Deer, lesson notes on introducing children to nature. Deer - pictures and photos for children, interesting facts Short poems about deer

Deer photo and description will help you write essays and get a good grade.

Brief description of the deer

Deer are large animals; the size of different species can vary from 55 cm at the withers and a weight of 10-15 kg for a water deer to 155 cm in height and a weight of over 300 kg for a red deer. All types of deer have an elegant body, thin, slender legs, a long neck and a relatively small head, which is crowned with antlers. Deer antlers have a specific branched shape, the number of lateral processes is at least three and can increase depending on the age and type of deer. The shape of the horns also depends on the type of animal. The horns are formed by bone tissue (unlike the horns of bovid animals, in which they consist of horny substance) and are shed annually. Only males wear antlers, with the exception of reindeer, which have both sexes.

The tail of deer is relatively short; in some species it can be fluffy and spread out like a flower. All types of deer have a protective color, often brown (reindeer are gray), often with white or yellowish spots on the body (for example, sika deer, axis deer and fallow deer). Many species of deer are characterized by a so-called “mirror” patch of white fur on the animal’s rump. It performs a signaling function because it is clearly visible while running: this way the fawn does not lose sight of its mother in dense thickets, and other deer are warned of danger in time by seeing the flashing croup of its fellow deer.

Description of a deer for children

The red deer is the oldest inhabitant of forests. Deer is a large, graceful animal with a thin long neck and slender legs. The body of a deer is covered with thick, coarse hair. The fawns are colorfully colored: they have white round spots on their backs.

The horns decorate the male's head, and the decoration changes every year: by the beginning of spring, the old horns fall off and new ones begin to grow in their place. Young horns are called antlers. They are soft to the touch, covered with velvety skin, grow quickly and become hard by the end of summer. At this time, the deer scratch their antlers on the trees until they remove the skin that is no longer needed. The older and stronger the animal, the more beautiful, heavier, and more branched its horns are. Young deer have unbranched antlers, sharp and straight, like matches, which is why young deer are called “matches.”

Now people protect and care for deer. Since due to excessive hunting they were practically destroyed.

But if there are very, very many deer, it will be bad for the forest. Feeding on leaves, branches, and bark of trees and shrubs, deer can eat most of the young shoots of trees and shrubs. In summer, animals prefer to eat grass, and they eat at any time of the day. But in winter they usually feed at night.

At the end of summer, reindeer weddings begin. The males challenge anyone who wants to take their brides away to a duel. Deer fight with their horns. Having knocked their antlers enough, the weaker deer leaves, and the winner takes his brides, who stood on the sidelines and watched the fight, into the forest. During weddings, deer roar, which is why they are called “howler monkeys.” Deer roar most often in the morning, at dawn. The sound is beautiful, like blowing a trumpet. Deer roar for about two weeks, and during this time they do not eat, which is why they lose a lot of weight.

In a remote corner of the forest, fawns are born to females. One or two. During the first days, sika fawns are completely helpless: they lie motionless in the thick grass. Mom stays nearby, grazes and guards, always ready to protect the babies from enemies. On the 4th-5th day the fawn gets on its feet and follows its mother. At first it feeds only on its mother’s milk, then they try grass. Fawns become completely independent when they are one year old.

Deer short description for children

There are many different deer living on Earth. There are small ones, slightly larger than cats. And there are giants - moose. But they are all very beautiful, each in their own way.

The red deer is not only a beautiful, but a strong and large animal. The name “noble” itself suits this deer very well.

The head raised high is decorated with branched horns. The number of processes - “twigs” - can be so large that deer antlers are sometimes compared to a crown.

Only males have horns. Every year they shed them, but new ones grow, just as beautiful and powerful.

The deer has high, slender legs. The elongated head has large round eyes. The deer sees well everything that is happening around. Movable ears catch the slightest rustle. The deer's sense of smell is also excellent.

The habitats of the red deer are forests, mountain slopes, thickets of bushes, and clearings with tall, dense grass.

Deer live in small herds. In summer, especially in hot weather, water procedures are taken. This way they escape both the heat and the annoying midges.

Like all deer, red deer always visit salt licks to lick the salt.

The main enemy is the wolf. Deer defend themselves with blows from strong hooves and sharp antlers. A wolf cannot cope with a healthy, strong deer.

Autumn is the time for weddings for deer. Male red deer roar at dawn. This deer “song,” which sometimes resembles a heavy sigh, sometimes a drawn-out moo, or the sound of a trumpet, can be heard for many kilometers.

Red deer's babies - fawns - are born in spotted plumage. Adult deer no longer have spots.

Sika deer are smaller than red deer. But this is one of the most beautiful deer. His summer “clothes” are full of bright light spots.

