Maral is an animal of Altai, one of the most amazing creatures of nature. The blood of this magnificent representative of ungulates has long been used by humans for treatment. Its unique properties are not repeated in any living creature, for which they are valued all over the world. Maral is an animal that is not just an actor in various myths and traditions of Altai, but also a commodity.
Appearance
This species was isolated on its own in 1873. However, later, in 1961, he was assigned to one of the subspecies of red deer. This species consists of three groups: Central Asian, Western and Siberian. That last, also called maral, includes maral.
Wild animal has a noble appearance. Among the other deer that make up the genus, this is the largest specimen. Its mass reaches 305 kg, males have a body length of 261 cm, growth at the withers to 168. Horns grow to 108 centimeters. Females are approximately 20% smaller than males. In summer, the body color of this deer is slightly reddish or has a brownish-brown color. In winter, animals are painted in brownish-gray tones, the mirror is yellowish, large, partially comes on the croup and surrounded by a dark strip. Horns have many branches - at least 5 processes on each bar, including infraorbital.
Place of residence
Maral is an animal of the Red Book. However, this almost does not help the species escape from extinction. Therefore, today these deer live in a rather limited territory - Altai, Kyrgyzstan, Tien Shan, Krasnoyarsk Territory and New Zealand. In addition, there are several deer farms in which they are involved in the protection, breeding, but also the use of these magnificent animals.
Food
Despite the fact that this deer, like its other varieties, is an absolute vegetarian, its nutrition is very diverse. And month after month, the diet is changing.
So, with the onset of spring, winter food gradually changes to summer food. Since April, the menu has been replenished with green poison, but only by the end of the month does it make up a large part of the diet, and this applies to those animals that live in the lower part of the mountains. On average, mid-April is still rich in bark and branches of willow, mountain ash and other shrubs. In most of the habitats, until May, animals do not disdain thawed grassy rags.
In the summer, all herbs, as they awaken from hibernation, become the food of this magnificent deer, whose name is maral. The Red Book of the Chelyabinsk region includes this animal not only because a person directly destroys it, but also because the development of agriculture and production reduces the territories on which red deer can feed.
So, in the summer, maral chews almost everything that meets his path: succulent willow branches, wormwood, reedweed, fescue, sedge, various cereals, plantain, wild rose, currants, sorrel and a huge amount of other plant foods growing in its path.
In September, a maral animal, the description of which implies that he eats a lot, already receives very little green food, eating mainly dry grass and willow shoots. At this time, the animals try to find the most nutritious and juicy food in order to have some reserves of subcutaneous fat by winter. Often they happen to find the fallen fruits of wild apple trees, which animals love.
October / November are still months of grass, but already withered and withered. All shrub plants that have not yet lost their leaves turn out to be gnawed deer - even coniferous plants are used.
In winter, marals find dry grass stems in the snow, but nevertheless rely more on the leaves and stems of the sedum hybrid, because even in this harsh period they retain juiciness. Rowan shoots, needles, bark, branches of honeysuckle, raspberries, rose hips - these are the main food of the deer from November / December to March.
Breeding
Maral is an animal that begins to breed quite late. They can start mating from the age of fifteen months, however, most of the females begin to bring calves only from three years old. Males begin to form harems only at the age of five.
Usually bulls begin to show the first signs of arousal by the end of August. Along with this, they migrate to places where females graze with young animals. Around the same period, adult bulls begin to roar.
Every year this happens in some places, most often in clearings, in the saddles of mountains and other similar areas. At first, the bulls are kept apart, occasionally mating with horns to an opponent. Only adults enter the fight, young growth leaves the rival. In such tournaments, animals practically do no harm to each other, since, in fact, they simply push each other.
At first, the females do not notice the roar, but gradually move closer to the bulls, somehow choosing the strongest. Perhaps his voice and the development of the horns are crucial. Thus, the females themselves decide who they “marry.”
After the formation of the harem, the male takes on his guard, driving away other bulls. Red deer - red deer - most often has a harem of 2-3 females, but no more than five.
After fertilization, the females live in an educated "family" for some time. The harem finally breaks up in October, as males begin to pay more attention to enhanced nutrition than females.
Pregnancy in maral lasts 236-255 days. The embryo is clearly visible in a month or two. By the end of winter, specialists can clearly determine the sex of the calf. By the time of birth, the females find nooks and crannies where they can shelter the newborn - most often these are aspen bushes, clearings and fumes.
Calving predominantly occurs in May / June. The calf can see, run. It is very rare for females to have two calves. Quite often you can see a grazing female with two calves, but this does not always indicate the appearance of twins - rather, the second calf lost its mother and nailed to the one that was able to accept it.
However, despite the ability to move around, the baby still cannot escape from his pursuers. Therefore, the female, noticing the approach of the enemy, tries to attract his attention with her persona, after which she flees, leading away from the baby’s lying place.
Breeding
Maral is an animal useful to humans. Therefore, they breed it in special farms. The process of reproduction occurs naturally. These farms are organized mainly to obtain maral pant. This is a very valuable product that is used in medicine. Previously, deer were killed for its prey, but now, after its removal, the deer remains alive.
Antlers are young maral horns that have not yet hardened. Remove them before the end of growth. They are harvested by cutting from a live animal. After that, boil and dry. Canned antlers are a material for the manufacture of medicines, dietary supplements. Most of the extracted antlers are bought by China and South Korea.
In the wild, deer do not live relatively long - only 12-14 years, while in livestock farms they function up to 30 years. The most developed deer breeding in Altai. This business differs from the breeding of domestic cattle only in the specificity of the feed and the location of pastures.
To get the highest quality antlers, it is necessary to graze animals at a certain height, providing them with at least two hundred species of various herbs. Winter feeds also have a very important effect.
Ecology
The most typical habitats for this species are mountain forest-steppes. It is these zones that allow him to gain the necessary weight by winter, eating the most useful food. Among other deer, deer are the most herbivorous. It is for this reason that it is more difficult for him to survive in snowy winters, eating only branches. Red deer is food for wolves, bears, even lynxes and wolverines.
Abundance of species
As already mentioned, the abundance of this species is constantly falling. This is not only due to natural causes, such as eating by predators, a small amount of food in snowy winters, but also the influence of human activity. Currently, this powerful and beautiful deer, the deer, is practically not found in the wild. The Red Book claims that its number in the wild is only a few thousand. If a person does not keep a deer in reserves and farms, soon in the wild forests it will be simply impossible to meet.
Human use
In our country, only deer antlers are mainly used , which are dried and used in powder form in various medical preparations. However, in other countries, like some peoples of our state, blood, meat and skins of these animals are used. Maral blood is rich in proteins, micro and macro elements, fats, nucleic acids, hormones, peptides, amino acids, vitamins, steroids and many other substances. Moreover, the blood and bodies of maral and antler vessels are used - their biological activity is the same.
The price of animals - deer - in the Central Federal District and other areas is about 90,000 rubles per living individual. Deer parts prices are not advertised by sellers or buyers.
Security measures
The most effective measure is the constant protection of animals wherever these individuals still remain. In addition, it is necessary to tighten penalties for the prey of these ungulates. In our time, such events are not conducted, so soon we can completely lose this amazing animal.