Accordingly, the landscape (forest, steppes, and meadows along the river valleys) differs in significant diversity. There are 55 species of mammals, 180 species of birds, 8 species of reptiles, 3 species of amphibians, and about 30 species of fish. The fauna of insectivores and especially bats is still poorly studied.
Within the region are the boundaries of the range of several animals: North-Western — wild sheep-argali, Western-red-cheeked gopher; Northern-variegated stone thrush, red-tailed blackbird, Indian warbler, rocky oatmeal, steppe pika, gray hamster, jerboa-jumper; cottonmouth, multi-colored foot-and-mouth disease. Eastern-small ground squirrel; southern-red vole; European hedgehog, large spotted and black woodpeckers; white partridge, viviparous lizard, common viper. For forests of mammals are typical of the few now elk and Siberian roe, lynx, and ermine, in other years-a large white hare, acclimated (in pine forests) squirrel — teleutka, of the mouse-red vole and forest mouse, and insectivores — common and tiny shrew-Sorex, as well as numerous European hedgehog.
Among the birds that inhabit the forest-black grouse, white partridge, woodpeckers (large mottled and black), Tits (large long-tailed, cyanides cyanus, black-headed gaichka). Buntings (white-capped, garden); turtledoves (common and large), nightjar, cuckoo, thrush, — turdus viscivorus, oriole, shrikes (gray, black-browed, kulan), in the years of pine harvest arrive flocks of spruce bites.
In the forest-steppe, there are also owls (long-eared, spatula, marsh) and raptor birds (burial eagle, great spotted eagle, common Buzzard, black kite, common kestrel, common fowl), as well as a magpie, gray crow, jackdaw, rook.
Among the insectivores in the forests, the birch Sawfly, birch spadenica, birch Horntail, may crunch, countless Diptera — mosquitoes, midges, woodlice; ants are numerous, especially on the forest edges.
In the steppe areas of this zone, typical steppe animals are widespread, but not particularly numerous. They reach their greatest distribution and abundance in the southern part of the steppe zone. Here, as in the forest-steppe, the common hamster, predatory animals — wolf, fox, avoiding the forest, corsac and steppe polecat, Lepus europaeus, steppe Ochotona are ubiquitous. In winter, the Lepus timidusis not uncommon in the steppe, especially near lakes and rivers.
On low-grass areas of the steppe, mainly in pastures and near settlements, gophers are found throughout the region; in the Northern half of the region — red-cheeked, and the southern — small. In places, they harm crops, but in General, their number is low, and the damage is insignificant. Throughout the region, the steppe mouse and various mouse-like rodents are found in the steppe, serving as the main food for valuable fur-bearing animals. From rodents-seed-eaters in thickets of small woodlands, bushes, and tall grass everywhere there is a forest mouse, sporadically only in the Northern half of the region, — a few field mouse, in some places it is rare to find a mouse-baby, house mouse. From insectivores in the steppes on damp areas with shrubs and tall grass, you can find shrews, in particular, Arctic and medium. The eared hedgehog is not numerous. Bats are rare in the plains.
The species composition of steppe birds is rather monotonous. The most widespread are field, horned, white-winged, and especially black lark, which is endemic to the steppes of the CIS, the largest and does not leave the expanses of Central Kazakhstan.
Of the large birds, the lowland cranes are typical, which have become more numerous over the past 10-15 years and settle even in anthropogenic biotopes — on crops of grain and wheat. Due to excessive plowing and exploitation of the steppes, the number of bustards and strepets, which are now rare even in protected areas, including in the Kurgaldzhinsky nature reserve, was sharply reduced. The steppe eagle, steppe Kestrel, and Harrier are the most typical birds of prey.
The animal world of reservoirs and coasts of numerous rivers and lakes with thickets of willows, reeds, cattails, and other moisture-loving plants is diverse. On the banks of large lakes there is a boar, usually numerous, and sometimes acclimatized muskrat; in other years, the water rat is very numerous and insectivorous in many places there is a water shrew — common neomys fodiens. In coastal thickets, the badger is widespread. The bird fauna is especially diverse in reservoirs. From waterfowl nests numerous ducks (mallard, teal, gray shilohvost, broad-nosed, red-headed dipper, crested black), gray goose, swans (common hissing, rare whooper) and flamingos that have declined in number over the past 30 years. On reservoirs live coots and reeds, grebes (grey-cheeked podiceps cristatus, small, black-necked), gulls (silver, blue, lake, light-winged, white-cheeked, hydroprogne). Near reservoirs, there are also frequent yellow, gray, and rare big fish.
Of bats, they are found, but apparently no longer nest, eating mainly fish, birds of prey, the eagle — white-tailed and osprey, marsh harrier.