But in winter they are little noticeable. Or there are none at all. This coloring helps to camouflage.

When a baby is born, at first he lies hidden in the grass. And the mother grazes nearby so as not to attract the attention of predators to the baby.

Many have a light spot near the tail. It is like a beacon - a guide so as not to get lost and not to fall behind. And also the mother deer and the fawn “talk” - bleat.

The valuable medicine “pantocrine” is made from deer antlers - antlers. Nowadays, hunting sika deer is prohibited.

You can write a deer description of the animal using these essays and introduce others to your version through the comments)

Deer is an animal of the chordate type, class mammals, order Artiodactyla, family Deer (deer) ( Cervidae). The article provides a description of the family.

The deer received its modern name thanks to the Old Slavic word “elen”. This is what the ancient Slavs called a slender animal with branched horns.

Deer: description and photo. What does the animal look like?

The sizes of members of the family vary greatly. The height of the reindeer ranges from 0.8 to 1.5 meters, the body length is 2 meters, and the weight of the deer is about 200 kg. The small tufted deer barely reaches 1 meter in length and weighs no more than 50 kg.

The most slender body is distinguished by the red deer, which has a proportional build, an elongated neck and a light, slightly elongated head. The eyes of a deer are yellow-brown in color, with deep tear grooves located nearby. The broad forehead is slightly concave.

Some types of deer have thin, graceful limbs, others have short legs, but all are united by well-developed leg muscles and the presence of toes spaced apart and connected by membranes.

A deer's teeth are a good indicator of its age. Based on the degree of grinding of the fangs and incisors, curvature and angle of inclination, a specialist can accurately determine the age of the deer.

All species, except the antlerless water deer, are distinguished by branched antlers (called antlers), and only males are distinguished by such bone formations.

Reindeer is the only deer species in which females have antlers just like males, but are much smaller.

Most species of deer that live in temperate latitudes shed their antlers every year. In their place, new ones immediately begin to grow, first consisting of cartilage, then overgrown with bone tissue. A deer's antlers grow depending on its diet: the denser the diet, the faster the antlers grow. Deer living in the tropics do not shed their antlers for years, and residents of the equatorial belt do not lose them at all.

The main function of a deer’s antlers is protection and attack, and their power determines the chances of a particular male individual to emerge victorious in a duel for a female deer. Reindeer use their antlers as tools, digging out snow with them to get to moss. The span of the horns of a seasoned male deer is 120 cm.

Deer sheds its antlers

And this deer has grown antlers of an atypical shape

The skin of a deer is covered with fur, thin and short in summer, and longer and thicker in winter.

The color of deer fur depends on the species and can be brown, coffee-brown, red-brown, brownish, gray, red, plain, with spots and marks.

Deer is an animal that is among the twenty fastest.

The speed of a deer escaping from a chase can reach 50-55 km/h.

Deer live in European and Asian countries, in Russia, and feel at ease in North and South America, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In the wild, the average life expectancy of a deer is 15-20 years. In zoos and reindeer farms, with good care, deer live up to 25-30 years.

Deer are animals that are quite unpretentious to their environment. They feel great on the plains, and in areas with mountainous terrain, and in wetlands, and in the zone of tundra mosses and lichens.

Many species inhabit extremely wet places, choosing to live in areas near water bodies. Preferring a mainly nomadic lifestyle, deer are found in forests with their meadows in the summer; in winter they wander into impenetrable thickets, since there are usually fewer snow drifts and it is easier to find food under a small layer of snow.

Deer is a herbivorous animal, the diet of which depends on its species and habitat. In spring and early summer, deer feed on cereals, umbellifers, and legumes. Deer food in summer includes nuts, chestnuts, mushrooms, berries, and plant seeds.

During the warm season, deer eat buds, leaves and young shoots of trees and shrubs: maple, rowan, viburnum. The deer will not refuse other fruits. In winter, deer are forced to feed on the bark and branches of plants, pine needles, acorns and lichens.

Animals make up for the lack of minerals in the body with salt obtained from salt licks, chew soil rich in mineral salts, and drink water from mineral springs. To compensate for the protein deficiency, deer gnaw on their own shed antlers and are forced to consume bird eggs.

Types of deer, names and photographs

The modern classification of the deer family includes 3 subfamilies, 19 genera and 51 species. In addition to deer, representatives of the family include fallow deer, pudú, roe deer, as well as mazamas, muntjacs, axis, sambars and barasinga.

The most interesting varieties of deer are rightfully considered to be the following:

• Noble deer(Cervus elaphus)

It belongs to the genus true deer and includes 15 subspecies. Representatives of the species are united by a characteristic white spot under the tail, which rises above the tailbone. There is no spotting in the color of red deer in summer. Deer antlers are distinguished by a significant number of branches (especially in European deer), forming a characteristic crown at the end of each antler. Depending on the subspecies, the size of a deer can be 2.5 meters in length and 1.3-1.6 meters at the withers, with a weight of over 300 kg (deer and wapiti). A small Bukhara deer weighs just under 100 kg and grows to 170-190 cm.

