Animals that live in water. Freshwater mammals

Regardless of whether they live exclusively in bodies of water or swim only occasionally, all these mammals are a true miracle of nature. They can be found all over the world and are very different from each other. By the way, people often confuse these animals with other aquatic animals. We easily call beavers water lovers, but we often forget that whales are also mammals, and not fish.

From dolphins to moose, aquatic mammals play an essential role in their ecosystems, and they are all naturally excellent swimmers. How many of these types of animals do you know? It's time to test yourself with our selection of 25 of the most amazing marine and waterfowl mammals!

25. Amazonian river or freshwater dolphin

Also known as the pink dolphin, white dolphin or inia, this cetacean lives only in the fresh waters of the great Amazon and the Orinoco river system. There this mammal is found quite often, although in recent years the population of the pink dolphin has begun to decline significantly due to the destruction of their habitat (the construction of dams).

24. Ladoga ringed seal


Photo: Alexander Butakov

Ladoga ringed seals are a very numerous subspecies and the smallest seal in the entire Arctic, which is why inexperienced observers often confuse adults with young animals.

23. Canadian or North American beaver

Photo: Steve/Washington

This is a semi-aquatic rodent with translucent eyelids, created specifically for navigation under water, and with incredibly sharp teeth, with which it chews through the most powerful trees and builds dams. Beavers play a very important role in the life of their habitat and help in its prosperity.

22. Amazonian manatee


Photo: Dirk Meyer

The Amazonian manatee is a rather bizarre looking mammal with two forelimbs and a tail instead of hind legs. This is the smallest manatee in nature.

21. Eurasian otter


Photo: Catherine Trigg

This animal prefers the fresh waters of Europe, feeds on fish and frogs, and sometimes even feasts on small birds.

20. Capybara


Photo: Pixabay.com

The capybara would probably get along well with the African hippopotamus, because it loves the water and mud of the Andean and other South American river coasts. Like hippos, the capybara's eyes, ears and mouth are located almost at the very top of the animal's head, allowing it to observe what is happening around it while being almost completely under water.

19. North American river otter


Photo: Sage Ross

This otter has a water-repellent coat, webbed feet and a long body. By nature, it is simply created to pierce water like an arrow. These funny little animals can hold their breath underwater for as long as 8 minutes!

18. Platypus


Photo: Klaus

The first scientists who encountered these funny mammals thought that the beast was not real, and that one of their colleagues was clearly playing a joke. A cross between a duck, a beaver and an otter is already something absolutely incredible. In addition, the platypus is the only mammal that lays eggs. Males of this species are poisonous.

17. Hippopotamus


Photo: Pexels.com

They love water so much that the Greeks even nicknamed these massive animals “river horses.” Despite their external bulk, hippos are excellent swimmers, and under water they can survive without oxygen for up to 5 minutes.

16. Indian rhinoceros


Photo: Dr. Raju Kasambe

Listed as a vulnerable species (at risk of extinction), the Indian rhinoceros lives mainly in Northern India and Nepal. These rhinos have a number of significant differences from their African relatives, the main one being their unique horn.

15. Water possum or swimming marsupial rat

Photo: wikimedia.commons.com

The water possum is the only mammal in which both females and males have a special fold of skin (bag) on ​​their belly. These animals do not like to gather in packs and rarely live longer than 3 years.

14. Marsh or water shrew


Photo: Tim Gage

This is the tiniest warm-blooded aquatic creature in the world (average weight about 13 grams)! The feet of the marsh shrew are hairy, and this helps it in swimming. By the way, shrews are even smaller.

13. Water vole or European water rat


Photo: Pixabay.com

Water voles are often confused with common rats, but this mammal is a member of the hamster family, not the mouse family. The European water rat lives in the area of ​​river banks, near lakes and ponds.

12. Moose


Photo: Pixabay.com

Elk are the largest member of the deer family and are at home in the water. These animals can even dive!

