Animals of North America. Names, descriptions and photos of animals of North America Prairie wildlife

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In the polar part North America the climate is cold, arctic, to the south - temperate, turning into subtropical and even tropical. Natural zones in many ways resemble the natural zones of the Eurasian continent.

In the very north are tundra, to the south - coniferous, then broadleaf forests, but the steppes and deserts are not stretched from west to east, but from north to south,

Many representatives of the flora and fauna of the Old and New Worlds are similar. This is explained by the fact that relatively recently (on a geological time scale) Asia and America were connected by a giant "bridge" - Beringia, located on the site of the modern Bering Sea. Animals, birds, insects and the beginnings of plants freely migrated along this "bridge". Later, this piece of land sank under water, communication was interrupted, and life on each continent began to develop independently.

In North America, you can find many "our" animals. There are found brown bears, wolves, moose, noble and reindeer. On the other hand, American forests are home to marsupial opossums, armadillos, hummingbirds - species peculiar only to american nature, This is the only place on Earth where you can find forests of sequoia - an amazing coniferous tree, able to live for more than 3000 years and grow up to 100 meters in height. Only in American deserts cacti grow, represented by many species, from small, familiar to us indoor plants up to huge, several meters high.

In the mountains of North America live snow goats. Them favorite places- steep slopes where they feel completely safe. Not every predator is able to move here without the risk of falling into the abyss. Goats, on the other hand, keep very freely, deftly jumping from rock to rock. In winter, when there is a lot of snow, they come down from the high mountains below.

Snow goats have thick, warm, pure white fur. Both males and females have horns. The goats are born in the spring. Within a few minutes after birth, they stand on their feet and are able to quickly run after their mother. In the first days, the kids still do not succeed in dizzying jumps over the abyss, but it will not take much time for them to get stronger and begin to move fearlessly in the mountains.

Snow goats, like other mountain ungulates, feed on various herbs, branches of bushes and trees, and moss.

The raccoon is one of the most common animals in North America. There are raccoons in the forest lands from tropical zone to Canada. In the north, raccoons are active only in summer months, in winter they fall into winter sleep. In the forests, these animals keep to water bodies: forest streams, small dams or large lakes, and rarely move far from them. Raccoons are excellent tree climbers and excellent swimmers. They eat almost everything, but most of all they like insects, frogs and various parts of plants: seeds, fruits, nuts and berries. Sometimes not averse to eating bird eggs and chicks. Before eating, raccoons almost always rinse their food in water to soften it. This innate habit sometimes fails raccoons. If a captive animal is given a piece of sugar, it will also rinse it in water and then examine its empty paws in bewilderment.

Raccoons are twilight animals, they go hunting in the evening or in the morning. The day is spent in hollows or in crevices of rocks.

Raccoons, as valuable fur animals, acclimatized in many places in Europe, the Caucasus and the Far East.

Buffalo

The closest relative of the European bison, the bison, lives in North America. Outwardly, these animals are quite similar, but in the bison the front part of the body is more massive and wider, the forehead is larger, and the legs are shorter.

A little over a century ago, about 100 million bison lived on the American continent. Their habitats were both forests and prairies. The Indians hunted buffalo, but killed only as many as were necessary for food. When the herds left, the Indians roamed after them.

White colonists, seeking to inflict on the Indians maximum damage, began the merciless destruction of these mighty beasts. Animals were killed at every opportunity: shot from the windows of passing trains, pursued on horseback. Most of the bison were killed for fun, the Europeans practically did not use their carcasses. The Indians, having lost their "breadwinners", died out or went to other places. Destroying the bison, the colonists settled the prairies with cows and sheep.

By the beginning of the XX century. bison were on the brink of extinction. Only a few hundred individuals remained, miraculously surviving in the dense forests. And then people finally took up the task of saving these beautiful animals: hunting was forbidden for them, reserves were created, scientists started breeding them. Now the number of bison is stable and does not cause alarm.

In the north of the American continent lives a subspecies of our brown bear - the grizzly. It got its name because of the color of the fur (in English, "grizzly" means "gray"). These are mighty bears, they are larger than the European subspecies and almost the same size as the Far Eastern brown bears. Standing on its paws, a large grizzly reaches a height of 3 m. The size of a grizzly is often exaggerated, but among them there are indeed giants weighing up to 600 kg. Such giants, as a rule, live in nature reserves, where food can be easily found.

