The animal world
Because natural conditions vary, the animal world is varied too. In semi-deserts and deserts live ground squirrels, jerboas, sand mice, goitered gazelles, foxes and jackals; among reptiles there are many tortoises, monitor lizards, agamas and snakes, and among arthropods scorpions, solifuges and black widow spiders. Desert animals are adapted to heat and lack of water: they live in burrows, hunt at night, sleep through summer or get moisture from their food. In the mountains animals are spread by altitudinal belts: bears, wild boar and lynx in forests, and ibex, argali, markhor, marmot and snow leopard on the high pastures. In tugai live wild boar, pheasants, ducks and the Bukhara deer (khangul). The reclamation of deserts, mining and uncontrolled hunting reduced many animals; some, such as the cheetah and the Turan tiger, have disappeared from Central Asia, while the snow leopard and khangul are listed in Red Data Books.
“Animal staircase”: on a big sheet with height steps stick pictures (or names) of desert, foothill, forest and highland animals; give one adaptation for each animal.