The animal's diet in the spring and summer consists of various legumes, grass and grains. In winter, deer feed on shoots of bushes and trees, fallen leaves, various mushrooms, chestnuts, and tree bark. If there is a lack of food, deer can eat spruce or pine needles, lichens and acorns. The salt balance that they maintain on natural or artificial salt marshes is of great importance for the normal life of these mammals.

The red deer lives over a fairly wide area, covering Western European, Scandinavian countries, Algeria, the Moroccan Republic and China, as well as both American continents, Australia and New Zealand. The main condition is the presence of a fresh body of water nearby. Red deer live in one specific area in herds of up to 10 individuals, although after the mating season their numbers can increase to 30.

• or caribou(Rangifer tarandus)

It stands out among its relatives by its upper lip, completely covered with hair, and the presence of horns in individuals of both sexes. The body size of an adult male is 1.9-2.1 meters with a weight of 190 kg, a female reindeer (which is also called a female reindeer) grows to 1.6-1.9 m and weighs up to 123 kg. The reindeer is a stocky animal, lacking the gracefulness inherent in deer and having a slightly elongated skull shape.

Reindeer food: grass that grows in abundance in the tundra, leaves of bushes, mushrooms, various berries. With a lack of protein nutrition, deer find bird nests and eat bird eggs and even young chicks laid in them. Reindeer also feed on small rodents - lemmings. The main food for deer in the tundra in winter is reindeer moss. Reindeer compensate for the lack of minerals in their meager food by eating their own antlers, drinking sea water or visiting salt marshes.

Reindeer live in the tundra and taiga in Eurasia, North America and the islands of the Arctic Ocean. Numerous herds of reindeer live in lowland and mountain taiga regions, grazing in endless tundra and swampy expanses, making spring and winter migrations in search of food.

• Water deer(Hydropotes inermis)

The only antlerless deer in the family. The dimensions of the species are 75-100 cm in length, the height of the deer is 45-55 cm, and the body weight is 9-15 kg. An adult male deer is distinguished by saber-shaped curved fangs (teeth) that prominently protrude from under the upper lip. The skin is colored brownish-brown.

The main food of deer is leaves of bushes, young green grass, and succulent river sedge. The animals cause significant damage to agriculture, making devastating raids on cultivated rice fields and destroying not only weeds, but also crop shoots.

Under natural conditions, water deer live in the floodplains of rivers in the eastern and central parts of China and the Korean Peninsula. Antlerless deer were brought to England and France, where they successfully adapted to the local climate. These animals lead a solitary lifestyle, finding a mate only during the rutting period. In search of food, they swim several kilometers, migrating between numerous islands in river deltas.

• or milu(Elaphurus davidianus)

A rare species of deer that completely died out in the wild at the beginning of the 20th century. Nowadays, they are trying to restore the population in Chinese reserves, where the species originally existed. Representatives of the species acquired their name thanks to Armand David, a French priest and naturalist.

The body length of an adult deer is 150-215 cm, height at the withers can reach 140 cm, and the weight of the deer reaches 150-200 kg. An exceptional feature of this species is that David's deer change their antlers twice a year. These animals have an elongated narrow head, atypical for deer, as well as long curly hair on the body.

The food of David's deer consists of grass, young branches and leaves of bushes, sugar cane and a variety of algae.

Unfortunately, this species is no longer observed in natural conditions. All known individuals live in nature reserves and zoos. David's deer are animals that lead a herd lifestyle. Even before and after the mating season, they prefer to stay in small groups of up to 10 individuals. During the rut for the right to possess a harem of females, males stage real massacres, using not only horns, but also teeth and forelimbs in the battle.

• White-faced deer(Przewalskium albirostris)

The animal has a large body up to 230 cm long and an impressive weight of up to 200 kg. The height of the deer at the withers is 1.3 m. This species received its name due to the white coloration of the neck and front of the head. A distinctive feature of the species is the high, wide hooves and large white deer antlers.

White-faced deer feed on various grasses growing in spacious alpine meadows. As food, animals happily eat numerous types of clover, meadowsweet, grandiflora beech, angelica and variegated fescue. In addition, they often eat foliage from low-growing bushes.

The white-faced deer lives mainly in the coniferous forests of eastern Tibet and some Chinese provinces. The animals are found in the mountainous regions of the Alps, located at an altitude of more than 3,500 meters above sea level. They form communities, the number of which does not exceed 20 individuals. In search of food, deer often migrate to altitudes of up to 5000 m.

