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Nervous system of lagomorphs. Order Lagomorpha

Nervous system of lagomorphs. Order Lagomorpha

International scientific name

Lagomorpha Brandt,

Families Geochronology

Taxonomy
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General information

Lagomorphs are small animals with a short tail or no tail at all. Their teeth bear some resemblance to those of rodents. Until relatively recently, lagomorphs, which, in addition to the well-known hares and rabbits, also include pikas, were included in the order of rodents as a suborder. But already in G. W. Gidley took into account many specific features of the organization and history of lagomorphs and proposed to separate them into an independent order, some similarity with rodents is only external (convergent) in nature. This view should now be considered generally accepted. Phylogenetically, lagomorphs are close to the primitive ungulates of the Tertiary period.

Lagomorphs are fundamentally different from rodents in that they have not one, but two pairs of incisors in the upper jaw. The second pair of incisors in lagomorphs is less developed and is located behind the main pair; their tops do not reach far from the tops of the main (front) incisors. In addition, the bony palate of lagomorphs is structured in a very unique way. It looks like a narrow transverse bridge between the left and right rows of molars. Unlike lagomorphs, in rodents the bony palate is a continuous platform reaching in front of the incisors. There are significant differences in the organization of the stomach. In lagomorphs, it consists (physiologically, but not morphologically) of two sections, in one of which bacterial fermentation of food occurs, in the other, closest to the intestinal exit, food is digested by pepsin. The main similarity between lagomorphs and rodents is that they lack canines, and the incisors and molars are separated by a wide, toothless space, the diastema. The teeth of lagomorphs lack closed roots and are constantly growing, which is associated with the rapid wear of their crowns.

All lagomorphs are terrestrial animals, unable to climb or swim well. They inhabit forests, steppes and deserts, tundra, and highlands. Some of them prefer vast open spaces, others live among dense thickets and rock formations. Some do not make special shelters and stay alone, others dig holes and settle in small colonies. Lagomorphs are distributed in almost all parts of the world. They were not previously found in southern South America, Madagascar, the islands of Southeast Asia, and Australia. However, thanks to human intervention, today they are available everywhere, and in Australia, due to their lack of integration into the food chain, the spread of rabbits has become a national disaster (due to the abundance of food and the lack of natural enemies, they have filled the entire continent).

Nutrition

Hares and rabbits feed on low-calorie foods that usually do not attract rodents - mainly bark, young branches, leaves, and grass. The diet of pikas is similar, but it also contains berries, ferns, and lichens. An interesting tendency of lagomorphs is towards coprophagy - eating their own excrement in order to obtain proteins synthesized by a special fiber-breaking bacterial complex concentrated in their cecum.

Reproduction

Lagomorphs reproduce quickly; there are from one to four broods per year, with 5-10 young in each. Those of them that set up permanent shelters (burrows and the like) reproduce according to the “chickling” version: their cubs are born completely helpless, naked and blind, and only after a couple of weeks they begin to resemble adults (for example, rabbits). Hares, despite their high fertility, are undoubtedly “brood breeders” - the young are born covered in fur, sighted, and after a few hours they can run freely. Pikas have low fertility; a pika has only 1-2 broods of 3-6 cubs per year. Young of the first litter begin independent life at the age of 20 days; They settle within the family plot. They themselves begin to reproduce only in the spring of next year, at the age of 7-11 months.

Protection from enemies

Lagomorphs have a lot of enemies, so they need to defend themselves well. For this they have a lot of adaptations, and one of the main ones is their large ears: the ears serve as locators, accurately recording where a suspicious noise comes from. The location of the eyes is of great importance: the animal, without turning its head, sees not only in front of itself, but also to the sides and even a little behind. But this is not enough for hares to save their lives, and therefore their hind legs are perfectly adapted for fast running: the fastest-footed hares reach speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour. The speed of running is undoubtedly an adaptation to protection from predators, since obtaining food does not require fast movements. Well, if someone manages to catch up with the hare, then in this case their skin is fragile and weakly attached to the body, so often shreds of skin remain in the predator’s teeth, like a lizard’s tail. The hares use some features of their organization seemingly for other purposes, but, nevertheless, very successfully. Thus, hares have poorly developed skin glands, so that it is more difficult for predators to smell a hare. But this has a disadvantage: they cannot sweat normally and overheat easily. And again the ears come to the rescue: they are penetrated by a dense network of blood vessels, and the blood flowing through them quickly cools down.

