Animals of hot countries biology. GCD for familiarization with the outside world in the preparatory group “Animals of hot countries. Nature, plants and animals of North America

When it comes to what animals live in hot countries, most people think of elephants, lions and crocodiles. However, these are far from the only representatives of the animal world living in hot climates, whose lifestyle and appearance may be interesting.

Wild animals of hot countries include monkeys, hippopotamuses, mongooses, jackals, representatives of the cat family, and even bears. The list of names of inhabitants of hot climates will take more than one or even two pages. Some of them are more interesting because they are almost absent from our zoos, which means that it is almost impossible to see them at least in enclosures. Such animals include mongooses, baboons, lemurs and buffalos.

Mongooses

These animals, whose name is familiar to everyone who has read Kipling’s works, live in Asia, India, Africa, and even on the southern borders of Europe they are also found. In the modern world, scientists count 35 varieties of mongooses. Zoologists divide them into 14 genera.

Regardless of what genus and species mongooses belong to, their lifestyle and habits are the same. These animals do not like loneliness and prefer to live in communities. The size of such a community can reach 50-60 individuals.

They settle both in burrows and tree hollows. They can dig holes themselves or use abandoned ones.

These animals of hot countries are predators. They hunt the same way they live - together. And when looking for prey, they funny stand on their hind legs, stretching out and swaying a little. At this point, mongooses are very reminiscent of gophers and marmots. Although in India at this moment the similarity is seen not with these rodents, but with the natural enemies of mongooses - snakes. The animals are both diurnal and nocturnal. They choose to hunt at night when it is too hot during the day.

What else is interesting about the mongoose?

Interesting facts about animals of hot countries regarding mongooses always begin with such points as omnivorousness and high ability to adapt. In the absence of prey, the animal does not begin to migrate, as many predators do. He simply changes his diet.

If there is no one to hunt, mongooses eat larvae, large insects, and crustaceans. And if they are not there, then they completely calmly switch to plant foods, starting to feast on nuts, fruits, roots and everything they can get.

The mongoose is easily tamed. In many Indian villages, this is not a wild animal at all, but a completely domestic animal, living with people for generations. Mongooses at home are a cross between a cat and a dog. They catch mice and other small rodents, drink milk from saucers, ensure the safety of homes from poisonous snakes, but at the same time they also protect settlements from strangers, they can look after grazing goats, ward off predators and sleep together with a person, curled up in a ball.

Baboons

Animals of hot countries such as baboons are not just a species of monkeys. The baboon is the largest monkey in the vastness of Arabia and the African continent. This is where their natural habitat is located.

In addition to their size, baboons are distinguished from other monkeys by the following qualities:

• endurance;
• aggressiveness;
• reasonableness;
• ability to adapt.

The intelligence of baboons lies in their cunning. This monkey never forgets anything and is able to wait for years for the right moment to, for example, take revenge on the offender.

Baboons are nomads. They do not lead a sedentary life in one place, and are not inclined to become attached to territory or fight for it. These monkeys are constantly wandering, and their physical endurance can give odds to this quality of many other representatives of the fauna.

About the external differences of baboons

These animals of hot countries also differ from other monkeys in appearance. They have a different head structure - the upper jaw bones are very wide and developed. The mouth of a baboon is also difficult to confuse with the mouth of monkeys of other species - this animal has protruding powerful fangs, giving it a resemblance to cartoon vampires.

But the most important external feature of the baboon, which is simply impossible not to pay attention to, is its bare buttocks. Moreover, their skin is brightly colored and, as a rule, in red shades.

About the social relationships of baboons

They live and travel in large families. The family is headed by the strongest, most beautiful and experienced baboon. However, the aggressiveness of these animals forces the young to periodically challenge the leader’s right to leadership.

An interesting fact is the inequality in the female team of baboon families. The female that the leader prefers enjoys much greater authority and popularity among the rest of the pack, as do her cubs. But as soon as the main baboon shows attention to another female, all respect is lost.