• Tufted deer(Elaphodus cephalophus)

The animal has a black-brown crest on its head, up to 17 cm long. Adult deer grow to a size of 110-160 cm with a body weight of 17-50 kg. The color of a deer can be dark brown or dark gray. The horns are short and unbranched, barely visible from under the crest.

In addition to the typical plant food, consisting of leaves of trees and shrubs, grass and various berries, tufted deer often eat small carrion, which is the protein component of the diet.

Deer live in the territory of South and East Asia in forests located at an altitude of more than 4500 m. Very cautious animals lead a solitary and isolated way of life. They meet with representatives of the opposite sex only during the rutting season. They are most active at dawn or dusk.

• White-tailed deer (Virginian deer) (Odocoileus virginianus)

The most common member of the family, lives in North America.

It got its name for the interesting color of its tail, the top of which is brown and the bottom is white. The northern part of the population has a height at the withers of up to 1 m, and a body weight of about 150 kg. Representatives of the population living on the Florida Keys grow up to 60 cm at the withers and weigh only 35 kg.

In spring and summer, deer eat green growth of bushes or trees, lush grass, and flowering plants. In addition, they raid agricultural fields where they destroy cereal crops. In autumn, deer eat fruits, berries and nuts. In winter, these animals have to make do with fallen leaves and branches.

White-tailed deer live on mountain slopes and in vast forests, as well as in the vast expanses of prairies and savannas in South and North America. Most of the time, Virginia deer lead a solitary lifestyle, gathering in small herds only during the mating season.

• pig deer(Axis porcinus)

It got its name for its original manner of movement, reminiscent of a move. The height of the deer at the withers is 70 cm, the length of the body is 110 cm, the weight of the deer is about 50 kg. The animal has a fluffy tail, males are darker in color than females.

Deer live in the lowland landscapes of Pakistan, India, Thailand and other countries of South Asia. The species was also introduced to Australia and the USA. These animals lead a solitary lifestyle, rarely gathering in small herds.

Deer graze mainly at night, preferring to rest during the daytime, hiding in densely overgrown bushes. The deer's diet does not depend on the seasons and consists of a variety of grasses, as well as branches and leaves of low bushes.

• South Andean deer(Hippocamelus bisulcus)

The animal has a stocky build and short legs, adapted to move across mountainous landscapes. The deer measures 1.4-1.6 m in length and weighs 70-80 kg. Height at the withers is 80-90 cm. The deer's fur is brownish or gray-brown with white spots on the throat.

Deer live in the mountains of Chile and Argentina, where they live alone, gathering in small groups during the rut. Due to a sharp decline in the population, this species of deer is listed in the International Red Book.

The spring and summer diet of deer consists of a variety of grassy meadow vegetation. In winter and during snowfalls, they find food in wooded valleys. Here, deer food consists of leaves and young branches of bushes and trees.

• Dappled deer(Cervus nippon)

It grows in length up to 1.6-1.8 m with a weight of 75-130 kg. The size at the withers is 95-112 cm. The summer color of the deer is distinguished by a bright red-red color with white spotting; in winter the color fades.

Sika deer eat not only mushrooms, nuts, leaves and oak or alder shoots, but also a variety of herbs and berries. In winter, they find fallen leaves, last year's grass and acorns under the snow. In hungry years, sika deer feed on the bark of deciduous trees. Individuals living near the sea coast happily eat algae washed ashore and restore the mineral balance of the body with the help of sea salt.

Sika deer lead a herd lifestyle, gathering in small groups of 10–20 individuals. The distribution area of ​​this species covers the plains, mountains and foothills of the northern hemisphere. The sika deer lives in the Far East, central Russia and the Caucasus.

Pictures for children with deer will help kids learn more about these noble animals, immerse them in the natural beauty of the forest and the fabulous world of the North. They will have to learn many interesting facts, guess the deer - the heroes of their favorite cartoons, and learn funny rhymes. Drawing a deer in pencil will be easy for kids if they use one of the step-by-step diagrams.

Pictures of deer for kids, interesting facts

Deer are artiodactyl mammals. In total, the deer family includes 51 species.

The most famous of which are reindeer and red deer. Pictures for children on a transparent background clearly demonstrate the differences between them.

Deer live in Eurasia and America, and are occasionally found in northern Africa. The average height of animals is 1 - 1.5 m, their average body weight is 100 - 200 kg. They feed on various parts of plants - bark, stems, leaves, buds. Children know that deer are not averse to eating moss and reindeer moss.

Cool and funny photos. Fawns for children

Photos for children with deer in the wild will help you learn about the lifestyle and habits of these animals. An interesting fact is that a female deer usually gives birth to only one fawn. Less often two or three. Funny babies seem awkward on their thin legs. Surprisingly, they begin to stand and walk within the first minutes of life. Deer mothers are kind to their babies and take care of them until they are six months old.

