Saiga - description, habitat, lifestyle

Saiga refers to a wild animal, which is considered to be a hoofed mammal. Individuals prefer to dwell in the open spaces of our country, respectively, their distribution affects the steppes of the Russian Federation. Animals are known to people from far times, but now their way of existence is studied in more detail. It is commonly believed that this hoofed animal belonged to mammoths and saber-toothed tigers. However, this theory has a thousand contradictions. Today, we will consider everything that affects saigas so that you can form your opinion.

Habitat

1. Previously, these members of the family were distributed throughout Eurasia. However, the population then declined sharply due to the ice age. The animals moved to the steppe and began to settle there.
2. These animals always prefer living on open plots. They need a flat soil, stony or clay.It is also important that the soil does not fall through and is stable. Animals pick up a territory that does not have elongated forest belts. Individuals protect themselves from potential enemies and lead a rather hidden image of existence.
3. Today, most of the livestock is dispersed in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kalmykia and Mongolia. It is in these countries that the natural environment best suits wild antelope. They are very shy by their nature, do not come close to people's dwellings. Animals feed on cereals and grass. Practically do not need water.

Description

1. Saiga is understood as a medium-sized artiodactyl specimen that is a mammal. It has certain features that allow you to select the animal from the rest. On the body in length it grows up to 1.3 m. With a mass of 80 cm. A distinctive feature is the trunk.
2. Individuals are not distinguished by pigmentation. They are colored light gray or red with brownish patches. Pigmentation depends on which season you are talking about.Body weight varies between 20-35 kg., But there are more heavy members of the family. Their weight reaches 60 kg. and more.
3. One more distinctive feature is hoofs. Animals leave traces in the form of a heart on the soil. The claws are forked. They may be similar to the prints of domestic sheep. These antelopes practically do not make sounds, but can shout, calling for help or informing themselves about danger.
4. Movement of individuals calm, balanced. They walk with their heads down. However, when the danger makes itself felt, members of the family can reach speeds of up to seventy kilometers per hour. With such indicators, individuals can move for 10 or more kilometers. In the process of running you can watch energetic jumps.
5. As for differences by sex, they are almost nonexistent. However, some features, including horns, are still present. In males, they have been growing since birth. Towards six months, they are painted black, and then become brightened. On structure they are wax, translucent. They are bent according to the format, and up to 40 cm in overall characteristics.
6. Partly because of the quality of the horns and their pricing policies, poaching has recently developed. On the black market, they can be sold for a tidy sum, so people destroy antelope without a drop of regret. Animals try to hide from a person with all possible forces, because people are considered their worst enemies.

Lifestyle

1. Discussed members of the family love to live a herd. They congregate in 30 individuals on average, but in the natural environment of distribution there are also much larger clusters - from 50 to 100 heads. By the nature of their stay, they are nomads, changing their habitats in search of better conditions.
2. In the winter, they depart into the desert, because there is little snow. In the summer season they return to their native steppes. These individuals are distinguished by their endurance, they can survive even the most severe weather conditions. They adapt to the weather, human activities, and the predators' stay. Cleverly hiding.
3. The saiga is able to live in the conditions of severe cold or when the heat is unbearable for other individuals. When there is no water, individuals look for vegetation capable of quenching their thirst and the need for valuable substances.The strongest and most enduring representatives of the herd successfully move from place to place, the weak, the young and the sick die.
4. The herd has a leader who leads followers along unfamiliar paths. The head tries to walk a huge distance in 24 hours, thereby checking the rest of the wards for endurance. In winter, they usually reach the designated area and fall into the rut. There are several leaders who are fighting among themselves for the fairer sex.
5. They cause significant damage to each other. A weak member of the pack either surrenders or dies. The males have a life span of four years. Females live a little longer, about 8 years. Partly because of the constant skirmishes, individuals of male affiliation die earlier. Wild antelopes are prolific. Beginning with 7 months, females fall into the rut and are ready to carry babies. Already in the year the first offspring is born.
6. Individuals masculine affiliation matures later, this period takes a couple of years. Females give offspring at the end of springtime. They retire and give birth so that other members of the herd do not interfere. Also, the mother tries to protect the cubs from people who want to make money. For the first time baby one.In the remaining several times there may be two, three.
7. At first, the younger generation is helpless, so the mother everywhere protects the offspring. They lie motionless, then grow strong and repeat everything after their parents. After a couple of weeks, the offspring is already moving in a flock, where adults protect the young. They can feed on their own only after a month.

The enemies

1. The considered individuals prefer to predominantly daytime life. Therefore, at night, they are most vulnerable. The main enemy in the natural nature of such animals is the steppe wolf. The predator is not very powerful, but it is very clever.
2. The only escape is escape. Only in this way can the saiga die. In fact, wolves do a huge favor to the individuals in question. The bottom line is that predators choose only weakened individuals from the entire herd. Therefore, the victims are slow individuals.
3. In some cases, when a wild appetite awakens in wild predators, they are able to destroy a quarter of the entire herd.In addition, saigas are exposed to no small danger from foxes, stray dogs and jackals. Often it is precisely young and antelope that suffer from such predators.
4. It should be noted that approximately in the middle of the last century, hunting for the considered individuals was officially allowed. However, it lasted only 20 years. And in the seventies, saigas again began to be protected. The problem is that already by this time there were no more than 35 thousand individuals in the whole world. And in most cases they were just females.
5. In the modern world, many specialists conduct special programs for the restoration of the presented species throughout the earth. People began to create reserves and protected areas only so that wild antelopes could easily multiply and exist. The most popular reserve is "Rostov". It is located on the lake Manych.
6. Experts of the Wildlife Fund have taken the species under protection. People have learned to control the population of such antelope. Currently, saigas are listed in the Red Book. The number of individuals gradually increases.Specialists, in turn, receive various grants for their successful work. Due to this, animals are protected and protected.

Breeding

1. As for the breeding season, the mating season mostly falls on the beginning of winter. It is noteworthy that the males during the rut tend to create their own harems. Interestingly, females reach puberty much earlier than males.
2. Individuals of the female are ready to give offspring in the second year of life. It is curious that individuals during the mating period from the glands, which are located near the eyes, a liquid with a sharp and unpleasant odor. It has a brownish tint. It is due to this feature that males can feel each other even at night.
3. During the mating season, clashes constantly occur between the males. Moreover, such battles take place quite fiercely. Individuals lash out at each other, tightly colliding with horns. The fight continues until one of the maimed males falls. Often from such wounds saigas die. The winner gets the females.
4. The duration of the marriage period lasts about 10 days.A strong and healthy male may have up to 50 females in the harem. And in the spring each of them already has offspring. There can be from 1 to 3 cubs at a time. Before giving birth, the female leaves with grief and leaves in the steppe.

Saigas are endangered species. Currently, people are engaged in their breeding in reserves. Wild antelopes are protected. Almost nothing threatens them. In the protected area there are almost no natural predators.

Video: Saiga (Saiga tatarica)