Coniferous forests are mainly composed of spruce, pine, fir, and larch. They are mainly located in the taiga zone, in the northern part of Eurasia and North America. Since this is a rather cold climate zone, animals adapted to such a climate live there.
Large animals
One of the largest inhabitants of coniferous forests is the bear. It is an omnivorous animal that feeds on fish and berries in summer to store fat for its long hibernation. With the appearance of snow, he goes into a den until spring.
Another inhabitant of these places is the lynx, the so-called nocturnal forest cat. She hunts small predators, birds and hares. When the seasons change, the color of the lynx's fur also changes, which allows it to be invisible. In summer it has a light brown color with dark spots, and in winter it is white. The lynx easily climbs trees, swims well. It feeds on hares, small rodents, birds, foxes, deer, and often eats sick and weak animals.
A forest giant is popularly called an elk. He eats lichens and moss, eats branches of young trees and bushes. In winter, he rests in grooves in the snow, hiding his legs under a warm belly. Elk prefers young forests and dense thickets near water bodies and swamps, since it is quite agile and is able to overcome even swampy swamps.
Herbivorous representatives of the fauna feed on mushrooms, berries, seeds of cones, grass, leaves and branches of trees and shrubs.
Deer behave quite quietly, at dawn and at dusk they eat grass on the lawns. However, during the mating season, they become cocky and dangerous, arranging fights in the fight for females.
The fox is a typical representative of the coniferous forest fauna. She is a predator and feeds on small rodents. Another large predator and relative of the fox is the wolf. It hunts both small rodents and birds and large prey - elks, wild boars, and it also eats carrion.
Medium and small animals
Squirrel is a typical representative of the coniferous forest fauna. It is gray in winter and reddish in summer. She arranges a nest in a hollow or on branches, closer to the trunk. The squirrel lines the nest with dry blades of grass, leaves, lichen, moss and wool. There she hibernates, feeding on the reserves harvested in the fall. There are usually one or two entrances in the nest, which the squirrel closes in frost with lichen or its own tail.
In general, animals living in coniferous forests are distinguished by a darker color and thicker fur. The birds also have a dull coloration and a layer of down that keeps them warm.
Hares feed on twigs and bark of birch, aspen, hazel, oak, maple, as well as dried grass. During the day they hide in secluded places - near stumps, trunks, in bushes. When frost comes, hares dig deep holes for themselves. They sleep with their eyes open. Wide strong paws allow the animal to move easily in the forest, including in the snow, and to escape from predators.
Various species of the weasel family are well adapted to life in the taiga. These are martens, sables, weasels, minks, wolverines, ermines, etc.
Among the small animals inhabiting coniferous forests are lemmings, voles, chipmunks, hedgehogs and others. Among the reptiles, there are lizards, snakes, vipers.