Of the insects, dragonflies are numerous, serving as food for gulls, terns, small birds of prey, especially the falco subbuteo. The fauna of reptiles and especially amphibians is poor. Common reptiles, a common snake, a steppe viper, a nimble lizard, and amphibians, a green toad and a sharp-snout frog, are widespread throughout the region. Only in the south of the region are venomous poisonous muzzle and multi-colored foot-and-mouth disease rare.
The ichthyofauna is much more diverse. The most common and massive fish is goldfish, living in the vast majority of lakes and rivers. The ide, tench, roach, pike, river perch, ruff, burbot, crucian carp, and gudgeon are common throughout the region. Only in the Ishim basin are a few Siberian grayling, lenok, Siberian and ice ovito — sea lamprey, motley sculpin, and some other species.
Of the invertebrate animals, insects are numerous, especially locusts, for example, cruciferous, white-haired. The Siberian and dark red filly, grasshoppers, nutcracker beetles striped and dark, earthen midges, meadow moths, etc.
Usually a peculiar fauna of the low-mountain massif Ereimentau. It is the most diverse since in addition to forest and steppe animals, some northern and mountain relics live here.
Among the latter, one should first note the mountain ram — argali, which had only recently been found north of the city of Ereimentau in the granite small hills Koitas. Golden Eagles nest in Ereimentau, and burial ground and buzzard in Koitas small hills.
Many acclimatized species live in the region. This is a muskrat imported from North America, from the Irtysh boron squirrel-teleut, from fish, the carp, silver carp, grass carp, Amur from the Amur River, and ripus are introduced.
Of the relict species, there are Pleistocene northern and southern. The first, for example, include the European hedgehog, red-backed vole, housekeeper, grouse, large spotted and black woodpeckers, burbot, crayfish, and many others. To the second — argali, variegated stone thrush, Indian warbler, redstart — chernushka, rocky oatmeal, Mongolian subspecies of black grouse, flamingos, shchitomordnik and some invertebrates.
The following animals are listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan: argali, Balaban, golden eagle, bustard, demoiselle crane, red-throated goose, spoonbill, shrimp, burial ground, steppe eagle, eagle, osprey, strep, flamingo, black-headed laughter. The Red Book also includes the steppe fish, reptilian odorants, fly bumblebee, bumblebee lezus, club-bark meliturg, rophitoides canus, steppe chafer, giant cover; peacock eye small at night, periphanes, swallowtail, podalirium, apollon.
To protect rare, endangered, or valuable animal species, the Kurgaldzhin State Nature Reserve and some nature reserves have been created in the region.
The bird world in the area is quite rich. It is represented by both species living in this territory and birds flying here in the summer or flying through the territory of the region in spring and autumn. Passing birds make short stops here and feed themselves. At this time, you can meet large flocks of geese, waders, ducks. There are swans, herons, cranes, ducks of many species: coots, grebes, gulls, swamp hens, waders are found on very many lakes.
Many birds can be found in the forest. This is a woodpecker, cuckoo, oriole, tit. Of predators, a long-eared owl lives in the forest. In the forest are nests of magpies, ravens, and rooks.
Of the commercial birds, there is quite a lot of black grouse, partridge is often found.
Among this diversity, natural monuments, reserves, and reserves are of particular interest.
There are currently six state reserves in Kazakhstan. The largest of them is Kurgaldzhinsky, located within the Akmola region. Its total area is 237138 hectares, including 199200 hectares fall on water bodies. It was established as a reserve in May 1958, but it lasted only 3 years. In 1961 he was reorganized into a hunting reserve. Only in 1968, the reserve was restored on an area of 177.2 thousand hectares. In the 70s, the Kurgaldzhinsky Reserve gained international popularity as a place of mass concentration of spans. The reserve is located in the Tengiz of the Kurgaldzhin depression, administratively in the Kurgaldzhin district of the Akmola region.
It is located at the junction of the steppe and semi-desert zones. This is a huge lake region with the largest water bodies Tengiz and Kurgaldzhin. The main source of their food is the Nura River. An impassable wall is reed beds along the shores of Lake Kurgaldzhin. They occupy tens of thousands of hectares, covering over seventy percent of the water mirror. On this island, there are about forty large and small islands. Many of them are floating; you can moor to such an island by boat, but it’s dangerous to get on it: it’s too unsteady the surface. So they arrange their noisy colonies of gulls and terns on it. The wildlife of the reserve is rich. Mammals alone are inhabited by 34 species; and birds and even more — about 260 species. These include vagrant species — black stork, Siberian Crane, red heron, flat-nosed swimmer, woodcock, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Egyptian turtledove, Siberian pine, Jay, oak-bearing, crossbill, Siberian accentor, etc.
Mammals in the reserve are constantly inhabited by 34 species: woodchucks, ground squirrels, mice, field voles, jerboas, and hamsters. From predators: gray wolf.