Deer antlers are a symbol of power. They are a formidable weapon, with the help of which males stage bloody battles. It’s hard to believe, but deer are very cruel; during battles they know no mercy and inflict serious injuries on each other.

In pictures for children with deer in the forest, you can see that these animals live in herds. There is no other way, because in nature horned animals have a lot of natural enemies. They often become victims of lynxes, wolves and bears.

Even their branchy horns do not help them escape. Cool fawns are not born with them. Horns grow gradually in animals. At first they are covered with a thin, velvety skin, but over time they become coarse and peel off to the bone. The child will be interested to know that the shape, size and number of branches of all deer are different.
From time to time, the old horns of animals fall off, and new ones immediately begin to grow in their place.

Deer in winter, Santa Claus's reindeer

For the red deer, winter is a real test. It is difficult for him to move in the snow, it is difficult for him to look for food under it. But caribou (reindeer) feel great in winter. In the picture, the child can see that his fur is thicker and his legs are more powerful.

Reindeer for children is primarily associated with Santa Claus. While Santa Claus walks or rides in a sleigh drawn by three horses, Santa Claus actually uses a reindeer sleigh to get around in Lapland.

Moreover, there are seven of Santa’s reindeer, each of them has his own name: Blockhead, Prancing, Evil, Comet, Cupid, Lightning, Awesome, Rudolph and Dancer.

Although Santa's pets have male names, the ones pictured are female. The fact is that male caribou shed their antlers in December.

Drawn funny pictures: pencil drawings of deer

Before starting to learn how to draw a deer or caribou with a pencil, a child can look at images of deer drawn in different styles. Pictures, like photographs, demonstrate the life of animals in the natural environment (drawings of deer in pencil and paint) and their fabulous embodiment (cartoon and small Christmas deer).

Pictures of cartoon deer. Guess the cartoon from the picture

Cartoons for children about deer are very kind, but sometimes sad. The cartoon deer, like its prototype in nature, symbolizes fragile beauty, nobility and grace. At the same time, he is resourceful and cheerful. Cartoon reindeer of Santa Claus and Father Frost are most popular with children who believe in miracles and wait for them every New Year. For kids who haven’t had time to watch all the cartoons about these animals, photos of cartoon deer are supplemented with answers.

How to draw a deer with a pencil step by step: for children and beginners

A child can ask their parents how to draw deer with a pencil not only after a visit to the zoo. Such creativity is also inspired by watching the cartoon “Bambi” or waiting for the New Year. The diagrams will gradually allow the child to understand how to draw a deer’s head and a full-length animal, realistic and cartoonish.

Pictures and videos of deer for kindergarten and primary school children

Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer deer in the wild. At the zoo, children can not only see these animals, but also pet and feed them. Having gained enough impressions, they will be happy to learn poems about deer or draw a picture with a pencil or felt-tip pens.

Short poems about deer

Agnia Barto dedicated a cute poem to the graceful deer, which children really like and remember very easily.

Riddles about deer can be asked to kids as part of a competition at children's parties.

A young deer's horns are covered with delicate hairs. Indeed, it seems that they are velvet.

Video about deer for children

A video for children about deer will be useful for their overall development. It contains many interesting facts.

The fairy tale “The Silver Hoof” has fostered positive personal qualities in many generations of children.

