Steller's cow is also called sea cow or cabbage cow. This animal belongs to the genus of sea cows and the order of sirens.
This species of animal became extinct in 1768. The cabbage fish lived near the Commander Islands, ate algae and were famous for their delicious meat.
Appearance of a Steller cow
The length of the sea cow reached 8 meters, and the cabbage weighed about 4 tons. Externally, the sea cow was not much different from its siren relatives; the only difference was its superiority in size. The body of the sea cow was thick. Head small size compared to the entire body mass, however, the cabbage bird could move its head not only in different directions, but also raise and lower it. The limbs resembled rounded flippers that ended in a horny growth. It was also compared to a horse's hoof. The cabbage tree had a horizontal tail blade with a notch in the middle.
The cow's skin was very thick and folded. Many scientists compared the skin of a Steller cow with the bark of an old oak tree, and a German scientist who managed to compare the remains of the skin argued that the strength and elasticity were in no way inferior to modern ones. car tires.
The eyes and ears of the sea cow were small. The sea cow had no teeth, and the cow ground the food that entered the oral cavity with horny plates. It is assumed that males differed from females only in size; males were, as a rule, larger.
The inner ear of the Steller's cow indicated good hearing, but this animal did not react in any way to the noise of the boats that sailed towards them.
Lifestyle of the extinct Steller's cow
Basically, sea cows swam shallowly in shallow water and fed constantly. The forelimbs were often used for support on the ground. The backs of cabbage fish were constantly visible from the water, on which seabirds often landed and pecked whale lice from the folds. Sea cows were not afraid to swim close to the shore. As a rule, the female and male were always nearby, but usually these animals kept in a herd. Cows rested on their backs and became famous for their slowness. The lifespan of a sea cow could reach 90 years. The cabbage bird made virtually no sounds, but the wounded animal was capable of capsizing a fishing boat.
Steller cow nutrition
The sea cow ate only seaweed that grew in coastal waters. Sea cabbage was considered a favorite delicacy, for which the animal received the name “cabbage”. While eating, the sea cow picked algae underwater and raised its head every 3-4 minutes to inhale air. The sound that the cabbage plant made at the same time resembles the snorting of a horse. During the winter period, Steller's cow lost a lot of weight. Many observers claimed that during this period of time the ribs of the animal could even be seen.
Reproduction of Steller's cow
Almost nothing is known about the reproduction of Steller cows. Scientists say that cabbage ducks are monogamous and usually mate in the spring. Researchers talk about great affection in this animal. Over the course of several days, the males swam to the killed female, along with the cubs.
Enemies of the Steller's cow in nature
Natural enemies of the Steller's cow have not been identified, but there are frequent cases when cabbage cows died under the ice in winter, as well as in storms - those individuals that did not have time to move away from the shore were broken on the rocks. People hunted cabbage fish exclusively for meat.
One of the most bitter reminders of human cruelty can be the stories of Steller's cow (lat. Hydrodamalis gigas). Its other names are sea cow or cabbage. It was first discovered off the coast of the Commander Islands in 1741, and 27 years later the last representative of the species living there was killed.
Yes, yes, it took a little more than a quarter of a century to completely exterminate a population of more than 2 thousand individuals. People tried very hard: at least 170 heads were killed a year, and the peak of this bloody massacre occurred in 1754, when half a thousand cabbages were destroyed at once. However, no measures were taken to preserve and maintain the number of animals.
The misfortunes of the sea cow began in 1741, when the ship “St. Peter” crashed near one of the small islands, which was later named after the ship’s captain, Vitus Bering. On this godforsaken island the team was forced to stay for the winter. Unfortunately, not everyone survived it; the captain was among the dead. To survive, the sailors were forced to catch one of the strange sea animals eating algae near the shore.
Its meat turned out to be not only tasty, but also healthy. The patients quickly regained their strength and soon the team was able to build a new ship to return home on. Among the survivors was the naturalist Georg Steller, who described the sea cows in detail. True, the scientist himself was sure that this was in front of him, and only in 1780 the German zoologist Zimmermann was able to prove that this was a completely new species.