AT national parks grizzlies are not afraid of visitors. They are often seen quietly walking along the roads and campsites of tourists. People are forbidden to feed bears because, once they get used to them, they become dangerous and, demanding food, can attack. In conditions wildlife grizzlies, like all brown bears, feed mainly on plant foods and invertebrates.

Noble deer

Red deer are common in Northern Eurasia and North America. There are more than a dozen of their subspecies. For example, in Siberia they are represented by deer, in Transbaikalia - deer, and in America - wapiti.

Wapiti are large and slender deer, the weight of males can reach 300 kg. Only males have horns, which play the role of tournament weapons. In autumn, males gather around them a harem of 2-5 females. At this time, they are very aggressive, break small trees, rip up the ground with their hooves and emit a terrible roar. Violent fights break out between the males. Rivals beat with horns, trying to knock each other down, but deaths almost never happens. The deer stand nearby, dutifully waiting for the winner. With the end of the rut, rival males, forgetting past grievances, gather in bachelor groups or live alone, and females and young animals huddle in herds. In early spring, males shed their horns, and new ones begin to grow in a few days. Summer - fragile, skin-covered horns of deer are called antlers. They are filled with blood and rich in a variety of chemically active substances from which medicines are prepared.

In May, the female gives birth to one or two spotted fawns. For several days, the babies lie in the grass, and the female grazes nearby, coming up to them only for feeding. The fawns memorize a large white spot around the mother's tail and then always and everywhere relentlessly follow it.

Caribou

In the north of North America live wild deer, relatives of domesticated reindeer Eurasia. They are called caribou (from the Indian "xalibu", which means "shoveling snow"). Caribou are somewhat larger than their Eurasian relatives, and their horns are slightly smaller. Most of these deer spend the summer on the tundra, far north, and in the fall they gather in large herds and head south to spend the winter in the forest. They are excellent swimmers and easily swim across rivers and other bodies of water. Caribou feed on grass and lichen, and in the forest also branches and leaves. The so-called forest caribou live in the forest all their lives and hardly wander. The Eskimos and other inhabitants of the Arctic would not be able to live without deer, which provide them with meat, skins and furs.

red lynx

This agile cat with a short tail is a close relative of the common lynx that lives in the forests of Canada, Europe and Asia. Unlike their feline relatives, although their habits and lifestyle are very similar, the red bobcat lives in the warmer regions of North America. This nocturnal solitary predator feeds on small mammals and birds, but sometimes they do not disdain carrion. In the daytime, she hides in crevices of rocks, in hollows of trees, and sometimes behind waterfalls.

The mating season comes in the spring. The lynx bears cubs for about 9 weeks. Males do not help the female to raise the cubs, and young animals become independent quite early, sometimes leaving their mother in autumn.

A couple of years ago this animal, persecuted by hunters and suffering from adverse environmental conditions, was almost completely ousted from its natural habitats.

Once upon a time, prairie dogs were the main food of the ferret. little predator could easily penetrate the narrow burrows of these rodents. AT last years farmers destroyed so many prairie dogs that seems to black-footed ferret will now be able to find enough food to survive only in areas where the environment is protected.

Bighorn Sheep

The bighorn sheep lives in the mountains and on the Great Plain in North America. Its skin is colored brown with a large white spot on the back. The males have large, heavy, spiraling horns, while the females are smaller and lighter. In summer, males and females live separately from each other. In autumn, they come together to mate, and the males arrange fierce battles among themselves, colliding with their large horns.

Snow sheep feed on various plants.

Coyote

Coyotes are one of the most common mammals in the United States. They live in deserts, snow-covered tundra, shady forests, and vast open expanses of prairie. Just like his relative wolf, he eats meat, but does not refuse fruits, berries, eggs, and even carrion.

Coyotes live in groups that vary in size. If there are large prey in their habitats, they, like wolves, unite in large packs. If their main food is small rodents, coyotes live in families. Parents hunt together using different hunting tactics. Coyotes are said to be able to catch even magpies and crows by pretending to be dead.

The material contains information about the unique species of the animal world. Reveals Interesting Facts about its individual representatives. Allows you to form a complete picture of the natural features of the continent.

Animals of Australia

The continent has become home to almost 10% of the Earth's biodiversity. Thanks to this, Australia is on the list of 17 countries in the world that can boast of their unique and richest flora and fauna.

Both the kangaroo and the emu are found in nature only on this continent, which is why these animals are depicted on the coat of arms of Australia.