Classification

In contrast to earlier classifications, lagomorphs are no longer considered part of the rodents, although it remains indisputable that they have a close genetic relationship with rodents. The order Lagomorpha is divided into two families, each of which contains about 30 species:

Family Zaitsevye, Leporidae. They inhabit almost all parts of the world.
Pishchuha family, Ochotonidae. They inhabit Siberia and North America.

Literature

Biological encyclopedic dictionary - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1986
Starikovich S. F. The most common animals. - M.: Science, 1989

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

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See what “Lagomorpha” is in other dictionaries:

Lagomorpha- order of mammals; close to rodents. 2 families: hares and pikas. Widely distributed. Some commercial objects (fur and meat). Sometimes they cause damage to agriculture and forestry; spread carriers of some dangerous infections... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Lagomorpha- (Lagomorpha), order of mammals. Until sep. 20th century 3. usually considered a suborder (two-pair incisor Duplicidentata) neg. rodents However, 3.'s similarities with rodents are convergent, not divergent. 3. obviously originated from primitive insectivores... ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary

Lagomorpha- (Lagomorpha), HORE HARE, common in Eurasia and introduced to North America. order of mammals, which includes hares, rabbits and pikas, or haymakers. Previously they were considered a suborder of the rodent order, but from the latter... ... Collier's Encyclopedia

Lagomorpha- (Lagomorpha) order of mammals; close to rodents. Two families: Hares and Pikas. Z. is characterized by two pairs of incisors in the upper jaw. Body length 12 75 cm, weigh from 0.1 to 4.5 kg. A typical method of movement is fast running and jumping.… … Great Soviet Encyclopedia

lagomorphs- oh; pl. An order of mammals closely related to rodents. * * * lagomorphs order of mammals; close to rodents. 2 families: hares and pikas. Widely distributed. Some commercial objects (fur and meat). Sometimes they cause damage to rural and forestry... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

lagomorphs- kiškiažvėriai statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas būrys apibrėžtis Būryje 2 šeimos. atitikmenys: lot. Lagomorpha eng. double toothed rodents; duplicate rodents; duplicateidentates; hares and pikas; lagomorphs; rabbits vok.… … Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

Lagomorpha- order of mammals; close to rodents. 2nd family: hares and pikas. Widely distributed. Certain commercial objects (fur and meat). Sometimes villages are damaged. and forest x wu; spread carriers of certain dangerous infections... Natural history. encyclopedic Dictionary

lagomorphs- lagomorphs, y... Russian spelling dictionary

lagomorphs- pl., R. lagomorphs... Spelling dictionary of the Russian language

lagomorphs- oh; pl. An order of mammals closely related to rodents... Dictionary of many expressions

Books

Behind the pages of school zoology, A.I. Nikishov, The animal world studied by zoology and some other sciences is distinguished by its enormous diversity. The knowledge accumulated about it cannot be contained in any book, especially a school textbook. On... Category:

From this lesson you will learn about the largest order of mammals - rodents, as well as their related lagomorphs. Mice and rats, squirrels and hares, known to us from childhood from fairy tales and poems, will open up from a completely different side, appearing before us as mammals that have paired incisors of a special structure. You will understand how close and similar hamsters and rabbits, beavers and nutria, guinea pigs and porcupines are. You will learn about how beavers build dams, changing the landscape, how mice and rats influenced the history of mankind, what we owe to nutria, hamsters and capybaras, how much a squirrel actually sleeps during the day and whether it is true that the hare is a coward. You will understand the reasons why jerboas are protected, but an irreconcilable war is waged against rats. This lesson will change your view of familiar and familiar things.

The topic of this lesson: “Orders Rodents and Lagomorphs.”

The purpose of the lesson is to characterize these two orders, discuss the most important features of their similarities and differences, and also consider some characteristic representatives.

