Ecologists have warned that the abnormal heat wave in Russia this summer could cause mass deaths of fish and insect-eating animals and even force waterfowl to migrate earlier.

An official with Bashkortostan's Ministry of Ecology, Ilmyr Gymaletdinov, said large numbers of fish species are stressed and threatened from declining lake levels in Russia's Volga region.

"If these water bodies are not filled with water by winter and are covered with ice, there is a possibility of mass fish deaths due to a lack of oxygen," Gymaletdinov said.

Lyudmila Yedrenkina, who works for Russia's game management, said the extreme weather conditions will negatively affect the lives of amphibians, reptiles, insect-eating animals, and waterfowl.

The dry soil will cause the number of insects, worms, maggots, snails and slugs to decline, which serve as food for hedgehogs, shrew mice, moles and other small animals," she said.

"The lack of food for the birds as a consequence of the heat will force birds to migrate earlier," Yedrenkina said.

A scorching heat wave has gripped much of European Russia since mid-June, which coupled with the worst drought since the 1970s has made the countryside particularly susceptible to wildfires.

UFA, August 16 (RIA Novosti)