11. Nutria


Photo: Norbert Nagel

This is a fairly large rodent from South Africa. Nutria feed on aquatic plants, but sometimes they do not disdain mollusks.

10. Walruses


Photo: wikipedia.commons.com

Walruses are typical inhabitants of the Arctic Ocean, and they are incredibly social animals (live in large colonies). Walruses are easily distinguished by their massive tusks and unique vibrissae (dense bristles resembling whiskers). These mammals spend most of their lives on the coast, but they are able to dive to a depth of 55 meters for their prey.

9. Dugong


Photo: Julien Willem

This animal is very similar to the manatee, but it is still allocated to a separate order of sirens. Dugongs are found in the waters of Australia and East Africa, and they can spend 6 months at a time swimming.

8. Leopard seal


Photo: Cyfer13

Like the land leopard, the leopard seal is a bloodthirsty predator. These seals are excellent hunters and the only representatives of their family that feed on warm-blooded animals.

7. Cuvier's beaked whale or middle swimmer


Photo: Chris_huh

Cuvier's beaked whales are found in almost all oceans and even in some of the largest seas. While hunting, these amazing mammals are able to descend as much as 2000 meters below water level!

6. Californian porpoise


Photo: wikipedia.commons.com

This aquatic mammal is on the verge of extinction, but the rare animal was discovered quite recently - only in 1958. California porpoises live in the Gulf of Mexico, and due to poaching, their population has declined enormously in just the last few years.

5. Humpback whale


Photo: Pixabay.com

These giant creatures are known for their unique songs, which can only be heard underwater, of course. Humpback whales weigh about 40 tons and grow up to 19 meters in length, but despite their enormous size, they are excellent swimmers and are able to cover considerable distances during their annual migrations.

4. Polar bear


Photo: Adam Bishop

Believe it or not, polar bears are also classified as aquatic mammals. Polar bears are simply created for living in conditions of eternal cold and for swimming in Arctic waters, because they have a fairly thick layer of subcutaneous fat, and their fur perfectly protects them from moisture. They look clumsy and cumbersome, but they are actually excellent swimmers and can accelerate up to 9.6 kilometers per hour in the water.

3. Harp seal


Photo: Claumoho

These seals love the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. They can stay underwater for up to 15 minutes on one breath, and this ability allows them to successfully catch fish and crustaceans.

2. Orca


Photo: Pixabay.com

Killer whales are also sometimes called killer whales (due to an error in translating the species name from Spanish back in the 18th century). Killer whales are the largest members of the dolphin family and the most powerful predators in the world. They feed on other marine mammals and are known to hunt seals, dragging them underwater directly from drifting ice floes.

1. Bottlenose dolphin or bottlenose dolphin


Photo: Gregory “Slobirdr” Smith

This is one of the most famous species of dolphins. Bottlenose dolphins are very intelligent, sociable and highly trainable, and in the wild they are skilled hunters, tracking their prey using the method of echolocation.

Some of them settle in the water, while others live on the banks of rivers. The threat to all inhabitants of this biotope is environmental pollution.

Lower river. The lowlands of rivers are often located on plains, so the river flows slowly through this area and often overflows widely. In such valleys it is possible to determine how far the river's waters extend during floods. Before the construction of dams began, the river overflowed its banks during floods and flooded vast areas. Slowly, as if delaying the moment of meeting the sea into which it flows, the river winds through the valley. River bends are formed when water flows faster near one of the banks. In the place where the current is faster, intensive washing out of the riverbed occurs, and sediment accumulates on the other bank. Sometimes the coast is washed away so much that the bends of the rivers come almost close to each other. In this case, the river can break through this thin membrane and create a completely new channel, and the bend turns into a semicircular oxbow lake.
In the lowlands, rivers flow more slowly and do not carry much dirt; their beds are narrower here than in other places. In this area it is easier for aquatic plants to take root, which then attract insects - the main food of many animals and birds.
LIFE IN THE CITY .
Many cities have been built on the banks of all the major rivers in Europe, allowing you to observe life in the rivers and on their banks. For example, herons often hunt near populated areas, and swans, mallards and coots gather in lake parks, feeding on food brought by people.

