Temperate broad-leaf forests in Europe

You can see the dwellers of the European broad-leaved forest. This zone is characterized by mild climate and fertile soils. Compared to taiga forest, where coniferous forests prevail, the trees with broad leaves grow here: oak, linden, maple, ash, elm, hornbeam. It is a light forest, which is rich in different bush species. And its fauna is more numerous and diverse than in taiga. Unfortunately, the European broad-leaved forests were greatly affected by the human activity. The primary forests are left only in the national parks, conservation areas and inaccessible mountainous areas. Many animals, especially the big ones, disappeared from the previous places of habitation.

Look at the European bison – it is the most massive animal in the European broad-leaved forest. It was the usual dweller of the European forests in the Middle Ages. As a result of intense hunting and deforestation, the quantity of the European bisons start decreasing rapidly, and the last three animals were killed at the beginning of the previous age. But fortunately people started recovering the livestock of the European bisons. Those European bisons that live in the conservation areas now descended from a few animals preserved in the European zoos.

Boars, fallow deer, red deer, roe deer live in the broad-leaved forests. The black stork builds its nests along the banks of water bodies, and compared to its relative white stork, it cannot live near humans. Strangely enough, but a jay plays an important role in the forest, and that is why it likes acorns and lays them in a stock burring into the ground. The number of such storage places is measured in hundreds and even thousands, the jay cannot find some of its storage places later, acorns grow out, and it facilitates distribution of oaks.

Please, find a sleeper, I am speaking about a small animal. Its name speaks for itself. Having made impressive fat stores and doubled its weight by autumn, the animal hibernates as a badger. But the badger is an active animal – it is the well-known construction “engineer” of underground castles. During many years it builds an underground labyrinth of the wide and deep passes with numerous entrance holes, dead ends and nest chambers. Badgers are rare neatniks; their holes are renovated every year and have ventilation. Please, find a harvest mouse in the showcase. These tiny animals build their nests in high grass at a height of around one meter and brood young mice in them. The weight of new-born harvest mice does not exceed one gram.

We move further to the arid regions of the Old World. Showcase number eight with a saiga antelope is to the right of you.