All rodents are united by a common dental structure. They have only one pair of incisors in the upper and lower jaws. Incisors have no roots and grow continuously throughout life. Powerful incisors, used by rodents for biting grass, gnawing bark, tree branches, are covered with enamel on the outside. The inner side of the incisors, which does not have enamel, wears away faster, so the teeth are always sharp and sharpen themselves. There are no fangs (Fig. 1).

Rice. 1. Rodent teeth

Rodents are the largest order in the entire class Mammals. It has more than 2000 species (Fig. 2).

Rice. 2. Representatives of the order Rodents

Rodents live all over the land surface, with the exception of Antarctica. Due to the enormous species diversity of the order, the appearance of rodents can be very diverse. Body length can be from 5 to 130 cm, like a capybara (Fig. 3). But for the most part these are small or medium-sized animals.

Rice. 3. Capybara

The ears can be either short or reach almost half the length of the body. The coat ranges from soft to spiny, such as that of a porcupine.

The habitats of rodents are different. Representatives of this order live both in open landscapes and in forests. Some of them live in trees. Many species of rodents lead a semi-underground lifestyle. The life of some species is associated with water.

Most species of rodents feed on plant foods, but there are omnivorous species and even predators.

Rodents are distinguished by high fertility, rapid growth and early puberty. Some of them breed 6 to 8 times a year, producing 8 to 15 cubs in each litter. Representatives of certain species begin to reproduce already at 2-3 months of life.

The practical importance of rodents is truly enormous. First of all, by eating the plants themselves, they serve as food for a wide variety of predators. Some rodents are the subject of fur trade. Many representatives of the order, such as mice, rats, gophers, can be dangerous as carriers and spreaders of infectious diseases, such as plague or fever. Many rodents can cause enormous damage to agriculture and forestry.

In total there are about 40 families of rodents.

Includes about 230 species of medium and large sized rodents.

Squirrels live in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. The common squirrel lives in trees (Fig. 4). Thanks to its sharp claws, it easily runs, climbs, and jumps on trunks and branches. It feeds on seeds of coniferous plants, young shoots, and buds. In summer, it collects mushrooms and berries, catches insects, and can destroy bird nests. Squirrels often settle in squares, parks, and city gardens. To create nests, hollows of old trees, hollowed out by woodpeckers, are most often used.

Rice. 4. Common squirrel

Squirrels living in central Russia breed in spring and summer, bringing an average of 6 young. For 40-50 days, the cubs feed on mother's milk.

Puberty occurs at the age of 9-12 months. Squirrels lead a sedentary lifestyle and are usually active during the day.

It consists of two species of beaver - European (Fig. 5) and Canadian (Fig. 6).

Rice. 5. European beaver

Rice. 6. Canadian beaver

The beaver's body length, not including the tail, is about 1.5 meters, and its weight is from 18 to 30 kg. The body is elongated with a small head and short neck. The tail is flattened, covered with horny plates. The beaver's fur consists of a hard awn and a soft, dense undercoat. Hair does not get wet in water because it is lubricated with a fat-like substance. The short forelimbs are equipped with claws. All fingers on the longer hind limbs are connected by a swimming membrane. The ear openings close under water.

Beavers settle on forest rivers, which are quiet and frost-free. Dams and huts are built from thin tree trunks and branches. They live in huts with families. They feed on plant food, which they store, including for the entire winter period.

Beavers breed once a year, giving birth to one to five sighted young covered with thick fur. For two months, the mother feeds the offspring with milk.

The beaver is a fur-bearing animal. As a result of predatory fishing, the European beaver is on the verge of extinction. By the beginning of the twentieth century, there were only about 1,200 individuals of this species. To preserve this beautiful and valuable animal, a number of effective measures have been taken in Europe to restore and maintain numbers.

Contains about 400 species. This includes, among other things, various species of rats and mice (Fig. 7).

Rice. 7. Representatives of the Mouse family

These are small animals with an elongated snout, far protruding ears and a long, usually bare tail. Mice eat both plant and animal foods. They are distinguished by high fertility and early puberty.