What did this animal look like? According to Steller, it was a huge and very clumsy creature, whose body length reached 7.5-10 meters and weight - 3.5-11 tons. His body was very thick, and his head seemed very small in comparison. The forelimbs were rounded flippers with one joint in the center. They ended in a small horny growth, similar to a horse's hoof. Instead of hind limbs, the cabbage bird had a powerful forked tail.
Steller's cow leather was very durable. It was even often used to make sea boats. It was so folded and thick that it looked a little like oak bark. Such protection was needed to escape from sharp coastal stones, especially in rough seas.
Sea cows spent almost all their time eating algae. They were so passionate about the process that they allowed boats with hunters to calmly sail between them, choosing suitable prey. It is very difficult to call the “hunt” anything other than brutal reprisal. Well, judge for yourself: first the harpooner drove his deadly weapon into the victim’s body, and then about 30 people dragged the unfortunate woman to the shore. Of course, the wounded animal desperately resisted and suffered.
Finally, extremely exhausted, the cabbage fish was dragged ashore and finished off. Sometimes pieces of meat were cut directly from a living cow, which caused incredible suffering. But the most unpleasant thing is that this method of fishing made it possible to pull out only one out of five animals, while the rest died in the water.
It is interesting that after the extermination of Steller's cow, the scientific world was excited several times by reports of people meeting these unique creatures. Unfortunately, none of them have been confirmed yet. Last news date back to June 2012: according to some online publications, Steller's cow is alive - a population of 30 individuals was found off a small island belonging to the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The melting of the ice made it possible to penetrate into its most remote corners, where the cabbages were found. Let's hope that the rumors will be confirmed, and humanity will be able to correct its fatal mistake.
Marine mammal of the sirenian order. Length up to 10 meters, weighed up to 4 tons. Habitat: Commander Islands (however, there is evidence of habitat also off the coast of Kamchatka and the Northern Kuril Islands). This sedentary, toothless, dark brown animal, mostly 6-8 meters long with a forked tail, lived in small bays, practically did not know how to dive, and fed on algae.
Story
Hope for the conservation of the species
I can say that in August of this year I saw a Steller’s cow in the area of Cape Lopatka. What allows me to make such a statement? I saw whales, killer whales, seals, sea lions, fur seals, sea otters and walruses more than once. This animal is not like any of the above. Length about five meters. It swam very slowly in shallow water. It seemed to roll like a wave. First, the head with a characteristic growth appeared, then the massive body and then the tail. Yes, yes, that’s what attracted my attention (by the way, there is a witness). Because when a seal or a walrus swims like this, their hind legs are pressed against each other, and you can see that these are flippers, and this one had a tail like a whale’s. It seemed like she emerged every time with her stomach up, slowly rolling her body.
Wrote one of the expedition members. There were other similar messages. However, the animals were not caught, and there were no photographs or video footage left.
Discoveries of unknown animals on the planet are still ongoing, and old, already buried species sometimes are rediscovered (for example, kehou or takahe). Found in sea depths prehistoric coelacanth fish... Although unlikely, it is possible that at least a few dozen animals survived in quiet bays.
