Khopyor Nature Reserve

The Khopyor Nature Reserve (Russian: Хопёрский заповедник) (also Khopersky) is a Russian zapovednik (strict nature reserve) that protects a 50-km-long stretch of the Khopyor River in the Voronezh Oblast.

[1][2] The Khopyor Reserve has a terrain that is forested floodplains and upland oak woods, along both banks of the Khopyer.

During high water, a significant portion of the area in the reserve boundaries may be inundated.

The Khopyor River and tributary streams meander through the floodplains to leave 400 lakes and oxbows.

This climate is characterized by large swings in temperature, both diurnally and seasonally, with mild summers and cold, snowy winters.

There are, nevertheless, six 'eco-tourist' routes in the reserve that are open to the public, but require permits to be obtained in advance.

These eco-tourist routes are typically guided hikes of 5-15 km, or motorboat tours.

Russian desman (Desmana moschata)