In some years, highly multiplied rodents cause significant damage to agriculture and forestry. In human homes, mice often spoil or eat food. Mice and rats spread many diseases, including dangerous ones.

The house mouse has a body length of 7 to 10 cm (Fig. 8). Its habitat has become almost worldwide due to cohabitation with humans. The house mouse reaches sexual maturity at the age of 2 months. They breed 4 to 5 times a year, bringing 7 to 9 young each time.

Rice. 8. House mouse

Includes about 65 species, including hares, rabbits and pikas (Fig. 9).

Rice. 9. Representatives of the order Lagomorpha

Lagomorphs live on all continents except Antarctica and Australia. Although currently wild rabbits live in Australia, they were once brought there by humans.

Lagomorphs are characterized by the presence of two pairs of incisors in the upper jaw. The first external incisors are larger; the small ones are closely adjacent to them. There is only one pair of incisors on the lower jaw (Fig. 10).

Rice. 10. Structure of the teeth of Lagomorphs

The incisors and molars grow continuously throughout the animal's life. This is very important, since representatives of the order Lagomorpha feed mainly on solid plant foods.

There are only two families in the order Lagomorpha: Hare and Pika.

Representatives of the Hare family live in Europe, Asia, Africa and America. There are about 45 species. These are relatively large animals with a body length from 30 to 75 cm (Fig. 11).

Rice. 11. Representatives of the Hare family

They move by jumping. The hind limbs are slightly longer than the forelimbs. The ears are long and the tail is short. They settle in open spaces, clearings, and forest edges, but prefer dense thickets of bushes, where they look for food, hide from enemies and reproduce.

The white hare lives in forest and forest-steppe regions of Europe and Siberia. In the north it enters the tundra (Fig. 12). In summer, the female gives birth to offspring consisting of 4 to 5 cubs.

Rice. 12. White hare

Cubs are born sighted, covered with dense fur. Within a few hours they are able to run. For a month, the hares feed on their mother's milk.

The white hare is an important hunting object.

Additional material

Squirrel

In addition to squirrels, the squirrel family also includes chipmunks, ground squirrels and marmots. The chipmunk (Fig. 13) is inferior in size to the common squirrel. He lives mainly in forests. Active during the day. It makes its home under the roots of trees, often digging shallow holes. In winter it hibernates. In the hole, the chipmunk prepares food, mainly plant seeds, which the animal carries in its cheek pouches. The chipmunk is hunted by many species of fur-bearing animals, and the seeds in its storehouse provide food for many animals.

Rice. 13. Chipmunk

Gophers (Fig. 14) are common in the steppe and forest-steppe zones. Looking around, the gopher stands in a characteristic pose, reminiscent of a column. As a rule, they settle in colonies in burrows dug from arable land. Gophers feed on above-ground and underground parts of plants, as well as seeds. During the winter they hibernate. They can prepare food. By destroying the seeds of cereal plants, gophers can cause significant harm to agriculture, for which they are widely persecuted by humans. Gophers serve as food for daytime birds of prey and steppe ferrets. They are also carriers of dangerous diseases, such as plague and brucellosis.

Rice. 14. Gopher

Hamsters

The largest and most complex family of rodents in terms of systemic organization are the Hamsters. There are about 580 species in total, including hamsters, voles, lemmings, muskrats and others (Fig. 15).

Rice. 15. Representatives of the Hamster family

Hamsters are common in the steppes and deserts of Europe and Northern Asia. They feed on green parts of plants, seeds and sometimes insects. Piscivorous hamsters are aquatic carnivores.

An important commercial rodent in our country is the muskrat (Fig. 16), once imported from North America and acclimatized in a number of areas. The muskrat is a semi-aquatic animal. She swims and dives well. It makes its dwellings under the banks of reservoirs, in burrows, or builds huts. Does not hibernate. Doesn't stock up for the winter. It feeds mainly on aquatic vegetation, but can also catch small animals.