RIVER FAUNA.
Slow-moving rivers attract large numbers of animals. Many mammals and birds gather here only from time to time in search of food or to quench their thirst.
However, there are also permanent residents of these areas. Some of them settle under water, others on the surface of the water, and still others on the shores.
LIFE ON THE SHORE
On the banks, lying in wait for fish, herons stand motionless. Water rats dig holes for themselves in steep banks. Birds such as rats and kingfishers also nest even higher. Berne and alder grow on the banks, and American minks look for food in their roots.
LIFE ON THE WATER SURFACE
Swans, mallards, and coots swim along the water surface and get their food under water. Blooming white water lilies, silkworms and egg pods make this picture sweet to the human eye.
LIFE UNDER WATER
Invertebrates often hide in muddy water at the bottom of rivers. They are the main food of fish such as roach, chub, barbel and brook trout, which, in turn, become prey for various predatory fish. The strongest and most dangerous of them is the pike.

When planning a walk to the shore of a river, pond or lake, do not forget to take a camera, an album or a sketch pad. There is so much to see near the pond! Schools of small fish, frogs and toads scurrying back and forth, dense thickets of reeds. Even the banal mud that usually covers the surface of ponds is an interesting organism that deserves attention. Having scooped it up and looked at the thinnest threads, remember that the mud is a multicellular algae called spirogyra. When you place a sample under a microscope, you will see an interesting structure.

What can you see on the shore of the reservoir?

The fauna of the pond is amazing in its diversity. On its banks overgrown with water lilies, you can often see a butterfly with light yellow wings covered with brown lines. Know that you have encountered a water lily (or marsh) moth. This butterfly lays its eggs on the leaves of aquatic plants.

If you notice on the surface of the water surface of a pond tiny floating shuttles with small “spouts” extended upward, you should know that each of these shuttles is a cocoon of a beetle called a water lover. Water-loving beetles are among the largest beetles, measuring up to 40 mm in length. They leisurely swim or crawl along the surface of underwater plants.

Sometimes in loose, damp soil you can see a large brown-yellow insect, reaching a length of about 5 cm. It is covered with small, silky-looking hairs and looks quite scary. We are talking about a mole cricket - an underground inhabitant that is not at all dangerous to humans. The mole cricket's constant occupation is digging tunnels in the ground, which causes damage to plants.

Freshwater snails and many other, sometimes extremely interesting representatives of the natural kingdom are also found in reservoirs.

Amazing metamorphoses

We all know from childhood that frogs come from tadpoles - larvae that live in the water of fresh water bodies, are able to breathe with gills and swim thanks to their tail, which is actually a fin. But when the tiny specimen matures and turns into an adult frog, a wonderful metamorphosis occurs - the frog is able to breathe with its lungs, it lives on land and moves along its surface with the help of its paws.

Like amphibians, some insects lay eggs in the aquatic environment and their larvae develop there. But in adulthood they move to another - air - habitat.

Sometimes on hot days in mid-summer at sunset there is a phenomenon somewhat similar to a snowstorm. These are mayflies circling. Already from the name it is clear that the mayfly does not live long - a day or two, no more. Although its larvae live in the underwater world for more than two years.

In approximately the same way - over the course of a year or more - dragonfly larvae mature in the aquatic environment. Like dragonflies, wingless aquatic larvae or pupae of mosquitoes, stoneflies, caddis flies, flies and even individual butterflies belonging to the moth family turn into flying insects.

Many plants observed on the shores of fresh water bodies are capable of leading both above-water and underwater lifestyles. Their lower part is immersed in water, and the upper part is located on the surface. Different living conditions lead to the appearance of separate leaf forms in such plants. An example is the water buttercup. Its aerial and underwater leaves have different structures.

Plants and animals of water bodies - living barometers

One of the most beautiful plants of Central Russian reservoirs can be called the white water lily. Its flowers emerge and open in the morning (about 7 o'clock). In the evenings - around five or six o'clock - the water lily closes its flowers again and hides them under water.