Baboons feed mainly on plant foods, but they are absolutely omnivorous and do not disdain anything.

Lemurs

Animals in hot countries sometimes have names specific to the European ear, similar to some words. For example, a lemur. The name of this animal in pronunciation is identical to the French word “love”. However, the animal is named not from the French word, but from the Greek. In Ancient Greece it meant “night spirit.”

Lemurs are the most poorly studied animals by zoologists. At the end of the last century, scientists knew about thirty varieties of these animals. Nowadays, zoologists already talk about a hundred different species.

The smallest of the lemurs is Microcebus. This animal is often called the mouse lemur. The length of its body reaches a maximum of 13 centimeters. And the largest known species is the Polumak. It grows up to half a meter.

These animals of hot countries feed mainly on plant foods. And they are active in the evening and at night. Their habitat is the Comoros Islands and Madagascar. The animals live for 30-40 years, and prefer to live in large communities.

The lemur, like the mongoose, is well tamed and does well in captivity. However, unlike the mongoose, it does not bring any practical benefit - it does not catch anyone, does not protect anything, moreover, out of boredom, it can begin to restore its own order in the house.

Buffaloes

The buffalo is a huge wild bull, distinguished from the domesticated one by the shape of the horns framing the head or forming a crown and a more phlegmatic disposition. These artiodactyls live in the vastness of Africa and India.

Buffalo horns can reach a couple of meters. The most famous images of these horns adorn the walls of Egyptian buildings. The mythical bulls carrying the sun between their horns are buffalos.

Although these animals have a rather phlegmatic disposition, they are completely devoid of fear. It doesn’t matter who the buffalo thinks is threatening him - a man, a tiger, a lion, a pack of hyenas or jackals, this bull will fight. This feature is common to all types of buffalo.

They live in large herds, numbering a hundred animals or more. Although a lone buffalo never retreats, the herd always takes an orderly flight at the signal of the leader. What causes this interesting fact is not clear to scientists.

Buffaloes live on average about 20 years. They feed exclusively on plant foods. In India, they are domesticated and are real draft animals - they carry heavy loads, are harnessed to plows, and children ride on them. Unlike the cow, the buffalo is not considered a sacred animal in this country.

What are the characteristics of animals in hot countries?

The characteristics of animal life in hot climates are determined by climatic conditions. The absence of cold means that they:

• do not store food;
• do not dig deep multi-meter holes;
• do not hibernate.

Most of the animals living in hot latitudes have such qualities as laziness, lack of desire to hunt constantly, and a calm attitude towards humans. It is on these properties that safari parks are based. That is, animals, seeing another biological species that is not the subject of their hunt, calmly continue to go about their own business, not paying any attention to tourists. And traveling through the savannas, you can see the following picture - lions lounging on the grass in close proximity to grazing antelopes or buffalos.

Tell the kids

The animal world is very amazing, sometimes facts about them can delight you, and sometimes even frighten you. Our smaller brothers will surprise us more than once with newly revealed discoveries.

Here are some surprising facts about animals from swelteringly hot countries:

The lion remains king exclusively within hot climates; in cold climates he will be defeated by another king - the polar bear.

Ostriches can safely be called single fathers; they mate with several females at the same time, and subsequently they lay their eggs in one nest and leave them in the care of their father.

Male monkeys are going bald.

In addition to tasty food, crocodiles also swallow stones, this helps them dive deep.

Elephants can draw.

One monkey received a medal and a military rank during the First World War, maybe they really are so similar to people?

Those who want to tell children more will be interested in the following interesting facts about animals: .

LIONS

The kings of beasts contain a lot of interesting things, namely:

Despite their courage and bravery, they have the smallest heart of all predators.

Lions are real sleepyheads, per daythey sleep 20 hours .

The muzzle of these predators is unique; you cannot find two lions whose muzzle will be completely the same, although people do not always notice it.

They may look like formidable creatures, but in the circle of their pride they behave very affectionately, they love to rub their faces against each other.

Lions can begin to roar only after two years; before this time they simply do not know how to do it.