Rice. 16. Muskrat

Rabbits in Australia

The history of rabbits in Australia shows how dangerous the thoughtless introduction of animals into places where they have not previously lived can be. Only 16 imported animals bred, and by the beginning of the twentieth century their number was estimated at 20 million. Rabbits cause enormous damage to the flora and fauna of Australia, eating relict vegetation and displacing local species that cannot withstand competition. Poisoned baits and shooting were used as control measures. In addition to all this, European predators such as the fox, ferret and weasel were introduced to Australia. Screening systems have also been installed to prevent rabbits from invading new areas. But all this did not bring significant results. The most effective method of biological control against these pests was when rabbits were infected with the disease myxomatosis. In some places, this caused up to 90% of all pests to become extinct. However, the surviving animals have developed immunity, and the problem of rabbits is still acute for Australia and New Zealand.

Bibliography

Latyushin V.V., Shapkin V.A. Biology. Animals. 7th grade. - M.: Bustard, 2011.
N.I. Sonin, V.B. Zakharov. Biology. Diversity of living organisms. Animals. 8th grade. - M.: Bustard, 2009.

Rodents ().
Key to small mammals ().
Agouti().
Beavers ().

Homework

Which representatives of the order Rodents do you know? What are the general features of their structure?
What animals belong to the order Lagomorpha? How are they different from rodents?
What is the significance of rodents and lagomorphs in nature and human life?
What environments do rodents live in? How did the development of different habitats affect their external and internal structure?
Discuss with friends and family what rodents live in your area. How do humans and rodents influence each other?

General information

Lagomorphs are small animals with a short tail or no tail at all. Their teeth bear some resemblance to those of rodents.

Lagomorphs are fundamentally different from rodents in that they have not one, but two pairs of incisors in the upper jaw. The second pair of incisors in lagomorphs is less developed and is located behind the main pair; their tops do not reach far from the tops of the main (front) incisors. In addition, the bony palate of lagomorphs is structured in a very unique way. It looks like a narrow transverse bridge between the left and right rows of molars. Unlike lagomorphs, in rodents the bony palate is a continuous platform reaching in front of the incisors. There are significant differences in the organization of the stomach. In lagomorphs, it consists of two sections, in one of which bacterial fermentation of food occurs, in the other, closest to the intestinal exit, food is digested by pepsin. The main similarity between lagomorphs and rodents is that they lack canines, and the incisors and molars are separated by a wide, toothless space, the diastema. The teeth of lagomorphs lack closed roots and are constantly growing, which is associated with the rapid wear of their crowns.

All lagomorphs are terrestrial animals, unable to climb or swim well. They inhabit forests, steppes and deserts, and highland tundra. Some of them prefer vast open spaces, others live among dense thickets and rock formations. Some do not make special shelters and stay alone, others dig holes and settle in small colonies. Lagomorphs are distributed in almost all parts of the world. They were not previously found in southern South America, Madagascar, the islands of Southeast Asia, and Australia. However, thanks to human intervention, today they are available everywhere, and in Australia, due to their lack of integration into the food chain, the spread of rabbits has become a national disaster due to the abundance of food and the lack of natural enemies; they have infested the entire continent.

Evolutionary history

In the traditional classification of lagomorphs, which, in addition to the well-known hares and rabbits, also include pikas, were included in the order of rodents as a suborder. In the city, J. W. Gidley took into account many specific features of the organization and history of lagomorphs and proposed to separate them into an independent order, some similarity with rodents is only external (convergent) in nature. He believed that phylogenetically lagomorphs are close to the primitive ungulates of the Tertiary time.

Currently, lagomorphs are considered as an order, although close genetically and morphologically to rodents within the Glires clade, but representing an independent evolutionary branch. Until recently, the ancestor of lagomorphs was considered Eurymylus, lived in eastern Asia in the late Paleocene and early Eocene. Recent studies of skeletal remains have shown that lagomorphs are most likely descended from the extinct family Anagaloidea, also known as "mimotonids", while Eurymylus was a close relative of rodents, although not their ancestor, but a side branch of evolution.

The first lagomorphs appeared in the late Eocene and quickly spread throughout the northern hemisphere; they showed a tendency to lengthen their hind legs and develop the characteristic modern galloping manner of movement. Pikas appeared later, in the late Oligocene, in eastern Asia.