For a long time, a folk superstition has said that if a water lily is in no hurry to show its flowers in the morning or hides them ahead of time, you should wait for rain. Thus, this wonderful flower serves as a reliable natural barometer, regularly performing a “weather service” throughout its flowering period.

Another reliable weather forecaster is a plant called calliper. It received this name in connection with its large, wide leaves (they are white on the inside), covering the inflorescences like wings. On the eve of good weather, the “wings” stand upright and are clearly visible from afar. Before bad weather they sag.

Most animal species in water bodies are no less sensitive to the slightest changes in weather. Before bad weather, crayfish crawl out of the water and leeches appear. A number of folk signs associate the characteristic behavior of frogs with changes in weather.

Many species of bottom fish - catfish, loaches, loaches - are quite susceptible to changes in barometer pressure. Their usual behavior is to move calmly and lie on the bottom. But before the onset of bad weather, the loaches tend to rise closer to the surface, and the loaches begin to rush in different directions.

On a quiet warm evening, appearing on the bank of a pond or small river overgrown with reeds, you will hear a melodic thin ringing. Where is he from? Its source is swarming hordes of mosquitoes called mosquitoes. Their cloud curls in the air in the form of a column, sometimes sharply falling down or soaring up. They swarm only in stable, clear weather.

About waterlogging

Sometimes in a river backwater, in a pond or lake, the current is very weak or completely absent. Then plants appear in these places and over time the shallow reservoir can be completely overgrown and swamped with coastal mosses - green and peat (sphagnum), capable of forming entire moss swamps. Sphagnum is a particularly moisture-loving plant in water bodies. If we examine its structure under a microscope, we will see that its stems and leaves consist mainly of transparent large cells filled with air and capable of quickly and easily absorbing water.

The fur carpet serves as an excellent breeding ground for herbaceous plants - cinquefoil, watchberry, cranberry, cotton grass. Following them, you should wait for the appearance of marsh bushes - andromeda, cassandra.

During the process of dying, parts of plants sink to the bottom, where they accumulate year after year to form peat. Peat of sphagnum origin forms very, very slowly. It takes a period of time on the order of a thousand years to accumulate a meter-thick layer.

Swamps are formed not only due to the encroachment of plants on water bodies. Another way of their appearance is swamping of forests, meadows, forest burnt areas and clearings. There are several types of swamps - they can be lowland, highland, or transitional. Each of them implies its own special natural conditions. That is why, when we mention the flora and fauna of swamps, as well as other bodies of water, we always mean their unusual diversity.

Let's take a drop of water from a pond and put it under a microscope. You will be surprised - this is a whole world in which life is in full swing! In the space of one drop, many tiny organisms consisting of one cell are animatedly moving and scurrying back and forth. This is where their name comes from - protozoa unicellular. The smallest of them are on the order of thousandths of a millimeter in size.

What kind of inhabitants are these? First of all, those ciliates familiar to everyone from school, moving afloat with their numerous cilia. Most often you can find the so-called slipper ciliates. The name comes from the shape of the body, vaguely reminiscent of a shoe print. The size of the slipper ciliates is relatively large. It is about 0.2 mm in length.

Other microscopic animals of water bodies that can be seen through the eyepiece of a microscope are single-celled flagellates. The two most common representatives of this species are called armored ceracium and green euglena - a microscopic organism no more than 0.05 mm long.

Perhaps everyone knows the phenomenon called water blooming, when a body of water turns green before our eyes. This indicates the rapid development in the aquatic environment of a unicellular microscopic green algae called Chlamydomonas, the size of which is 0.01-0.03 mm. In addition to it, we will find in a drop of water different types of amoebas, the largest of which reach a size of 0.5 mm.

If you get a high magnification, you will also be able to see the tiny green balls. These are single-celled algae of the smallest size (0.001 mm) called chlorella.