External links
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Synonyms:See what “Sea Cow” is in other dictionaries:
- (Steller's cow), marine mammal(siren squad). Discovered in 1741 by the German biologist G. Steller near the Commander Islands. Length up to 10 m, weight up to 4 tons. As a result of predatory fishing in 1768, it was completely exterminated ... Modern encyclopedia
- (Steller's cow) a marine mammal of the sirenian order. Discovered in 1741 by G. Steller (a companion of V.I. Bering). Length up to 10 m, weight up to 4 tons. Lived near the Commander Islands. As a result of predatory fishing, by 1768 it was completely exterminated... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
Steller's cow (Hydrodamalis gigas), a mammal of the family. dugongs. Discovered in 1741 and described by G. Steller (a companion of V.I. Bering). Exterminated by 1768. Dl. 7.5 10 m, weight up to 4 tons. The body is massive, the skin is rough and folded. Tail fin... ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary
Noun, number of synonyms: 7 dugong (1) dugong (4) manatee (7) ... Synonym dictionary
Sea cow- (Steller's cow), marine mammal (siren order). Discovered in 1741 by the German biologist G. Steller near the Commander Islands. Length up to 10 m, weight up to 4 tons. As a result of predatory fishing, it was completely exterminated in 1768. ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (Steller's cow), a marine mammal of the sirenian order. Discovered in 1741 by G. Steller (a companion of V.I. Bering). Length up to 10 m, weight up to 4 tons. Lived near the Commander Islands. As a result of predatory fishing, it was completely exterminated by 1768. * * *… … encyclopedic Dictionary
Steller's cow (Hydrodamalis stelleri, or N. gigas), a marine mammal of the order sirenians (See Sirens). M. was discovered and described by G. Steller (a companion of V.I. Bering (See Bering Island)) in 1741. The body length reached 8 m; M. k.... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
sea cow- jūrų karvė statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis apibrėžtis Išnykusi. atitikmenys: lot. Hydrodamalis gigas engl. great northern sea cow; Steller's sea cow vok. stellersche Seekuh rus. cabbage butterfly; sea cow; Steller's... ... Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas
Cabbageweed (Rhytina gigas Zimm. s. Stelleri Fischer) discovered in 1741 by the crew of the ship St. Peter of the second Bering expedition off the coast of the island, later called. about Beringa, a marine mammal from the order of sirens (Sirenia), which soon after... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
Throughout the centuries-old existence of our planet, many species of plants and animals have appeared and disappeared. Some of them died out due to unfavorable living conditions, climate change, etc., but most died at the hands of humans. Steller's cow, or rather the history of its extermination, became a vivid example of human cruelty and short-sightedness, because at the speed with which this mammal was destroyed, not a single living creature on earth was destroyed.
It is assumed that the largest cow existed many thousands of years ago. At one time, its habitat covered most northern part of the Pacific Ocean, the animal was found near the Komandorsky and Aleutian regions of Sakhalin and Kamchatka. Manati could not live further north because she needed more warm waters, and to the south it was exterminated thousands of years ago. Afterwards, the sea level rose, and Steller's cow was transferred from the continents to the islands, which allowed it to survive until the 18th century, when it was inhabited by people.
The animal is named after the encyclopedist scientist Steller, who discovered this species in 1741. The mammal was very calm, harmless and friendly. Its weight was about 5 tons, and its body length reached 8 m. Cow fat was especially valued; its thickness was the width of a human palm, it had a rather pleasant taste and did not spoil at all even in the heat. The meat resembled beef, only a little denser, it was attributed to healing properties. The skin was used for upholstery of boats.
Steller's cow died because of her gullibility and excessive philanthropy. She constantly ate algae, so when swimming near the shore, she kept her head under water and her body on top. Therefore, you could calmly swim up to her on a boat and even stroke her. If the animal was hurt, it swam away from the shore, but soon returned again, forgetting past grievances.
About 30 people hunted the cows at once, because the unfortunate ones were stubborn and it was difficult to pull them ashore. When wounded, the mammal panted heavily and moaned; if relatives were nearby, they tried to help, turned the boat over and beat the rope with their tails. As sad as it may be, Steller's cow was exterminated in less than three decades from the discovery of the species. Already in 1768, the last representative of this good-natured sea creature disappeared.
Disputes continue among scientists today regarding the habitats of this mammal. Some argue that Steller's cows lived only near the Medny and Bering islands, while others are inclined to believe that they were also found in the area of Alaska and the Far East. But there is not much evidence for the second assumption; these are either corpses thrown up by the sea, or speculation of local residents. But still, the skeleton of a cow was discovered on the island of Attu.
Be that as it may, Steller's cow was exterminated by man. From the order of sirens, manatees and dugongs still remain today, but they are also on the verge of extinction. Constant poaching, changes in natural habitat, fatal injuries from ships - all this reduces the number of these wonderful animals every year.
On November 6, 1741, the second expedition of Commander Vitus Bering landed on an unknown coast (later it turned out that Bering discovered a new island - one of the Komandorsky group - which now bears his name). The expedition members were in dire straits: food was running out, many, including the commander himself, were seriously ill. The only boat did not have time to take weakened people ashore. The next day, the naturalist of the expedition, Georg Wilhelm Steller, saw hitherto unknown large marine animals in the waters washing the coast. He called them sea cows and quite correctly recognized them as close relatives of manatees, manatees and dugongs, which belong to the order of sirens.
