insectivorous animals are the main distinguishing feature from other mammals - it is elongated head with a long snout, protruding significantly outside the skull, in some cases, similar to the trunk.These animals belong to the order of primitive mammals.They are different in appearance and lifestyle.But representatives of pretty cute and funny carnivorous animals (photo is proof).Their five-fingered limbs and are equipped with claws.The teeth of these animals carnivorous type, that is adapted to razgryzaniya chitin.Be sure there are teeth.Cutters are quite long, forming together mites.The molars are covered with tubercles.Ears and eyes are small in size and in the eyes do not catch.The brain is a primitive insectivorous animals (cerebral hemispheres are not furrows) and does not cover the cerebellum.These creatures inhabit the globe, except for Australia and much of South America.Types of carnivorous animals are divided into four families: Tenrec, Yezhov, and elephant shrew shrew.
fossil insectivores insectivorous
Pets are one of the most ancient groups of higher animals.Archaeologists have found their remains in the Upper Cretaceous of the Mesozoic era.It is about 135 million years ago.In those days the world was a lot of insects that are food for other animals, so many ancient mammals (judging by the structure of the jaw) used them in the diet.Many species of ancient animals were larger than modern carnivorous animals, examples of this - and dienogaleriks leptitsidium.Their well-preserved remains found in Germany, in the Eocene sediments near Messel.In general, the representatives of carnivorous animals have always been small in size.
Lifestyle
Some species of carnivorous animals are different ways of life: wood, underground or semi-aquatic.Most characteristic of nocturnal activity.Some species are awake virtually around the clock.The basis of the diet - is, of course, insects and small animals underground.But some animals are carnivorous and predators.Some representatives of eating juicy sweet fruit, and during the starvation of their food can become seeds.The stomach of these animals easy.The cecum is absent in some species.All members of this group are polygamous.Females have two-horned uterus.In males, the testicles are located in the groin or in the scrotum.Pregnancy in females occurs from a decade and a half months.Within one year, most often only one litter, which can be up to 14 pups.Of mature carnivorous animals are in a period of 3 months to 2 years.The very appearance of different animals such as hedgehogs present needles in giant otter shrew - flattened on the sides of the long tail, while the mole - the two front paws shovel.
Carnivorous animals Russia
In our country, insectivorous animals represented species: moles, muskrats, shrews and hedgehogs.From olden times hedgehogs and shrews were considered among the people useful animals because only destroy harmful insects.Krotov considered useful half-beasts - they destroy the inhabitants of the different soil including the larvae of beetles, but eat earthworms and beneficial.Also, breaking their endless tunnels, moles harm the forest, orchards and vegetable planting.But the fur of these animals is considered to be an expensive fur and they are the objects of hunting.Earlier Russia hunted and muskrats.
biological and economic value
insectivorous animals are links in various natural biocenoses.For example, loosen the soil, improving its quality, and regulate the number of insects in the forest litter.For a man as their existence is important, because these animals eat and pests.Some species of carnivorous animals are objects of the fur trade (muskrats, moles, etc.).But these animals can pose a serious danger to humans, as some of them - the carriers of ticks, and with them many dangerous diseases (leptospirosis, tick-borne encephalitis, and so on. D.).Such rare species as SOLENODON or muskrat, are listed as endangered and are protected by the state.