Nutrition

Reproduction

Protection from enemies

Classification

Unlike earlier classifications, lagomorphs are no longer considered part of the rodents. The order Lagomorpha is divided into two families, each of which contains about 30 species:

Family hare, Leporidae. They inhabit almost all parts of the world.
Pika family, Ochotonidae. They inhabit Siberia and North America.

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Notes

Literature

Biological encyclopedic dictionary - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1986
Starikovich S. F. The most common animals. - M.: Science, 1989
Gureev A. A., Lagomorpha (Lagomorpha), M. - L., 1964 (fauna of the USSR. Mammals, vol. 3, issue 10)
Ognev S. I., Animals of the USSR and adjacent countries, vol. 4. M. - L., 1940

Links

- article from the Krugosvet encyclopedia

Prototheria
(Primordial beasts)

Metatheria
(Metatherium)

Eutheria
(Eutheria, or
Placental)

Excerpt characterizing Lagomorphs

Realizing these words, Princess Marya began to sob even louder, and the doctor, taking her by the arm, led her out of the room onto the terrace, persuading her to calm down and make preparations for departure. After Princess Marya left the prince, he again started talking about his son, about the war, about the sovereign, twitched his eyebrows angrily, began to raise a hoarse voice, and the second and final blow came to him.
Princess Marya stopped on the terrace. The day had cleared up, it was sunny and hot. She could not understand anything, think about anything and feel anything except her passionate love for her father, a love that, it seemed to her, she did not know until that moment. She ran out into the garden and, sobbing, ran down to the pond along the young linden paths planted by Prince Andrei.
- Yes... I... I... I. I wanted him dead. Yes, I wanted it to end soon... I wanted to calm down... But what will happen to me? “What do I need peace of mind when he’s gone,” Princess Marya muttered aloud, walking quickly through the garden and pressing her hands on her chest, from which sobs were convulsively escaping. Walking around the garden in a circle that led her back to the house, she saw M lle Bourienne (who remained in Bogucharovo and did not want to leave) and an unfamiliar man coming towards her. This was the leader of the district, who himself came to the princess in order to present to her the necessity of an early departure. Princess Marya listened and did not understand him; she led him into the house, invited him to have breakfast and sat down with him. Then, apologizing to the leader, she went to the door of the old prince. The doctor with an alarmed face came out to her and said that it was impossible.
- Go, princess, go, go!
Princess Marya went back into the garden and sat down on the grass under the mountain near the pond, in a place where no one could see. She didn't know how long she was there. Someone's running female steps along the path made her wake up. She got up and saw that Dunyasha, her maid, who was obviously running after her, suddenly, as if frightened by the sight of her young lady, stopped.
“Please, Princess... Prince...” Dunyasha said in a broken voice.
“Now, I’m coming, I’m coming,” the princess spoke hastily, not giving Dunyasha time to finish what she had to say, and, trying not to see Dunyasha, she ran to the house.
“Princess, God’s will is being done, you must be ready for anything,” said the leader, meeting her at the front door.
- Leave me. It is not true! – she angrily shouted at him. The doctor wanted to stop her. She pushed him away and ran to the door. “And why are these people with frightened faces stopping me? I don't need anyone! And what are they doing here? “She opened the door, and the bright daylight in this previously dim room terrified her. There were women and a nanny in the room. They all moved away from the bed to give her way. He was still lying on the bed; but the stern look of his calm face stopped Princess Marya at the threshold of the room.
“No, he’s not dead, that can’t be! - Princess Marya said to herself, walked up to him and, overcoming the horror that gripped her, pressed her lips to his cheek. But she immediately pulled away from him. Instantly, all the strength of tenderness for him that she felt in herself disappeared and was replaced by a feeling of horror at what was in front of her. “No, he is no more! He is not there, but there is right there, in the same place where he was, something alien and hostile, some terrible, terrifying and repulsive secret... - And, covering her face with her hands, Princess Marya fell into the arms of the doctor who supported her.
In the presence of Tikhon and the doctor, the women washed what he was, tied a scarf around his head so that his open mouth would not stiffen, and tied his diverging legs with another scarf. Then they dressed him in a uniform with orders and placed the small, shriveled body on the table. God knows who took care of this and when, but everything happened as if by itself. By nightfall, candles were burning around the coffin, there was a shroud on the coffin, juniper was strewn on the floor, a printed prayer was placed under the dead, shriveled head, and a sexton sat in the corner, reading the psalter.
Just as horses shy away, crowd and snort over a dead horse, so in the living room around the coffin a crowd of foreign and native people crowded - the leader, and the headman, and the women, and all with fixed, frightened eyes, crossed themselves and bowed, and kissed the cold and numb hand of the old prince.