Steller spent many hours near the ocean shore, watching the harmless six-meter giants. He went by boat to the places where they “grazed” on underwater, algae-covered meadows. The sea cows were trusting. They were not at all afraid of humans, they allowed them to touch themselves with their hands. It was this gullibility that later became the cause of their death.
Bering's expedition was saved. The meat of sea cows turned out to be tasty and nutritious. Young calves tasted like veal, while adults tasted like beef. Meat and white, tender fat quickly raised scurvy patients to their feet.
Steller described in detail these interesting animals in many respects. His write-off still remains the only one: he was the only zoologist who saw a sea cow. German edition of his work, published in German and Latin languages in 1752, after the death of the naturalist, it contains over two modern printed sheets.
A recreation of Steller's sea cow.
Sea cow: description, structure, characteristics. What does a sea cow look like?
Based on Steller’s description and subsequent stories from industrialists, one can quite satisfactorily imagine the appearance and lifestyle of sea cows. They lived in small coves, protected from waves, the bottom of which was overgrown with algae - kelp and fucus. The animal ate these algae. The sea cows did not swim far out to sea - they stayed close to the shore all the time.
The body length of the sea cow reached six meters or more. The animal's head was small, its upper lip was forked and covered with a large number of vibrissae - hard tactile hairs. The two front flippers were up to one and a half meters long each and had great mobility - with their help the animal not only swam, but also tore algae from the bottom. When the industrialists tried to pull the wounded cow ashore, she pressed her flippers so hard that sometimes the skin tore off from them in rags. “The ends of the flippers are sometimes forked, like the hooves of a cow,” some industrialists claim. The body of the animals is spindle-shaped, with a long and thin caudal peduncle, on which sits a horizontal, very wide tail with a fringed edge. They don't have back flippers. The skin is dark, strong, with numerous grooves running from top to bottom. Sea cows have teeth replaced by horny plates.
Skeleton of a sea cow.
Reproduction of sea cows
Descriptions note great affection between the male and female. The animals almost always swam in threes: a male, a female and a suckling cub. Pregnancy in a sea cow lasts about a year. The cubs that are born are fed milk. The nipples of the mammary glands are located in front of the mother, between the flippers.
What did sea cows eat?
Sea cows ate grass, as cows should. Clutching a kelp leaf with their flippers, they passed it through the upper forked lip. The tender pulp of the leaf went into the mouth, and the hard core was discarded.
According to Steller, the sea cow was found only around Bering Island. He also pointed out that by hunting these animals, it is possible to provide the inhabitants of Kamchatka with plenty of meat.
Why did sea cows disappear?
Industrialists spent the winter on the island - three or four people each. They ate mainly the meat of “cabbage cows,” as they called sea cows. Killing the gullible beast was not difficult. It was more difficult to pull the heavy carcass ashore. Because of this, many killed animals were lost.
Expeditions departing from Petropavlovsk to America simultaneously stopped at Bering Island and slaughtered a number of animals to replenish food supplies. The herd of sea cows was decreasing very quickly. Back in 1754, industrialist Yakovlev advised banning cow hunting. But his advice was not accepted. The slaughter continued, and by 1770 the sea cows had disappeared. An entire species of animals was destroyed by humans.
By the way, this is not the only example of human destruction of a valuable animal species. How many sea cows were there at the time when Steller saw and described them? He himself gives not very definite instructions on this matter, saying only that there were a lot of them: there were whole herds of them. Moscow State University professor V.G. Geptyer believes that there could be about 2000 individuals.
Today, none of the reference books listing the names of currently living representatives of the animal world contain the name Ritina stelleri (this is the name of the sea cow in the language of scientists). It is believed that she no longer exists on Earth.
Where did the extinct sea cows live?
Steller wrote that the sea cow is found only on Bering Island. But industrialists said that large herds of these animals were found on the neighboring Medny Island.
Was it only near the Commander Islands that sea cows lived? After all, their bones were found on one of the Aleutians.
The Far Eastern shores were discovered by whalers and hunters. For the most part, they did not leave any written documents about their voyages. Only one is known to have come down to us
