ДИНАМИКА ЧИСЛЕННОСТИ ХИЩНЫХ МЛЕКОПИТАЮЩИХ КАРАДАГСКОГО ПРИРОДНОГО ЗАПОВЕДНИКА

Abstract

The article presents the monitoring data of three predatory mammals (the mountain Crimean fox (Vulpes vulpes krymea-montana Brauner, 1914), the endemic subspecies badger (Meles meles tauricus Ognev, 1926) and the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procionoides ussuricus Matschie, 1907)) of the Karadag nature reserve for a 30-year observation period. The dynamics of the number of foxes (observed since 1989) is characterized by significant fluctuations – from 5 to 54 individuals. In 2018, 21 residential dens were found which were most often located in grottoes and rock crevices. The analysis of foxes’ diet proves that it consists of 41 species of plants and 46 animal species. Foxes are primarily carnivorous but in low-productive areas (especially in autumn-winter period), fox food ration is dominated by plant food: in particular, pistachio fruits make up 46.5% of the diet. The authors registered the fact that a fox ate bulbs of a narrow-leaved crocus (Crocus angustifolius Weston). Surveys of the badger populations have been conducted since 2011. The number of badgers is also subject to significant fluctuations – from 0 to 9 (2011). In 2017, seven badger burrows were recorded, and only one of them was residential. In the reserve the badger settles mainly in rock crevices and grottoes, and less often – in burrows dug in the ground. The populations of Crimean endemic subspecies of the fox and the badger have been threatened by extinction in the Karadag reserve for recent years, and, therefore, these species require special attention. The raccoon dog was recorded in the reserve only once. It does not live here permanently due to lack of suitable biotopes. This species is an introduced one into Crimean fauna and is, in general, an undesirable species for the reserve.