Let's dive to the bottom

Sometimes, when looking at the bottom of a reservoir, you can find small lines or furrows, as if drawn by a stick. These are traces left from the movement of large shells that live in domestic reservoirs - toothless and barley. In appearance, these animals of water bodies are very similar, but differ in the shape of the shell. In toothless, it is more rounded and does not have teeth (hence the name).

Another permanent resident of the bottom area is a small worm called a tubifex. It is named so because of its ability to hide part of the body in a nest in the form of a tube, which is dug in the ground. Sometimes, when there is a large concentration of tubifex, the bottom can turn bright red.

If the water is clear and clean, then a frequent inhabitant of the bottom is the sculpin goby. Usually it hides between the stones, which is why it is called that.

Let's return to the surface

If you look closely at the surface of a pond or river backwater, you will definitely see small, long-legged insects sliding along the surface with sharp jerks, as if measuring space. These are the so-called water strider bugs.

In addition to them, on the surface of the water you can see spinning groups of small shiny bugs about 5 mm long. These bugs got their name (twirling bugs) for their constant movement - torsion, drawing spirals and various shapes.

At the surface of the pond, a school of small fish hunts for insects falling into the water. These are the so-called verkhovkas - representatives of the smallest river fish. Each of them is about 5 centimeters long.

If you see a solid green carpet on the surface of a reservoir, you should know that we are talking about the growth of duckweed, which is considered the smallest of the flowering plants in the reservoirs of our country. Duckweed has no leaves. The stem of the plant is a tiny green cake, from which a thin root extends and extends into the water.

Duckweed rarely blooms in the form of tiny flowers about the size of a pinhead. Duckweed, found in our reservoirs, can be of three types - small, humpbacked and three-lobed.

Another free-floating plant is watercolor. Its roots, lowered into the water, do not reach the bottom, but can be connected to each other by a single shoot. Sometimes a blow of wind can carry an entire array of watercolors in one direction.

Rare animals in reservoirs

A special way of life is characteristic of the water spider. Among the plants of a stagnant pond, he weaves a canopy from a web, then draws air under it, from which the web stretches to form a kind of bell. Air bubbles stick to the hairs on the spider's abdomen, and with such a reserve under water, the spider resembles a droplet of silver color, which is why it is called silverfish.

Sometimes at the bottom of lakes you can find a freshwater algae called hara. Its peculiarity is its ability to grow in water with a high lime content. Khara extracts lime from the water and deposits it on its surface, which is why it turns white.

Another remarkable representative of the animal world of water bodies, living along the banks of streams and rivulets with clear water, is a bird called the dipper. Its uniqueness lies in its ability to dive under water and even run along the bottom in search of food.

A detailed study of standing or slowly flowing waters can reveal tiny brown or greenish tubes with thin long tentacles covering the leaves and stems of aquatic plants. We are talking about hydras - coelenterate animals. The body of such a hydra is no more than 10-15 mm long, but its tentacles are much longer. The hydra is not afraid of damage and, when cut across, restores the missing organs and continues to exist. It will survive even if divided into a large number of pieces. This process is called regeneration and occurs among the simplest organisms.

Why are frogs so wonderful?

Frogs and toads are the most interesting creatures. At first glance at the frog, it seems that it is in deep thought. But then a fly flashed nearby. With an instant click of the tongue, the insect is quickly caught. The structure of the frog's eyes allows it to see only moving objects that are similar in size to its food.

In addition to frogs, in any wetland you can find snakes, and sometimes even vipers - perhaps the most dangerous of the animals living in bodies of water. Its bite is fatal, but the poison can also be used for medicinal purposes - as a raw material for obtaining medicine.

Live pharmacy

If we talk about the medical properties of the inhabitants of the pond, we cannot fail to mention leeches, used by doctors for a long time due to their ability to bite through the skin and suck out small amounts of blood. That is why they received the name medical. They are still used today. Unlike other freshwater types of leeches, the medical one has longitudinal narrow stripes on the back and sides of a yellow-orange color.