Rice. 1. Emblem of Australia.

The most famous animals of Australia around the world are:

kangaroo;
ostrich Emu;
koala;
dingo dog;
camel;
rabbit.

About 80% of the animal species found in Australia are endemic and found nowhere else in the world.

Rice. 2. Koala.

The marine life of the green continent is as diverse as the land life.

Continent of unique animals

The animal world of Australia is interesting and attractive for many reasons. The continent is characterized by generous sunshine and a suitable mild climate. There are practically no sharp temperature jumps in this part of the planet.

The shores of the continent are separated from the water element by mountains.

Briefly describe animal world this fertile piece of land will not work. The reason is that the fifth continent is universally declared a continent-reserve.

The emu is considered to be an exclusively Australian inhabitant. The bird is inferior in strength to its African counterpart - the Nanda ostrich, but this does not cease to be less strong. The legs of the bird are so developed that just one blow can cause dangerous fractures. Smaller animals that get in the way of an angry bird run the risk of being killed.

About 2/3 of the presented species of highly developed life are endemic - inhabitants of a limited range, animals that live only and exclusively on this part of the land.

Australia is a habitat for extremely dangerous and poisonous snakes on the planet. To classify snakes according to their degree of danger to humans, the content of poison is compared with poison Indian cobra. australian snakes according to this parameter, they occupy the first lines in the list of dangerous reptiles.

With the approach of civilization to the once wild lands of the mainland, its territories became a haven for a large number of animals brought by colonists and travelers. Among the introduced animals are rabbits, dingoes and camels.

Rabbits were brought to the continent by colonists in order to provide the settlers with meat. But due to the fact that their population began to grow uncontrollably, rabbits flooded the entire continent.

Dingo dogs have evolved into wild predators. The rash actions of the colonists and the first settlers of Australia led to the fact that they disappeared from the ecosystem of the continent forever. rare species ancient biological species.

What have we learned?

We learned which representatives of the local fauna are called endemics. What caused the spread of rabbits across the mainland. What caused the disappearance of some ancient animal species that previously lived on the continent.

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Among the grasses of the savannah. There are periods of drought in the savanna when there is a lack of food. Then numerous herds of animals go in search of more favorable conditions. These migrations can go on for weeks, and only the most enduring animals manage to reach their destination. The weaker are doomed to perish.

The climate of the savanna favors the growth of tall and lush grass. Trees, on the other hand, are rare here.

Baobab not so good tall tree, however, the diameter of its trunk can reach 8 meters.

The African buffalo, along with the hippo, is considered one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. Indeed, if the buffalo is injured or feels a danger to himself or his cubs, he does not hesitate to attack the aggressor and kill him with powerful horns. Even the lion tries to avoid meeting him, as he is not sure of the outcome of the battle. Therefore, only buffaloes that have strayed from the herd, or old and sick animals that are not able to defend themselves, are attacked by predators.

The skin of a zebra is original and easily recognizable. At first glance, all zebras seem the same, but in fact, each animal has its own stripe pattern, like human fingerprints. Countless attempts have been made to tame zebras (domesticate like a horse), but they have always ended in failure. Zebra does not tolerate riders or other cargo on the rump. She is very shy and difficult to approach even in nature reserves.

Zebras are deprived of horns and other means of protection, fleeing from predators. Once in the environment, they defend themselves with their teeth and blows of hooves.

How to spot predators? Zebras' eyesight is not very sharp, so they often graze next to other animals, such as giraffes or ostriches, which are able to notice the approach of predators earlier.

A pursued zebra can travel at 80 kilometers per hour, but not for long periods of time.

On the stripes on the skin of a zebra, you can spill different kinds zebras Particularly significant in this sense are the stripes on the croup.

The lion prefers open spaces, where he finds coolness in the shade of rare trees. For hunting, it is better to have a wide view in order to notice herds of grazing herbivores from a distance and develop a strategy for how best to approach them unnoticed. Outwardly, this is a lazy beast, which, on duty, dozes and does nothing. Only when the lion is hungry and forced to pursue herds of herbivores, or when he must defend his territory, does he come out of his stupor.

Lions do not hunt alone, unlike cheetahs and tigers. As a result, all members of the lion family live together for a long time and grown lion cubs are not expelled from it, unless conditions in the hunting territory become critical.

