Animals and Plants
Pine trees are very common trees. They are cone shaped and are green with needles. The shape of their needles lets less water evaporate. Fungi are a threat to pine trees. Pine trees are found in almost all other biomes. They are a part of the "drunken forest" with their "s" shaped trunks.
Spruces are the main trees in the Taiga. They are black and white and keep their needles for 15 years (longer than the fir tree). Spruces have majestic green colors. Insects are a main threat to the spruces. This type of tree is found in some other biomes. Its needles are more effective than leaves in this environment because they absorb water.
The Balsam Fir is the third most common tree of the Taiga. It is the tallest tree in the Boreal Forest and it grows 40-80 feet high. It is an over dominating species, with dark green needles, not leaves. Its needles keep it warm in winter and cool in summer. Insects and parricides eat the Balsam Fir. It is found in practically all other biomes of the world. These large trees block winds from getting to other plant life in the Taiga.
Animals.
Some of them might be the beaver, meadow vole, ermine, and the red fox. While the red fox and ermine are nocturnal, the beaver and meadow voles are daytime animals. Animals of the taiga can live in burrows in the snow because the snow captures the air so they don't freeze. While they are in the snow they can survive cold and harsh weather.
Amur tigers are the largest members of the cat family. Their forelimbs are shorter than their hind limbs to help them jump. They also have a loose stomach, which helps to minimize injury when an enemy kicks them. The Siberian tiger is also a carnivore that eats antelope, buffalo, cattle, deer, pigs, and young elephants. This tiger is one of the many nocturnal animals in the taiga. There are only 400 amur left in the world due to loss of prey and habitat. Poisoning and poachers are another threat. Humans hunt them to make rugs, meat, and love potions.
The ermine is another animal a person would see in the taiga. Someone might mistake this animal for a weasel or ferret with white fur and a short tail. Ermines eat small mammals, (mice, rabbits, squirrels) insects, berries and birds. Their predators are martens and owls. They mainly use their sense of smell and consume 40% of their body weight each day. The ermine is found in the Arctic Tundra as well as the Taiga. This animal is known also as the stoat or short-tailed weasel.
Foxes are the smallest members of the dog family. Red foxes have auburn colored fur and look like a dog. They eat rabbits, birds, invertebrates, wild fruit, and rodents. They survive in this biome by resting in a burrow during the day. Red foxes are also nocturnal and teach their pups how to hunt for a few weeks after nursing. After learning the pups become individual hunters.