The Ural Mountains form a vast, approximately 2,500-kilometer geographic boundary stretching from the Arctic Ocean toward Kazakhstan. This immense north-south span traditionally separates the continents of Europe and Asia. The extensive length of the range creates a mosaic of climatic zones, from icy tundra in the north to warmer steppes in the south. This geographical feature results in a diverse range of animal life, with species adapted to arctic conditions, dense forests, and open grassland ecosystems.
Fauna of the Northern and Polar Urals
The northernmost reaches of the Ural chain, including the Polar Urals, are characterized by harsh, frigid conditions dominated by tundra and sparse taiga forests. Animal life here is adapted to survive deep snow and long, cold winters.
The Reindeer (Caribou) is a prominent inhabitant, possessing a thick double coat and large hooves that function as snowshoes. This allows them to forage for lichens and mosses beneath the surface without sinking into the soft snow.
This environment is also home to opportunistic predators like the Arctic Fox, which develops a dense, white winter coat for insulation and camouflage. Foxes primarily hunt small mammals such as lemmings, a foundational tundra species. Lemmings are known for their cyclical population booms and their ability to remain active beneath the snowpack.
Another resilient predator is the Wolverine, a powerful member of the weasel family with a thick, frost-resistant pelt. Its wide paws and low center of gravity allow it to navigate deep snow successfully. Avian life includes the Rock Ptarmigan, a bird that changes its plumage to white in winter for camouflage. Its feathered feet help it walk on snow and insulate against the cold ground.
Wildlife of the Central Ural Mountains
Moving south, the Central Urals are dominated by the Taiga, a vast belt of dense coniferous and mixed forests. This habitat supports a greater biomass of large mammals compared to the northern tundra. The massive Elk is one of the most recognizable herbivores, relying on dense forest cover and abundant water sources. They feed on woody browse and aquatic plants, using their size to break trails through deep winter snows.
The forest ecosystem supports apex predators, most notably the Brown Bear and the Lynx. Brown Bears spend winter months in denning or torpor, relying on fat reserves built up from feeding on berries, nuts, and fish. The solitary Eurasian Lynx is a stealth hunter with large, padded paws, preying mainly on hares and smaller ungulates.
The mixed forests also host valuable fur-bearing animals, including the Sable and the Pine Marten. The Sable is sought after for its fine dark fur and is a specialized predator of small rodents, often living in Siberian pine forests. The Central Urals represent a zone where the ranges of the Sable and the Pine Marten overlap, occasionally resulting in a fertile hybrid offspring known locally as a “kidus.”
Species of the Southern Urals and Forest-Steppe
The Southern Urals mark a transition zone where the dense taiga gives way to the open landscapes of the forest-steppe and true steppe near Kazakhstan. This shift results in fauna adapted to grassland and burrowing lifestyles. Rodents become a dominant group, including the Baibak Marmot, which lives in extensive underground colonies in the open steppe.
These burrowing animals, such as Ground Squirrels (Susliks), are a primary food source for local predators. The Steppe Polecat, a highly aggressive member of the weasel family, actively hunts these rodents in their burrows. The open terrain and abundance of small mammals also attract various birds of prey.
Large raptors, such as the Golden Eagle, soar over the Southern Ural foothills, utilizing updrafts to survey the treeless plains for hares and marmots. While Elk are still present in forested river valleys, the environment favors fast, grassland-adapted species.