Bogucharovo was always, before Prince Andrei settled there, an estate behind the eyes, and the Bogucharovo men had a completely different character from the Lysogorsk men. They differed from them in their speech, clothing, and morals. They were called steppe. The old prince praised them for their tolerance at work when they came to help with cleaning in the Bald Mountains or digging ponds and ditches, but did not like them for their savagery.
Prince Andrei's last stay in Bogucharovo, with its innovations - hospitals, schools and ease of rent - did not soften their morals, but, on the contrary, strengthened in them those character traits that the old prince called savagery. There were always some vague rumors going around between them, either about the enumeration of all of them as Cossacks, then about the new faith to which they would be converted, then about some royal sheets, then about the oath to Pavel Petrovich in 1797 (about which they said that back then the will came out, but the gentlemen took it away), then about Peter Feodorovich, who will reign in seven years, under whom everything will be free and it will be so simple that nothing will happen. Rumors about the war in Bonaparte and his invasion were combined for them with the same unclear ideas about the Antichrist, the end of the world and pure will.
In the vicinity of Bogucharovo there were more and more large villages, state-owned and quitrent landowners. There were very few landowners living in this area; There were also very few servants and literate people, and in the life of the peasants of this area, those mysterious currents of Russian folk life, the causes and significance of which are inexplicable to contemporaries, were more noticeable and stronger than in others. One of these phenomena was the movement that appeared about twenty years ago between the peasants of this area to move to some warm rivers. Hundreds of peasants, including those from Bogucharov, suddenly began to sell their livestock and leave with their families somewhere to the southeast. Like birds flying somewhere across the seas, these people with their wives and children strove to the southeast, where none of them had been. They went up in caravans, bathed one by one, ran, and rode, and went there, to the warm rivers. Many were punished, exiled to Siberia, many died of cold and hunger along the way, many returned on their own, and the movement died down by itself just as it had begun without an obvious reason. But the underwater currents did not stop flowing in this people and were gathering for some new force, which was about to manifest itself just as strangely, unexpectedly and at the same time simply, naturally and strongly. Now, in 1812, for a person who lived close to the people, it was noticeable that these underwater jets were doing strong work and were close to manifestation.
Alpatych, having arrived in Bogucharovo some time before the death of the old prince, noticed that there was unrest among the people and that, contrary to what was happening in the Bald Mountains strip on a sixty-verst radius, where all the peasants left (letting the Cossacks ruin their villages), in the steppe strip , in Bogucharovskaya, the peasants, as was heard, had relations with the French, received some papers that passed between them, and remained in place. He knew through the servants loyal to him that the other day the peasant Karp, who had a great influence on the world, was traveling with a government cart, returned with the news that the Cossacks were ruining the villages from which the inhabitants were leaving, but that the French were not touching them. He knew that yesterday another man had even brought from the village of Visloukhova - where the French were stationed - a paper from the French general, in which the residents were told that no harm would be done to them and that they would pay for everything that was taken from them if they stayed. To prove this, the man brought from Visloukhov one hundred rubles in banknotes (he did not know that they were counterfeit), given to him in advance for the hay.

Order Lagomorpha

These are small and medium-sized mammals. They have two pairs of incisors in the upper jaw, located one after the other so that behind the large front ones there is a second pair of small and short ones. There is only one pair of incisors in the lower jaw. There are no canines, and the incisors are separated from the molars by a wide gap.

Lagomorphs have a short tail and long, pointed ears. In most species, the hind legs are significantly longer than the front legs.