Badyaga, a freshwater sponge that can settle on the branches and trunks of sunken trees, is also used for medicinal purposes. It is dried, ground into powder and used here and in other countries as a traditional medicine.

Other medicinal herbs growing on the banks of reservoirs are marsh cudweed, water pepper, tripartite string, trefoil watch, calamus. The leaves and roots of these plants serve as medicinal raw materials.

Builder birds

Remiz is a bird that lives in our country and has the wonderful art of building a nest. A nest is woven in a tree, at the tip of a thin branch, hanging over the water. The heddle is capable of bending a twig with a hoop and braiding it with plant fluff, which is given the shape of a mitten.

Fish are also capable of building nests and caring for their offspring. For example, it is worth remembering the three-spined stickleback - a small fish in our reservoirs, weighing only 4 g. Male sticklebacks build real nests in the spring. In a sandy bottom with a slight current, they dig holes into which blades of grass are dragged and glued together with secreted mucus. It turns out to be a dense lump in which a through tunnel is made. So the nest is ready for future offspring!

Caddis flies that live on land lay their larvae in the water and build houses from grains of sand, shells and sticks to protect their offspring.

Rivers, freshwater lakes, reservoirs, streams and swamps are inhabited by thousands of species of living organisms: from microscopic ciliates to giant fish and large freshwater birds.

Interestingly, of the total amount of water on the planet, fresh water makes up only 3%. Despite such an insignificant figure, the freshwater fauna is extremely diverse, and its most interesting representatives are worth getting to know better.

Freshwater fish

Of all fish known to science, about 41% of species live in fresh water. Among them are anadromous (anadromous) species that live in the seas, but breed exclusively in fresh water, for example, salmon and herring. Catadromous fish are another matter; on the contrary, they spawn in salty waters and then return to their native rivers. A striking example of this is the river eel - a ray-finned fish with a serpentine body.

And there are exclusively freshwater species, for which even a fraction of a percent of salt in the water becomes destructive, for example, the endemic fish of Lake Baikal - the Baikal omul and burbot - the only freshwater species of the order of cods. What other fish live in fresh water?

Pike

This is a predatory fish known to everyone, the heroine of fairy tales and legends. The spine of the famous Heilbronn pike is kept in the cathedral of the German city of Mannheim. They say that King Frederick II of Germany caught this pike in the fall of 1230, ringed it and released it. The fish was caught only in 1497, when it grew to 5.7 m!

Pike live in thickets of stagnant and low-flowing fresh water bodies of Eurasia and North America, and are occasionally found in desalinated areas of the seas.

photo of pike.

Som

Another large animal of freshwater bodies of water, which, however, can live in the salty waters of the Aral Sea. Modern catfish have become smaller, but in the old days fishermen caught specimens up to 3-5 m long and weighing up to 400 kg.

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In Rus', they didn’t like catfish, they were afraid of them, they called them “the devil’s horse,” they disdained meat and only made the filling for pies from their tails. And Muslims generally do not eat the meat of scaleless fish, including catfish.

See more photos and description: catfish photo.

Zander

A representative of the perch family, a typical predator with large fang-shaped teeth, an inhabitant of lake-river systems. The genus of pike perch includes 5 species, 4 of which are freshwater, and 1 is called sea pike perch.

Pike perch feed on bleak, sprat, minnows and various goby fish.

See more photos and description: photo of pike perch.

crucian carp

This is one of the most famous lake and pond fish of the carp family. The most common is golden crucian carp, but populations of silver crucian carp are sometimes formed only by females. In this case, they spawn with male carp, bream, tench or goldfish and again produce females.

Photo of crucian carp underwater.

See more photos and description: photo of crucian carp.

Carp

Quite a large fish, over 1 m long and weighing about 20 kg, also known as common carp. Among carp there are both freshwater populations and semi-anadromous ones, which live in desalinated areas of the seas and spawn in rivers.

See more photos and description: photo of carp.

Beluga

This is the largest freshwater migratory fish: the weight of individual specimens reaches 500 kg! Beluga lives in the Black, Azov and Caspian seas, and spawns in rivers.