Lionesses feed not only their cubs with their mother's milk, but also all others in the pride.

Taking food from other predators is not the style of lions; they are disdainful of eating what jackals and hyenas have touched.

They don’t hunt just for fun, so even zebras can sleep peacefully next to a hungry lion.

GIRAFFE

Herbivorous giraffes are no less interesting.

If humans have unique patterns on their fingers, and lions have unique muzzles, then giraffes have a unique recognition mark using the heel on their skin.

Baby giraffes begin their lives with a difficult test: a fall from a two-meter height.

The maximum time this long animal sleeps per day is one hour, and more often twenty minutes. Moreover, this dream occurs in a standing position, one can only be surprised at how they do not fall at this moment.

The color of their tongue is black, and has an incredible length of 50 centimeters.

There is no order in the herds of giraffes, no matter what gender or age they are, everyone is equal and free access to it is open to everyone.

Only the giraffe cannot yawn.

They sleep little, but eat a lot, up to 20 hours a day. We can say that food makes up the main part of the life of these amazing animals.

GORILLAS

What unusual is hidden behind an animal so similar to a human?

In fact, the relationship between humans and gorillas is scientifically substantiated, becauseDNA matches 98 percent , in addition, they, like people, have 10 fingers on the lower and upper limbs and 32 teeth.

Females do not give birth to many cubs, like other wild animals, in which one offspring can reach 20 cubs. Most often, they have no more than three children in their entire life. Pregnancy lasts quite a long time. Approximately 8 months.

Gorillas know how to cry, but not with tears like people, but by making plaintive sounds.

Until the age of three, cubs are not able to exist without the help of their mother; she feeds them, carries them and protects them from danger.

These large primates do not like water, they try to hide from the rain, and get water from green leaves.

Gorillas live quite a long time for animals, up to 50 years.

At the age of 8 years, females have to leave their family and look for a new one, so they become adults and enter adulthood.

ZEBRAS

So black with white stripes or white with black? An eternal mystery.

Repeated studies have proven that the zebra is still black with white stripes.

Despite their love of cleanliness and constant licking of each other, zebras do not deny themselves dirty dust baths.

Mother zebra's milk is not white, but soft pink.

Zebras are team animals; they coexist in herds and stand guard while their relatives rest.

In herds, everyone is divided into small families; family is generally the main distinguishing feature of these amazing animals.

Since ancient times, people have tried to make zebras domestic, to tame them, but even today no one succeeds. Zebras love freedom, although their coexistence cannot be called absolutely free.

Females carry their babies for a whole year before giving birth to them.

ELEPHANTS

What if the elephant was a predator?! Then it would be difficult for many, because they are capable of killing with just their weight. But they are not predators, and on top of that they are very kind.

Here's what else is interesting about them:

Females carry their cubs for two whole years.

At birth, elephant calves do not have teeth, like human cubs, they first develop milk teeth, and only then molars.

300 liters and 300 kilograms : Only elephants can eat and drink so much in one knock.

Matriarchy reigns in elephant herds; mature and strong females become leaders.

Each individual elephant has its own unique ear rim.

Elephants cannot run at all; their fastest movement is fast walking.

They eat not only grass and leaves. Berries, fruits and even tree bark are a real treat for them.

There are animals that weigh 6 kilograms, and there is the brain of an elephant, which weighs exactly the same. By the way, this affects their mental characteristics, because they are one of the most intelligent animals.

Hello!

When preparing for school, introduce your child to animals that live in different parts of the world. Today I invite you to read to your child about some animals living in hot countries.

What animals live in hot countries?

Monkey, lion, elephant, kangaroo and camel and many other animals live in hot countries and are classified as wild animals, since they live separately from people and get their own food.

Of all the animals, monkeys are the most similar to humans. This is probably why children and adults love watching them. Monkeys play with pleasure, cheerfully chase each other and make funny faces.