Lagomorphs feed mainly on plant foods. The stomach consists of two sections, the intestine is very long, with a cecum.

The order includes hares, rabbits, and pikas.

White hare

White hare- a small animal, body length from 40 to 65 cm, tail - 6–10 cm, weight 2.5–5.5 kg.

It has a relatively large head with a rounded muzzle, long ears; the eyes are located on the sides of the head and widely spaced; the hind legs are longer than the front ones. In summer the fur color is brown or reddish-brown, in winter it is white, the ears are edged with black; the tail is black on top.

The mountain hare lives in spruce, mixed and deciduous forests. It is most active in the morning and night hours, and during the day it rests in some kind of shelter. Before lying down, he confuses the tracks, meanders, makes several jumps in different directions and hides. The hare moves in short leaps when calm and in huge leaps when in danger, and at the same time reaches speeds of up to 40 km/h or more. This is facilitated by the long hind legs, with their help the hare protects itself from enemies. If it is overtaken by a feathered predator, it lies on its back and fights off with its strong hind legs.

In summer, the white hare feeds mainly on herbaceous plants, berries, mushrooms, and in winter on tree bark and bush shoots. Females annually give birth to 2–3 litters of 2–8 hares. Cubs are born developed, sighted, and covered with fur.

By winter, the hare grows thicker and longer hair on its belly, and fluffy hair appears around its nostrils - all this protects it from cooling on frosty days while stationary in the snow. It is well adapted to move through deep, loose snow and does not get stuck in it, as it has long hind legs with wide, densely pubescent soles. White hares live 7–8 years.

An important fishery. Valuable fur-bearing animal. The meat has excellent taste.

Brown hare

Brown hare somewhat larger than the white hare. The color in summer is reddish-gray with black ripples, the sides are lighter, without ripples. Winter color is lighter, the tail is black on top (see textbook illustration, p. 230). The hare has longer ears, bent forward, they protrude far beyond the end of the muzzle. The brown hare lives in the forest-steppe and steppe and, like the hare, eats plant foods. Everywhere it is an object of fishing.

Wild rabbit

Wild rabbit smaller than a hare; its ears and hind legs are relatively short. The color of the upper side of the body is brown-gray, the belly is white, and the tail is black on top.

The rabbit is widespread in the southwest of Ukraine, inhabiting cliffs of the sea coast, vegetable gardens, and orchards. It feeds on herbaceous plants, young shoots, and the bark of shrubs. Unlike hares, rabbits dig holes with several exits. In them they escape from enemies and bad weather, give birth to babies - naked and helpless, the rabbits feed on their mother's milk, grow and develop quickly. At the age of one month, the rabbits begin to feed on grass.

The wild rabbit is the ancestor of domestic rabbits, which are also herbivorous and fertile: they reproduce several times during the year.

Domestic rabbits are bred for meat, skins, and fluff. Meat is used as a dietary nutritious product, fur products (fur coats, hats, etc.) are made from the skins, woolen threads are spun from fluff, and shawls, sweaters, and scarves are knitted.

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summary of other presentations

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“Species of mammals” - Protected species. Stuffed animal of any predatory animal. Walrus tusks are a very valuable ornamental material. Characteristic features of the order Proboscidea. Pinnipeds. Species living in our area. Characteristic features of the order Pinnipeds. Interesting stuff. Characteristic features of the order Carnivora. Among proboscideans, humans value tusks and ivory. Mammals. Characteristic features of the order Cetaceans. Habitats of the order Proboscis.

“Jerboa” - Landscape in a cage. Hibernation. Jerboas are very clean animals. Feeding jerboas. Types of jerboa. Content. Life in nature. Big jerboa. Animals of the steppe. Description. Jerboa. Feeding. Meaning. Distribution. Products of plant origin. Number.

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"Artiodactyls" - Hippos. Suborders of artiodactyls. Pig family. Elk. Giraffe neck. Suborder Ruminants. Giraffe. Hippos swim well. Artiodactyls. Bison. Okapi. Order Artiodactyls. Suborder Non-Ruminants. Herd animal. General characteristics. Hippopotamus. Warthog. Herbivore. Brush-eared pig. Female. Argali.

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