Yamal once again confirmed its unofficial status as the center of world reindeer husbandry. The best reindeer herders, scientists and specialists from the northern countries came to Nadym. While some were competing for the District Governor's Cup, others were thinking about how to adapt to global warming, preserve the traditions of indigenous peoples and develop the industry. After which the discussion participants continued scientific research, and the winners returned to the tundra on new snowmobiles. The reindeer moss land of Yamal stands on two pillars - reindeer husbandry and gas production, both industries of the district have leading positions in the country. So their coexistence is a strategic issue. Yamal has the largest herd of domestic reindeer in the world: more than 600 thousand heads. Of the 70 million hectares, pastures occupy approximately three quarters. About half of the district's territory is a zone of arctic deserts. The essence of long and emotional speeches about how important it is to preserve reindeer husbandry in the district fits into the favorite phrase of the main reindeer herder on the planet (president of the Reindeer Herders of the World association) Dmitry Khorol: “Gas and oil come and go, but the deer remains forever.” In general, tundra dwellers are more willing to talk not about themselves, but about the deer. - He is a sacred animal for us. This is our food, clothing, transportation, housing, our savings book. And the Nenets themselves call themselves children of the deer,” explains foreman Sergei Serotetto. Scientifically speaking, reindeer husbandry in Yamal is an ethnically formative industry. If it disappears, then entire nations will disappear after it. - Reindeer husbandry has three main resources. The first is the animals themselves. The shepherd may lose almost all the reindeer, but then renew the herd. The second is pastures, this is already a difficult-to-renew resource. And the third is a man. Reindeer husbandry can die when people leave it. To do this, it is enough to leave one generation. Perhaps physically they will remain as people, but as carriers of culture they will disappear. In Yamal, everything is still passed on from father to son, and this spiritual resource is the most important,” says scientist and specialist in reindeer husbandry Alexander Yuzhakov. In the dark nineties for the Russian North, when in other regions reindeer, like people, were melting before our eyes, this industry was preserved only by ethnic reindeer herders, including the Yamal Nenets. “The strong roots of the Yamal reindeer herders are a phenomenon. That’s why we were able to preserve the traditional way of life,” explains Dmitry Khorolya. Then Yamal helped to lick economic wounds and restore the lost livestock of Evenkia and Ugra. At that difficult time, the district adopted the law “On Reindeer Husbandry” and a program for the development of the industry. So no one was surprised when the Reindeer Herders of the World association was born in Yamal. Here, in Nadym, they began to hold Reindeer Herder Day every year - district competitions for the district governor's cup (later they received open status). This year they were dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the first Congress of Reindeer Herders of the World (its starting point is also Nadym). And the best reindeer herders of the Yamal tundra, their Sami colleagues, scientists from Norway, Finland, and Sweden came to the moss place (as the name of the city is translated from Nenets). By the way, the townspeople have another toponymic version: Nadym is a city of happiness. The tundra dwellers do not object: for a reindeer herder, finding a moss reindeer place is happiness. Purely theoretically, the Tundra Competition was preceded by a theoretical part - an international seminar on the development of reindeer husbandry. Colleagues from different countries decided to compare the polar clocks and decide where and how to move forward. The President of the World Association of Reindeer Herders, Professor Svein Disch Mathiesen, flew to Nadym from Paris from the opening ceremony of the International Polar Year. It will give scientists the opportunity to focus, among other things, on climate research in order to give tundra dwellers recommendations on how to adapt to global warming. Yamal was also included in the orbit of international scientific research. - Of course, it’s difficult to talk about global warming when it’s minus thirty-seven outside. But the weather now changes even within one day, and this only makes the situation worse. Our project is based on knowledge of the language of reindeer herders; their vocabulary is the key to understanding the future. Taking into account the wisdom of centuries, we intend to solve practical problems,” said Professor Mathiesen. His intentions were confirmed by the Secretary General of the World Reindeer Herders Association, Johan Mathis Turi. He believes that it is necessary to document the traditional knowledge of the Sami reindeer herders and the peoples of Yamal. - In our territories, reindeer husbandry is accompanied by oil and gas production. In Norway and Sweden it has become rationalized and modernized. The area for grazing is becoming smaller and smaller, so we need to participate in the management of the northern regions. It is necessary to compare traditional knowledge and the results of scientific research within each country and at the international level, suggested a Norwegian reindeer herder. Graduate student Inger Ira, a reindeer herder herself, studies the linguistics of snow and ice. - Key words in my research are snow, weather, wind. There are many words in the Sami language that correspond to different states of snow - just wet or melted, which looks like salt. The snow profile affects reindeer grazing, says Inger Aira. By the way, Yamal reindeer herders, although far from science, have also noticed climate warming. - Today the winter was warm and the summer was hot. When it’s very warm, deer don’t want to eat; they’re too hot. They can just stand or lie all day. No appetite. When it’s cold, they move more and get moss faster,” livestock specialist Eduard Khudi shares his observations. The chief reindeer herder of Yamal (chairman of