The monkey has a long tail, with which it clings to tree branches. With her hands she deftly picks bananas and other fruits from them. The monkey is very smart. For example, if she needs to reach a juicy and tasty fruit that hangs too high, she will take a stick and knock it down. No other animal can think of this.

The lion is a very beautiful and formidable animal. He is incredibly strong and can even knock down a bull to the ground with one blow of his paw. The lion's roar is so loud that it can make you deaf. No wonder the lion is called the king of beasts.

The lion has a large shaggy mane and a tufted tail. He spends most of his time relaxing or protecting his family. The lioness usually does the hunting. She is slightly smaller than a lion and has no mane.

Lions feed on the meat of animals caught in hunts. Having had a good lunch, they may not eat anything for several days.

Be sure to watch wonderful cartoons about lions: “The Lion King”, “The Lion Cub and the Turtle”, “Boniface’s Vacation”.

The elephant is the largest animal that lives on land. It’s good that he is not yet a predator, otherwise other animals would have had a bad time. The elephant eats leaves and fruits of trees, branches and grass.

The elephant has huge ears, thick legs and a long trunk, which it uses as a hand: it picks fruits from trees and douses itself with water. An elephant's skin is very thick. Even the sharpest thorns cannot pierce it.

The elephant is not afraid of anyone. After all, if he gets angry, he can simply trample his enemy. Therefore, other animals, and even the lion, treat him with respect and always give way.

Kangaroo is one of the most amazing animals on Earth. A kangaroo has a warm, soft pouch on its belly in which its baby hides. He is born very tiny, smaller than your little finger, and immediately crawls into his mother’s bag. Only after six months does he gradually begin to crawl out. When the cub turns one year old, it leaves its mother's pouch forever.

Kangaroo is the world champion in long jump. With one jump he can easily jump to the other side of the street! And all this thanks to strong long legs. But with the help of their short front legs, kangaroos sometimes push or fight with each other, like real boxers.

Kangaroos usually feed at night. They eat grass or tree leaves.

You may have seen on TV how a camel slowly wanders through the hot desert with a person or a heavy load on its back. It seems as if he is floating on sandy waves. This is probably why it was called the “ship of the desert.”

The camel is very hardy. It easily tolerates extreme heat and extreme cold. A camel can go without drinking for several days, and go without food for even longer. The hump in which food is stored helps him not to die of hunger. The camel eats a wide variety of food and even thorns.

When you see a camel at the zoo, don't go close to it. Camels can spit great!

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Description of the video lesson

Professor Lis. Hello guys. My name is Professor Lis. I love to explore the world around me, and my curiosity earned me the nickname “professor.” An exciting, educational journey awaits us today. And where and to whom we will find out when we solve the riddles. Speaker. That's the neck! Above the closet of a spotted... That's right, a giraffe. An evil green steamboat lives in the rivers of Africa. Whoever swims towards him will swallow everyone... Crocodile. The trunk is long, the mouth is with fangs, the legs seem like pillars. Did you find out who it is?... Elephant. This tabby cat lives in the jungles of India. Hunting all year round This striped cat... Tiger. They look very wonderful: Dad has wavy locks, And Mom walks around with her hair cut... Leo Professor Fox. How can you call these animals in one word?... Announcer. Animals of hot countries. These animals are also called exotic. Why are they called that? Because they are unusual and do not live in our climate under natural conditions. Animals of hot countries live in Africa, India, South America, and Australia. Where can we see animals from hot countries in our city? When visiting the zoo, at the circus, on TV, in pictures in books and magazines. Here we are in Africa. Desert... All around are either yellow, small, powdery sands, or gray, weathered stones. The sultry sky breathes heat. No water, not a bush of greenery. And next to it is a solid wall of tropical forest: trees, bushes, vines. The leaves on them are thick and juicy