Usually a group of females goes hunting, while males rarely join them. Hunters surround the victim, hiding in the tall grass. When the animal notices danger, it panics, and it tries to escape at a gallop, but most often falls into the clutches of other hidden lionesses, unnoticed by it.

A characteristic feature of the lion is the thick mane of males, which is not found in other representatives of the cat family.

A lioness usually gives birth to two lion cubs. To become adults, they need about two years - all this time they adopt the experience of their parents.

The claws of a lion can reach 7 cm.

In an effort to survive, all animals have evolved to provide their species with sufficient food. The giraffe can eat the leaves of trees that other herbivores cannot reach: due to its six-meter height, it is taller than all other animals. The giraffe can also take food from the ground, as well as drink water, but for this it must spread its front legs wide in order to bend over. In this position, he is very vulnerable to predators, because he cannot immediately rush to flight.

The giraffe has a very long, thin and soft tongue, adapted to pluck acacia leaves. The lips, especially the upper lips, also serve this purpose. The giraffe cuts off the leaves growing at a height of two to six meters.

The most favorite food of giraffes is the leaves of trees, especially acacia; its thorns do not seem to disturb the animal.

Giraffes live in herds, divided into two groups: in one female with cubs, in the other - males. To win the right to become the leaders of the herd, the males fight by hitting their heads with their necks.

On the run, the giraffe is not very fast and agile. Running away from the enemy, he can count on a speed of only 50 kilometers per hour.

The "secret weapon" of the cheetah is its flexible body with a strong spine, curved like the arch of a bridge, and powerful clawed paws that allow it to firmly rest on the ground. This is the fastest animal in the African savannah. No one can imagine an animal running faster than a cheetah. In short moments, he develops speeds of over 100 kilometers per hour, and if he did not get tired quickly, he would be Africa's most feared predator.

The cheetah prefers to live in small groups of two to eight to nine individuals. Usually such a group consists of one family.

Unlike other members of the feline family, the cheetah's claws never retract, just like dogs. This feature allows the beast not to slip on the ground when running; does not touch the ground while only the claw of the thumb.

The cheetah climbs trees and surveys the savannah from a height to detect herds of grazing herbivores that could become its prey.

The skin of a cheetah is not always covered with spots, sometimes they merge, forming stripes, like a king cheetah.

The long tail serves as a rudder - they can quickly change the direction of the run, which is necessary during the pursuit of the victim.

The African elephant was threatened with extinction both because of the hunting, of which he became a victim at the beginning of the 20th century, since there was a great demand for ivory (tusk) products, and because of the important changes made by man in his habitat. Now elephants live mainly in giant national parks, where they are studied by zoologists and protected by guards. Unfortunately, this is not enough to prevent the destruction of elephants by poachers. It is different with Indian elephant, which has never been in danger since man has used it for centuries in various jobs.

The African elephant is different from the Indian. It is larger, its ears are larger, and its tusks are much longer. In Southeast Asia, elephants are domesticated and used for various jobs. African elephants are not tameable due to their more independent nature.

Like the giraffe, the elephant prefers to feed on the leaves of trees, which it plucks from the branches with its trunk. It happens that he knocks down a whole tree to the ground in order to get food.

Tusks and trunks are two miraculous survival tools for elephants. Elephants use their tusks to protect themselves from predators and use them during dry periods to dig up the ground in search of water. With a very mobile trunk, he plucks leaves and collects water, which he then sends to his mouth. The elephant loves water very much and at the first opportunity climbs into the pond to freshen up. He swims great.

The elephant willingly hides in the shade, because its huge body is hardly cooled. For this purpose, huge ears serve, with which he fanned himself rhythmically to cool himself.

As children hold on to their mother's hand, so do elephants walk, holding on to the elephant's tail with their proboscis.

The natural environment in which the ostrich lives determined the final adaptability of this bird, the largest of all: the mass of an ostrich exceeds 130 kilograms. Long neck increases the growth of the ostrich up to two meters. A flexible neck and excellent eyesight allow him to notice danger from afar from this height. Long legs give the ostrich the ability to run at speeds up to 70 kilometers per hour, usually enough to escape predators.

The ostrich prefers open spaces where everything can be seen from afar and there are no obstacles for running.

Ostriches do not live alone, but in groups of various sizes. While the birds are looking for food, at least one stands guard and looks around the area to spot enemies in time, primarily cheetahs and lions.

The eyes of an ostrich are surrounded long eyelashes, which protect them both from the African sun and from the dust raised by the wind.