the board of the district union) Leonid Khudi reminded his colleagues that the Yamal tundra dwellers had preserved the traditional way of life, and their survival experience was used by gas workers, oil workers, meteorologists, and aviators. And what saddens the local reindeer herder is not so much global warming as the acute shortage of pastures and the intensive construction of oil and gas complex facilities. “As long as there are deer and reindeer herders, the appearance of Yamal will always be shaped as the appearance of a reindeer herding region,” says Leonid Khudi. Colleagues from Evenkia confirmed this with a specific example - they remembered how they bought 500 Yamal deer each. The animals were transported in batches to the An-26. For Operation Deer, the plane had two tiers: young animals were placed on the top, large animals were placed below. It was easier to send them to Ugra; the Yamal herds were driven across the tundra. A long arm and a keen eye, the Tundra people came to Nadym on snowmobiles and stayed in the Reindeer Herder’s House built for them and other local hotels. The city was full of bright clothes - men's malitsa, intercepted with bright belts, and women's yagushkas, embroidered with geometrically complex patterns. And no boots or shoes, on the feet there is another work of national art - high pussycats made of deer fur. Reindeer herders competed in national clothes to win each type of competition - this is a mandatory condition. By X-hour, the area near Strizhov Boulevard was filled with residents of Nadym and tundra dwellers. As always, the competition was opened by the Governor of Yamal, Yuri Neelov. Another tradition is a parade of teams and a procession on reindeer sleds of representatives of ancient clans - Tibichi, Serotetto, Ezyngi. The first test is throwing a tynzian at a trochee. Tynzian is a rope with a loop at the end, it is woven from thin strips of deerskin. Tundra dwellers call it a long arm; they use it to catch deer. The lasso must be thrown onto the trochee (a long pole for controlling the team) from a distance of 15 meters. Winning result: 10 hits out of 11 shots. The throwers gave way to the wrestlers on the sports ground. National wrestling is also a familiar thing for tundra dwellers; not a single reindeer herder’s holiday is complete without it. Athletes hold each other by the waist from behind. The winner is the one who lifts his opponent off the ground and puts him on both shoulder blades. Trips and trips are prohibited. The fight is going on for real, the fans are going wild: “Borya, come on, crush him!” The tundra man with the appearance of a Russian hero, Sergei Kanev, put everyone on his back, and this is how he achieved victory for his team and the Komi people. The tired champion took off his malitsa and remained in only a T-shirt, steam pouring off him in the 30-degree frost. Another competition, stick tugging, requires no less strength and dexterity. The opponents sit opposite each other, rest their feet on the board in the middle and hold the stick tightly. You need to pull her to your side and not make a single sharp jerk. Here they were furiously rooting for Yuri Ezyngi, and in the final fight he snatched victory, and therefore the new “Buran”. - The Nenets, and reindeer herders in general, are very strong and brave people. In any case, we would have won in “The Last Hero,” Rafik Akhmedov explains to me. He is a fan of his team at the Nydinskoye agricultural enterprise; he himself works in the third team, treating deer. He came to the Nadymsky district five years ago from Omsk. He says that his soul, a Russian Azerbaijani, has grown to the Yamal tundra, and Rafik has no intention of leaving here in the foreseeable future. The words about the “last hero” are easy to believe, since at this time the tundra dwellers are jumping over the sledges - as long as they have enough strength, without pauses. The current record holder had enough strength for 400 sledges. In the national triple jump, you must jump as far as you can, pushing off the ground three times. And in the ski relay race - run three kilometers on hunting skis. The apogee of the competition is the reindeer sled race on Lake Yantarnoye. Reindeer herders begin to prepare for them at dawn - they select the strongest reindeer for the camp. Morning in the tent We arrived at the camp after dark. The moon clung with its edge to the top of the tent, the tundra dwellers were sleeping. As the blue dissolved in the air, wisps of smoke began to appear above the tents, one after another. The woman (the plague worker) wakes up first, lights the stove and feeds her husband. Once outside, the reindeer herders got to work. They had to build a pen for deer and, from a large common herd, catch their best animals that would participate in the races. While the husbands arranged the sledges and pulled the nets between them, the wives served tea to the guests. In half an hour, 10-month-old Efim Khudi whined in his cradle only once when he dropped a gingerbread. If Efim had been born six months later, his mother Rosa would have received “maternity capital” (she also has an older daughter). Rosa and her husband Lesha treated the money they didn’t receive philosophically and didn’t complain about their fate. Although it happens when tundra patience comes to an end. It is important for any reindeer herder to have a son to pass the business on to. And then in one family a bunch of girls came together. My father treated the first one philosophically, but he also tolerated the second one. When the third was born, he named her Aninya - translated from Nenets as “a girl again.” And he resolutely called the fourth Masni - that is, “enough is enough.” You can imagine what name the fifth one will have to live with if she is born. Yorte Serotetto, the father of three sons and three daughters, spoke about how to raise children correctly. “We need to teach children to tame stubborn deer, to hunt, to be a good family man,” Yorte bends his fingers. - My children, as they saw me and my wife Antonina, are how they should be. My father found Antonina for me, and he could not have been mistaken. You can't go wrong in the tundra. We need to find a bride who can sew beautiful clothes. At the same time, Yorte, not