Animal Diversity in Ukraine

The wildlife of Ukraine comprises several species in the flora and fauna world. It is home to a variety of creatures and diverse birds, mammals, and plant species. However, it has been found that there are almost 385 endangered animal species in the Red List of Ukraine. This figure is quite big serious steps should be taken to save these poor creatures. So let's explore some of these animal species of Ukraine and learn about their conservation status:

EUROPEAN GROUND SQUIRREL

The European Ground Squirrel is found in southern Ukraine, Austria, Serbia, Greece, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and some other parts of Eastern Europe. These cute creatures are rodents and feed on grasses, insects, seeds, and flowers. They are about 23 cm in height and generally weigh around 340 gms. Being diurnal the squirrels are active during the daytime in search of their food. However, both the sexes look alike females being slightly smaller than males. It has been found that the population of European Ground Squirrel has decreased around 30% in the last ten years where habitat loss is the main cause behind this depletion. As a result, they are considered endangered and are enlisted in the Red List of Threatened Species by the IUCN.

STEPPE POLECAT

The Steppe Polecats are found in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgystan, Mongolia, Ukraine, and some other parts of Central and Eastern Europe. It is a species of mustelid and is often called with their other names like a white or masked polecat. They are on the list of Least Concern by the IUCN, being highly adaptable and widely spread in the protected areas. They mainly feed on ground squirrels, hamsters, water voles, chickens, fish, and some bird species. They are considered very essential for the fur trade and are helpful in agriculture practices as well, having the potential to kill a large number of rodents that cause damage to the crops. Hence, the steppe polecats are accomodating in human welfare as well.

EUROPEAN SHAG

The European shags are also known as common shags or simply shags in various parts of the world. It is a medium-sized blackbird with 12 feathers in its tail. There is a green lustre in their feathers, because of which they are often called Green Cormorant. They are found on the rocky seashores of southern and western Europe, North Africa, and southwest Asia. These birds mostly dive deeper in search of their food and are known as benthic zone feeders. The bird includes several fish species in its diet but mostly prefers sand eels in the meals. It has been found that they travel kilometers of distance in search of their prey. On the Red List of IUCN, the European Shags hold the status of Least Concern which means the bird is safe from the threat of extinction.

EUROPEAN BISON

The European bison is the national animal of Belarus and Poland. Other names of this animal species are the European wood bison, European buffalo, zubr, and wisent, On the European landscape, it is considered as one of the heaviest wild animals. They mainly feed on grasses and small plants to survive and are considered the largest herbivore species in Europe. Wild animals like wolves, lions, bears, and tigers are the common predators of bison. These creatures were facing a major decline in population and had been declared endangered by the IUCN in 1996. However, now they are safe from the risk of extinction with the appreciable efforts of the conservation groups.

EURASIAN ELK

Eurasian Elk is found in Canada, New England, New York, Finland, Russia, and Ukraine. It's a unique member of the New World deer subfamily also called moose in some parts of the world. The males have antlers of very distinctive shape that truly look amazing. It has been found that the female moose select their mates on behalf of the antler's size of the males. Being one of the largest and heaviest extant members of the deer family, these creatures are herbivorous and feed on various types of plants and fruits. The common predators of Elks are humans, bears, and wolves. In the last few decades, a decline in the population of Eurasian Elks has been observed. Excessive predation, habitat loss, and unfavorable climatic conditions have been declared as the root cause behind this issue.

Final Thoughts

Ukraine is a residence to some of the most amazing and unique animals in the world. But the wildlife in Ukraine is facing the danger of extinction where habitat loss and human interference are the visible root causes. Thanks to several conservation groups who have changed the status of some of the creatures from 'Endangered' to 'Least Concern'. However, still, many of them are threatened and need our help to survive on the planet.

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