Ostriches build their nest in a small hollow, digging it into the sandy soil and covering it with something soft. The female incubates her eggs during the day, because her gray color blends well with environment; the male with predominantly black feathers is engaged in incubation at night.

Females lay from three to eight eggs in a common nest, and each of them incubates the eggs in turn. One egg weighs more than one and a half kilograms and has a very strong shell. It sometimes takes a whole day for an ostrich to break the shell and hatch from the egg.

The beak of an ostrich is short, flat and very strong. It is not specialized for any particular food, but serves to pluck grass and other vegetation and grab insects, small mammals, and snakes.

This huge thick-skinned animal lives both in Africa and in South and Southeast Asia. In Africa, there are two species of rhinoceros, different from those of Asia. African rhinos have two horns and are adapted to a habitat characterized by large expanses with very few trees. The Asian rhinoceros has only one horn and prefers to live in forest thickets. These animals are on the verge of extinction because they are ruthlessly hunted by poachers for their horns, which are in high demand in some countries.

Despite its mass, the African rhinoceros is very agile and can make sharp turns on the run.

The female rhinoceros brings, as a rule, one cub every two to four years. The kid stays with his mother for a long time, even when he grows up and becomes independent. In an hour, a newborn cub can follow its mother on its own legs, moreover, it usually walks either in front of it or on its side. He feeds on mother's milk for a year, and during this time his weight increases from 50 to 300 kilograms.

Male rhinos, like many other animals, are fighting for the right to become the leader. At the same time, they use the horn like a stick, that is, they hit sideways, and not with a point. It may happen that during martial arts the horn breaks, but then it grows back, albeit very slowly.

The rhinoceros has poor eyesight, he sees only up close, like a nearsighted person. But on the other hand, he has the finest sense of smell and hearing, he can smell food or an enemy from afar.

Rhinoceros horn can reach a length of 1.5 meters.

Steppe - endless grassy expanses stretching for several kilometers and not a single tree around. At first glance, the steppe looks like a desert area - only flora and no fauna. But the first impression is wrong! Of course, the fauna of the steppe is not as diverse as in the forests, but there is someone to see here. Hot summers, dry climate, severe cold in winter and the absence of trees leave their mark on the characteristics and behavior of steppe animals. This allows only strong and hardy animals to survive in the steppe. Steppe animals are mainly nocturnal.

There is a steppe on every continent, so there are a huge number of species of steppe animals. Each continent has its own characteristics and its own animals.

Steppe animals of Eurasia continent

If we talk about the steppe animals of our continent, rodents are the first to come to mind. Hares, voles, jerboas. Gophers also live in the steppe - one of the largest in Russia - the yellow gopher can reach one and a half kilograms. And also in steppe zone Baibak lives in Eurasia - this is one of the biggest marmots our continent. Its weight can reach 10 kilograms. All rodents live in burrows. They hide there from enemies, heat and frost. Rodents cover their burrows with dry grass, but they spend most of their lives on the surface in search of food - insects and plants. Most rodents hibernate during the winter.

And also in the steppes of the Eurasian continent you can meet badgers.

As for predators, foxes, ermines, weasels and ferrets can be found in the steppe. They feed on small rodents and insects. Found in Transbaikalia steppe cat Manul. Often small predators occupy rodent burrows.

steppe birds

Most of the birds living in the steppe usually fly away for the winter to warmer climes. Speaking of steppe birds, the first thing that comes to mind is the eagle - a beautiful proud bird of prey. The bustard lives in the steppe - a rather large bird, outwardly similar to a turkey. Bustard is now on the verge of extinction and is listed in the Red Book. If we talk about small birds, then come to mind:

lark;
thrush;
quail;
finch;
goldfinch;
seamstress flycatcher.

Dangerous reptiles live in the steppe: these are steppe viper. Its color allows it to remain unnoticed and its poison is dangerous to humans, although not fatal. Therefore, walking through the steppe expanses, you should carefully look at your feet. It should be noted that the number of this species is rapidly declining from the plowing of steppe lands. steppe viper eats small lizards, frogs, insects, rodents, do not mind eating eggs and chicks of small birds.

Ungulate inhabitants of the Eurasian steppe

Not so long ago, several hundred years ago, in the expanses of the Eurasian steppe, bison and wild donkeys, tarpans and saigas grazed in huge herds. Today they numbers have been significantly reduced. Now most of them are at the stage of extinction, and, for example, the tarpan has already been exterminated by man.

