds and lakes.
Eagle owl is a very rare bird on the peninsula. He leads an active life at night, eating small vertebrates and animals.
The pink starling is also listed in the Red Book. Only one place of its nesting in the Crimea is known - it is Mount Opuk.
Today, the red-headed kinglet, which lives in the mountainous regions of the peninsula, is also under protection.
In many countries, from year to year the list is growing, which lists animals listed in the Red Book. In Crimea, the adoption of measures to preserve the population of rare and endangered species today is especially important for Russia.