without pride, shows his mittens, pussycats and malitsa. Why are the clothes so bright? Because in the tundra everything is white, and the eye needs a break from the whiteness. “There are fewer Yagels now, and the youth have changed,” Yorte sighs, listing the problems. - Those who like to drive around in Burans don’t have time to drive around obstinate deer - they are always busy with repairing the snowmobile. I know Buran by heart. If a part breaks, I grind the exact same one out of deer bone. Nearby, in the corral, a whole sea of ​​reindeer was already swaying, absolutely silent. It cannot be said that the animals liked all this; the disobedient flocks broke free, but they were immediately driven back. Reindeer herders wandered among the frightened animals, looking for and leading away their own. The women guarding the edge of the corral explained that the reindeer herder knows his herd by sight. - Maybe they will still recognize you by your personal mark? - I asked Anatoly Vanuito doubtfully. - You know your children by sight, right? - he smiled slyly. - So we find out, even a thousand - they are growing before our eyes. Why don't they shout? The deer is generally silent and calm. Doesn't bite, doesn't kick. Very patient, just like us. At the reindeer in the early morning Hundreds of fans and dozens of teams gathered on the banks of the Yantarny River. 102 participants registered for the competition - including women. The teams (each with three to five reindeer) started in pairs according to lots drawn in advance. Deer need to run 1600 meters. After the judge's go-ahead, the participants jumped into the sleds and disappeared in a cloud of snow dust. Who will reach the finish line first is unpredictable. Someone was let down by a false start. Some animals, instead of rushing forward, for some reason started spinning in a circle. Denis Vanuito's deer raced to the finish line the fastest. An equally spectacular competition of national clothes and reindeer teams ended with a defile of the winners: Nenets, Khanty and Komi-Zyryans. Of course, women ruled the roost. In families of reindeer herders, they are responsible for the “creative part” and for ensuring that the husband does not freeze in the tundra. - Women wear braids on the back of their heads - they are decorated with woven threads, antique iron, copper, silver rings and pendants. The richer the colors, the richer it all looks. Red, yellow, green are the sun, blue, dark blue are the sky. On holidays, it is necessary for a woman to walk and sparkle and ring her bells. On weekdays, the braid is more modest; in nomadic conditions you don’t wear a lot of jewelry,” explains Serafima Anagurichi, a methodologist at the Center for National Cultures. - The main material is beads, deer fur. In the ornament, craftswomen depict a birch branch, a fox's elbow, a bear's footprint, and deer antlers. The Khanty pay more attention to beads in clothing, while the Nenets are craftsmen in fur. If a man looks beautiful, it means his wife is a good craftswoman. The Yamal Governor's Cup and the main cash prize this year went to the village of Kutopyugan. The winners received cash prizes and electric generators, and eight winners received snowmobiles. It is possible that at the next Reindeer Herder’s Day there will be even more prizes: the geography of participants will be expanded, and their own competitions will be organized for children of tundra dwellers. “Ai Liv in Yamal” - According to the good old tradition, we are holding Reindeer Herder Day in Nadym. The best reindeer herders come here from all over the Yamal tundra. With this we once again prove that there is real friendship, mutual understanding and respect between the residents of industrial Yamal and the tundra,” said the district governor, Yuri Neelov, at the opening of the competition. Nobody really campaigned for the interpenetration of two cultures - ethnic and technogenic. On these days, the townspeople went into the tents (they were installed on the main square), took photographs with the families of Yamal tundra dwellers and foreign reindeer herders, rode in reindeer sleds, admired the fireworks together with the tundra dwellers and applauded the artists at the gala concert and the national holiday "Hebidya-Yalya". - Since these two civilizations live together, they are forced to look for ways to interact. Deer and tundra dwellers now walk, figuratively speaking, among drilling sites, pipelines, and roads. And they, willy-nilly, have to adapt to technogenic civilization, somehow build relationships,” says scientist Alexander Yuzhakov. - Much depends on the human factor here. Normal people find a common language with reindeer herders. Communication is also useful. They have all sorts of problems - for example, there is not enough fuel, food. Or you need to urgently deliver a person somewhere. And here it happens that it is industrial enterprises that help. Not to mention the fact that they feel that the indigenous people should be given some of the rent they receive from this land. Whether the rent they pay is sufficient is a matter for debate. Perhaps it is still insufficient. Of course, not everything is so perfect, but nevertheless the process is underway. As you can see, the holiday is also part of it. Brigadier Sergei Serotetto has his own thoughts on this matter. - In the early nineties, we were not paid wages; deer was not listed as a product. The shops are empty. We were just wandering (roaming - I.N.) through the gas settlement of Bovanenkovo. The gas workers also had a limit on goods, but they helped us with bread, flour, and essential goods. We, in principle, cannot really help them, but they can help us. Let's say they have their own clinic, dentist. If a person in the village cannot be cured, we call a sanitary flight and send him to the city. We work together, we live nearby - how can we not communicate,” says the foreman. Yamal reindeer herders also communicate with foreigners. In recent years, everyone has visited the Serotetto family - journalists from Ireland and England. Famous British photographer Brian Alexander wandered with the team for more than a month. Reindeer herders are gradually mastering English. In parting, Anatoly Vanuito proudly declared: “I live in Yamal.”