new Birds fly, looking like magical flowers. It's always gloomy and humid here. You can hear the roar of predators and the screeching of monkeys. Professor Lis. How do animals adapt to life in hot countries? Speaker. A camel accumulates fat in its humps, which turns into water in the heat, and wide, calloused feet protect it from the hot sand, long legs lift the camel above the ground and it is not so hot. Lizards and snakes bury themselves in the sand for the day, and desert mice and jerboas dig many cool holes. All cats - lion, tiger - spend time in the trees, higher from the hot sand. And jerboas hibernate in the hot months, just like our brown bear in winter. In the jungle, ringing flies everywhere, If an elephant trumpets loudly. And the giraffe has a long neck, and he can see everything around him. The zebra has a horse's mane, and is a good friend to everyone. And in the morning a kangaroo galloped easily across the desert. The sun makes everything sparkle in your eyes. The tigress lies with the cubs. In distant Africa, a brave lion is responsible for everyone. Professor Lis. There are many inhabitants in Africa. Look, here are some residents who greet us hospitably on a sandy hill, they really want to tell us about themselves: The lion speaks. “I am a lion, a huge and strong cat, I have lived in Africa a long time ago. We lions have yellowish or reddish-brown skin; the older the lion, the darker our mane. We can handle almost any animal and are hesitant to attack only elephants, rhinoceroses, African buffalos and gorillas. Little lion cubs have spotted skin, long, sharp claws on their paws, and a dark tassel at the tip of their tail. I am an African predator. They call me the “king of beasts” because the males have a thick mane and a very important, leisurely gait. We lead a rather lazy lifestyle." The elephant speaks. “I am an African elephant, the largest animal, I have a smaller brother - an Indian elephant. Elephants' skin is wrinkled, bare, and without hair. The trunk is long and elastic. We elephants use it to pick plants and bring them to our mouths. A flexible trunk replaces our hand; I use it to tear bananas and other fruits. From the trunk we pour water on ourselves or sprinkle ourselves with dust. If you get used to it, it will be a good helper: uproot trees in the forest with fangs, drag large stones from place to place.

The elephant is a very smart animal." The camel speaks. “I am a two-humped camel. One-humped camels are also found. Camels live in hot, shifting sands. We can endure hunger and thirst for the longest time, even for a whole week, it happens that we can do without water and food - fat feeds us. We have humps on our backs filled with fat. We eat dry herbs and leaves of desert plants.” Says the chimpanzee “I am a chimpanzee, a type of ape. We chimpanzees are short. We live in the African jungle. Our favorite food is fruit, we especially like bananas and figs. We usually run on all fours, but sometimes we stand on our hind legs and walk like humans. We sleep in a big nest of branches on a tree.” Speaker. We had a wonderful trip. We learned so much about the inhabitants of hot countries. Professor Lis. Let's play. You need to recognize the animal by description. Speaker. In the jungles of Africa live striped, predatory... tigers. In Africa there live strong, maned lions. Agile, long-tailed... monkeys jump on palm trees in Africa. You can meet large pachyderms... hippopotamuses. In Africa live timid, fast, striped... zebras. In Africa live spotted, long-necked... giraffes. Hardy, two-humped... camels. Very smart, huge, strong... elephants. In the rivers there are green, toothy, dangerous for everyone... crocodiles. Slow, short-legged... turtles are found in Africa. The fastest-footed animal on the planet... the cheetah. The smartest of the monkeys... the chimpanzee. Professor Lis. Very often people are compared to different animals or their behavior and appearance. Listen to the comparisons, think and explain when these expressions are used. Speaker. "Lion's Mane" This is what they say about a person who has a lush hairstyle on his head, a lot of hair. "Crocodile Tears" This can be said about a person who cries while pretending to cry. "Stomps like an elephant." About people who walk and stomp their feet loudly.

“Wolf appetite. This is what they say about someone who is very hungry and can eat everything that is offered to him. "Turtle step" Slowly walking man. Professor Lis. So our little exciting journey has ended. One two Three. Fly back to kindergarten.

The fauna of our planet is very rich and diverse on all continents, in all countries, regions and regions. Many species of animals live at all latitudes, from the North Pole to Antarctica. And in hot climates there are especially many of them. The hottest continent is Africa, where air temperatures sometimes reach over 50˚C. The well-known elephants, giraffes, hippopotamuses, lions, cheetahs, zebras, rhinoceroses, various monkeys, small, large, bright and birds of prey, and many other animals live there.