Saiga can be found in the steppes of Russia. This is a small sand-colored antelope. A feature of the saiga is the structure of its muzzle - humpbacked, which ends in a short trunk with a pair of nostrils. It acts as a heater - when running fast in winter, due to the enlarged nasal cavities, the inhaled air is warmed. They can reach speeds of up to 70-80 km per hour.

African steppe

Savannas - the African steppe - are different interesting fauna. She is very diverse. Here you can meet giraffes and elephants. Huge herds of antelopes and zebras graze on the expanses of the savannah. They are prey for bloodthirsty, merciless, strong and fast predators. Here lives the king of beasts - lion, most strong predator savannas. The competition here is the fastest predator on the planet - the cheetah. Its main prey is the antelope. A cheetah-like leopard can prey on baboons and warthogs. Not all savanna predators obtain their prey by stalking or ambushing. The hyena just eats up someone else's prey. But at the same time, if necessary, she is able to hunt and kill, for example, a zebra.

The savannah is inhabited by white and black rhinoceros. Both species are on the verge of extinction. Therefore, activists scientists create reserves to make the rhinos feel safe and protected from poachers. By doing so, scientists hope to preserve and increase the populations of the black and white rhinoceros.

There are many types of birds in the savannah. The first bird that you want to pay attention to is, of course, an ostrich. This is a unique bird. This is not a flying bird, but a "running" one. The ostrich is the largest bird on the planet. An ostrich can weigh up to 150 kilograms.

In the savannah you can find:

storks;
vultures;
vultures;
horned ravens;
and many, many other types.

In Africa, animals are revered. Images of animals can be seen on the coats of arms of many African countries.

Animals of the steppes of Australia

Due to its isolation, Australia has preserved its ancient and peculiar fauna. In Australia you can find many species of endemic animals These species are not found on any other continent.

The brightest and most famous representatives of Australia are, of course, kangaroos. Kangaroos are marsupials, have long strong hind legs and a powerful tail for balance. In height, kangaroos can reach one hundred and seventy centimeters and weigh up to 40 kilograms. Kangaroos move exclusively by jumping and can reach speeds of 60 to 90 kilometers per hour.

Another cute endemic living in the vastness of Australia is wombat. A cute appearance, reminiscent of an teddy bear cub, a mobile and emotional muzzle, at first sight, evoke tenderness. This unique animal has been preserved in its original form, having not undergone any radical changes over 18 million years. Like other endemics of Australia, the wombat belongs to the marsupial family and is a herbivore. The wombat spends a significant part of its life underground. The lifestyle is nocturnal. The wombat feeds on roots, berries, roots, grass shoots and mushrooms.

Animals of the steppe - a huge list of species from ungulates and predators to reptiles and reptiles. You met many of them in the steppes of Russia. But due to the fact that the steppe lands are used for agriculture, many species of steppe animals have either already died out or are on the verge of extinction. It is worth taking care of nature and not forgetting that this heritage is not only ours, but also of our descendants.

The prairies of the Great Plains of the northern part of the continent of America, before their development by Europeans, occupied about 4 thousand kilometers in length and about 800 kilometers in width. The inland location and protection from precipitation from the Rocky Mountains from the west determined them climatic features and limited vegetation. So what is a prairie?

Of course, these are the steppes. They got their name from French settlers. The meaning of the word "prairie" is meadows. Geographically, they are located in the east of the Great Plains, in the mid-west of Canada and the USA. To the north, the prairies are bordered by coniferous forests, in the west - with mountains, in the east - with forest-steppes, and in the south they gradually turn into savannah and semi-desert. The amount of precipitation in the territory North American steppes decreases from east to west. The most arid zones are located in the center. Therefore, the vegetation on the prairies is heterogeneous, it is located in three broad bands: tall grass, mixed and short grass.

The relief of the North American prairies

The expansion of the prairie contributed to the fires and bison

Who knows, perhaps today no one would have a question about what the prairie is, if not for the fires and all the same bison. Scientists believe that forests could grow in these places long ago, according to soil and climatic conditions terrain. Spontaneous fires, burning everything to the ground, and herds of animals, completely eating and trampling the young growth, did their job. Scientists draw their conclusions based on similar processes in Africa, where elephants also contribute to the spread of steppe vegetation. This is how these expanses were formed ... Look at the photo of the prairie - how beautiful it is!