Beluga jumps out of the water.

Today this fish is on the verge of survival and its fishing is strictly regulated. Beluga lays black caviar, which is considered the most valuable of all sturgeons. In Russia, 1 kg of real beluga caviar costs about 400 thousand rubles, and abroad it is even more expensive.

See more photos and description: photo of beluga.

Golomyanka

An amazing fish with a transparent body, devoid of scales and a swim bladder, lives in the depths of Lake Baikal and is not found anywhere else. The golomyanka itself feeds on copepods, copepods, epishurs and amphipods, but it is readily eaten by all Baikal fish, for example, taimen, burbot and pike, as well as the Baikal seal. And the golomyanka does not spawn, but is a viviparous fish.

Squeaky killer whale

A very interesting fish of the catfish order, which, when pulled out of the water, begins to make creaking sounds. The fish's height does not exceed 35 cm, but it can stand up for itself, spreading very prickly spines in case of danger.

The creaking killer whale lives only in the fresh waters of China, Vietnam and Laos, as well as in Primorye, in Lake Khanka.

Crayfish, amphibians and reptiles of fresh water bodies

Some species of higher crayfish, snakes, lizards, turtles and frogs live in fresh water. For some, rivers, lakes and swamps are their home throughout their lives, others need water during the breeding season, others simply swim well and hide in the water from enemies.

Crayfish

Broad-toed and narrow-toed crayfish are common animals of freshwater bodies, living in clean, low-lying waters. In recent years, broad-clawed crayfish have begun to be replaced by an introduced species - the American signal crayfish, which is more resistant to the fungal disease - crayfish plague.

Already

The genus of snakes includes 4 species, among which the water snake is especially attached to water - an olive-colored snake with black spots, 1.3 to 1.5 m long. And the more common ordinary snake with characteristic “yellow ears” spends most of its life on land , although it swims beautifully and can do without air for up to 30 minutes.

See more photos and description: photo of a snake.

European marsh turtle

This reptile is widespread in fresh water bodies of Eurasia and northwestern Africa. Prefers slow-flowing rivers, canals, lakes, ponds and swamps, swims and dives well, and can go without oxygen for a long time.

The size of the European marsh turtle rarely exceeds 35 cm, it has a very long tail and a dark shell with small yellow markings.

Triton

The genus of newts includes 8 species, among which the most famous is the common newt. These amphibians spend a lot of time on land, but in early spring they go to fresh water bodies to breed, where the females attach one egg to the leaves of underwater vegetation.

In water, newts eat mayflies and bloodworms; on land, they hunt for earthworms, but they themselves often become prey for waterfowl.

Freshwater birds

Many waterfowl spend most of their lives in fresh water bodies, having all the necessary adaptations for this: membranes between the toes, dense plumage and a developed coccygeal gland, which secretes a fatty secretion to lubricate the feathers.

dabbling ducks

This is an extensive genus of Anseriformes birds, including more than 50 species. You are probably familiar with teal, mallard or tufted and gray duck, but many people have no idea about birds such as pintail, killer whale, shoveler or wigeon.

All these are river or noble ducks, who like to settle in the coastal zone of fresh water bodies and on muddy shallows.

Semi-footed goose

The only species of the genus and family of semi-footed geese with poorly developed swimming membranes. These are large geese up to 90 cm in size with contrasting black and white plumage and orange paws. These birds live in the floodplains and river valleys of Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea.

Royal heron

Another name for the bird is shoebill. This is the only species of the genus and family of shoebills that lives only in the swamps of East Africa. With their beak, which resembles a wooden shoe with a sharp hook, the birds deftly snatch their favorite food from the water - freshwater protoptera fish, which, by the way, are popular with the local population because of their very tasty meat.

Royal herons also eat frogs, small turtles, catfish and tilapia.