But besides Africa, our huge planet contains a large number of hot regions. These are deserts and semi-deserts of different continents. A desert is an arid natural zone where the annual rainfall is less than 25 cm. Even during infrequent rains, desert soil hardly absorbs water, so it dries out quickly. The average temperature in hot deserts is above 30˚C, and sometimes reaches 50˚C. But despite the unfavorable conditions, a wide variety of life forms can be found in deserts. Animals in deserts mainly get water from food.

They hardly excrete sweat, urine or other bodily fluids, which conserves precious moisture. Most large mammals have a body covered with thick fur, which protects them from the heat. Small animals usually live underground, where they survive the heat of the day. Many desert animals are nocturnal.

The giraffe is common in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Absent from dense forests, it can be found in savannas or woodlands. Height - up to 6 m, weight - up to 750 kg. The giraffe feeds on leaves, shoots and flowers of trees, primarily acacias and mimosa. It deftly tears off leaves with its long tongue. Even the thorniest acacia branches do not bother him at all. Keeps in small herds. The female gives birth to one baby up to 180 cm tall. The newborn gets to its feet within a few minutes and follows its mother. Due to its height and strong legs, the giraffe has almost no natural enemies. Even a lion will decide to attack him only during a watering hole. This is the most dangerous moment for the giraffe, because it has to not only bow its head low, but also spread its legs wide.

An honored sprinter, the cheetah also inhabits hot regions, Africa and some desert areas of Asia (Iran). He hunts during daylight hours - in the morning or evening - on gazelles and other small, very fast antelopes (springbok, impala). Less often, it can also hunt large prey - wildebeest, oryx or waterbuck. Most often he stays alone. If several cheetahs are seen together, it is mainly a group of brothers and sisters that has not yet broken up, or a mother with already large children. There are usually four blind kittens in a litter. Then the cubs remain in the care of their mother until they are one and a half to two years old. Young cheetahs have semi-retractable claws, but with age they become blunt and non-retractable, like those of a dog.

Among the fauna of hot regions you can often find the black-backed jackal. It can live in a variety of landscapes, but avoids dense forests. One of the most omnivorous members of the family. The black-backed jackal eats a variety of small animals. Sometimes it picks up the remains of the prey of large predators, and does not disdain carrion. Forms permanent pairs. It often digs holes on its own, but most often uses old fox or porcupine holes. The female gives birth to three to eight cubs. The male participates in raising and raising the offspring. The black-backed jackal enjoys a well-deserved reputation as a parasite. Often joins a lion or tiger in a meal without waiting for them to eat. Without the slightest fear, he steals tasty morsels from under the hyena’s nose. A person steals everything that is “bad”; in landfills he is not at all embarrassed by the presence of a pack of stray dogs.

Many insects, lizards, rodents and other small animals are also an important part of the fauna of hot areas.

A very interesting insect is the horn-winged empusa, which lives in deserts with sparse shrub vegetation in the Middle East, Transcaucasia and Central Asia. This bizarre insect has a body length of up to 65 mm. It feeds on insects, which it catches with its front pair of legs. On the head of the empusa there is a small area of ​​​​chitinous cover, which, like a mirror, reflects the sun's rays. This creates the illusion of a shiny drop of dew. It is a kind of bait for other insects during the hot season. Most often, flies are tempted by it, flying to get drunk, and in return they fall straight into the deadly embrace of a predator.

Several species of turtle cockroaches are common in the sandy and clayey deserts of Central Asia. They feed on a variety of plant foods. The female lays several dozen eggs, “packed” in a dense chitinous shell called ootheca. The turtle cockroach becomes an adult in its fourth year of life. These insects are nocturnal. They hide from the heat of the day in various hiding places, most often in rodent burrows. Often a whole group of insects of different ages populates here.

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