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Not far from the settlement of Ilsky (Russia, Krasnodar Territory) there is an amazing place called Crab Gorge. The name was not given by chance — there are crabs in the stream. I already wrote about this some time ago here. One of the attractions of the Gorge is a strange poplar (Populus alba), which […]

A storm warning was announced on the Black Sea coast from Tuapse to Novorossiysk. It was expected heavy rain showers, strong wind and a high probability of formation of tornadoes. Tankers from Tsemesskaya bay were launched into the open sea. A black ball was hung over the rescue post on the beach, it’s a signal […]

The funnel-web spider Agelena orientalis is often found along the edges of the foothill forests of the Northwestern Caucasus. Their abundance is especially noticeable in the summer, starting in July. In some places, the web of this species is found at literally every step. Funnel webs are weaving both females and males. The web can […]

My observations of how the spider wasp Parabatozonus lacerticida (Pallas, 1771) arranges a nest with food reserves for her future larva. Once in the morning, I hiked near Dzhankhot and saw a wasp Parabatozonus lacerticida circled above the surface of ground without grass. Then it ran across the ground, then took off and came back […]

I’ve been here many times. And I’m drawn to this place all the time. Papai is the most western mountain range of the Greater Caucasus, with rocky outcrops. Five major peaks (Northern Papai, Central Papai, Main Papai, Eastern Papai and Western Papai) form tht so-called «Papai Saw» with a length of about 5 km. The […]

This is the largest legless lizard. The body length often exceeds 1 m. The European legless lizard (also commonly called  Pallas’ glass lizard) looks like a snake by its appearance. However, he is not as flexible as a snake. In the anterior part of the body, each side with a well-marked longitudinal furrow formed by […]

This species is listed in the Red Book of Russia, but in some localities it is still found in large numbers. At the April, these orchids massively bloom in some places in the Seversky district of the Krasnodar Territory. The congestions of flowering plants are well visible from afar, as they are not hidden by […]

It is known that carnivorous the two-spotted stink bug (Perillus bioculatus) feed mainly on the larvae and eggs of the Colorado beetle. Once, during observations of these bugs, I saw such a scene: one bug and one spider-boat Xysticus sp. attacked a larva of the Colorado potato beetle at a time. Both predators made enormous […]

The Caspian whipsnake (Dolichophis caspius) is widespread in South and South-Eastern Europe. This is one of the largest snakes in Europe. In length it can reach 2 m. There are specimens found up to 2.5 m long. The Caspian whipsnake prefers dry habitats: forest edges with thickets of spiny bushes, stony slopes with sparse vegetation, […]

This subspecies is widespread in the low-mountain forests of the North Caucasus. At the end of April the tree frogs begin to multiply. The female lays several portions of eggs. The gelatinous substance, to which all debris and dirt easily adheres, protects the developing embryos from any adverse effects. The eggs are white. Each oviposition […]