Canada goose

This is one of 8 species of black geese (geese), living in swamps, along the banks of rivers and reservoirs. The size of individuals in different parts of the range ranges from 55 to 110 cm. The head and neck of the birds are black with white spots on the cheeks and throat, the back is dark brown, and the belly is white.

The historical homeland of the Canada goose is North America, but these birds were introduced and successfully took root in Europe and New Zealand.

Toadstools

Today, the genus of grebes includes 8 species of birds that are very similar to loons. But unlike the latter, the paws of grebes are devoid of swimming membranes, but each finger is equipped with a leathery fold resembling a blade.

The best known is the great grebe or great grebe, which lives in lakes and ponds in Europe, Asia, the northern regions of Australia, New Zealand and Africa.

See more photos and descriptions: photo of the great grebe.

Among the animals of fresh water bodies, one cannot fail to mention the water shrew, a very rare species - the Chinese alligator from the Yangtze River, the otter, the beaver and, of course, the capybara - the largest modern rodent.

Help. Name the plants and animals of the rivers and got the best answer

Answer from Alyonushka[guru]
Flora and fauna of the Iput River
The flora and fauna of the Iput River is rich and diverse.
Plants in a pond can be divided into three groups:








The fauna is an important part of the biosphere of our planet. Together with plants, animals play an exceptional role in the migration of chemical elements, which underlies the relationships existing in nature.

Answer from Maxim volentir[active]
the reeds are blooming and the ducks are in them, then think for yourself

Answer from Ilya Gerasimenko[master]
plants: orchid, datura herb, predictor sage. rivers: Amazon, Nile, Volga, Ob, Dnieper, Oka, animals: giraffe, hippopotamus, lion, tiger, dog, parrot)

Answer from Vanya Meleshchenko[newbie]
thank you, I needed this too!

Answer from Olga Reutova[newbie]
thank you I have an exam and I need this most of all

Answer from Shambhal[newbie]
beavers too.

Answer from Ivan Ivanov[newbie]
1. Amphibious plants growing close to the water along the low bank: sweet flag, three-leaved butterfly, amphibian buckwheat, slender sedge, angustifolia cattail, water chastuha.
2. The main strip of macrophytes, emergent or semi-submerged plants: white water lily, yellow water lily, floating manna, common reed, common arrowhead.
3. Plants immersed in water: floating pondweed, hornwort, duckweed, trilobed duckweed, telores, spicata, elodea, water plague.
Different types of plants are grouped together depending on the depth of the reservoir in a particular area.
Above-water and underwater vegetation serves as a habitat for numerous aquatic animals. Predatory dragonflies among insects perch on the reed stems, and dark gray caddis flies nest nearby. In the evening, swarms of twitching mosquitoes gather over the water; long, thin-legged water strider bugs and shiny spinning beetles glide along the surface tension film, quickly run and dive; and how pond snails glide across the glass of an aquarium. Here, in the thickets, the pupae of many insects turn into adult insects. The fauna on the underside of the leaves is very diverse: translucent hydras, bryozoans, pitcher moths, rainbow beetles, and beauty dragonflies settle here, and caddisflies lay their eggs here. Mollusks crawl slowly along the underside of the leaves: pond snails, calyx worms, small ciliated worms.
Various animals live in reservoirs - representatives of the class of mammals or animals, which belong to various orders and families. Here are some of them: the rodent order, the beaver family, the river beaver. Lives mainly along the banks of slow-flowing forest rivers, oxbow lakes and lakes; It is important for him to have floodplain herbaceous and tree-shrub vegetation near reservoirs - willow, poplar, and aspen.
Order Carnivores, mustelidae family, European mink and river otter. Several decades ago, on the territory of the Novozybkovsky region in the Iput River basin, there was an acclimatized species - the American mink, which has now been replaced by the European mink, destroying it. This valuable fur-bearing animal must be protected. The fur of the otter, which leads an aquatic lifestyle, is also highly valued.
Representatives of bony fishes are numerous. Among them are: common roach, ide, rudd, tench, gudgeon, bleak, bream, common loach, river burbot, silver carp and others.