Estimates of Toad Headed Agama Density in Three Steppe Habitats of Mongolia

The toad headed agama (Phrynocephalus versicolor) ranges across the arid steppe regions of southern and western Mongolia and represents one of the most common reptiles in the country. However, few details of the species’ population characteristics exist, which may be important for evaluating population trends and assessing its conservation status. We estimated toad headed agama density in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia based on surveys conducted in the summers (June-September) of 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2009. We conducted surveys in three steppe habitats including tall grassland (n = 7), shrub-steppe (n = 7), and semi-shrub steppe (n = 8), and calculated density using Distance methods. Mean density across all surveys was 66 agamas/ha (95% C.I. = 48-92; range: 24/ha to 112/ha). Agamas occurred in highest density in shrub-steppe and lowest in semi-shrub across years. Density was similar between shrub-steppe and tall grassland. However, density in these habitats was significantly higher than in semishrub steppe. Our results provide baseline estimates of toad headed agama density, and indicate that agamas are capable of reaching higher density than previously recorded. Our results also suggest that agamas benefit from the cover afforded by more structurally complex vegetation communities like those found in shrub-steppe and tall grassland habitats

Estimates of Toad Headed Agama Density in Three Steppe Habitats of Mongolia

The toad headed agama (Phrynocephalus versicolor) ranges across the arid steppe regions of southern and western Mongolia and represents one of the most common reptiles in the country. However, few details of the species’ population characteristics exist, which may be important for evaluating population trends and assessing its conservation status. We estimated toad headed agama density in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia based on surveys conducted in the summers (June-September) of 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2009. We conducted surveys in three steppe habitats including tall grassland (n = 7), shrub-steppe (n = 7), and semi-shrub steppe (n = 8), and calculated density using Distance methods. Mean density across all surveys was 66 agamas/ha (95% C.I. = 48-92; range: 24/ha to 112/ha). Agamas occurred in highest density in shrub-steppe and lowest in semi-shrub across years. Density was similar between shrub-steppe and tall grassland. However, density in these habitats was significantly higher than in semishrub steppe. Our results provide baseline estimates of toad headed agama density, and indicate that agamas are capable of reaching higher density than previously recorded. Our results also suggest that agamas benefit from the cover afforded by more structurally complex vegetation communities like those found in shrub-steppe and tall grassland habitats

Biotope of Corsac Fox and Red Fox in Ikh Nart Natur e Reserve

Corsac foxes ( Vu lpes corsac ) and red foxes ( V. vulpes ) range widely across northern and central Asia, occupying a variety of arid biotopes. In Mongolia, both species live sympatrically throughout most of the country, but few details of their habitat associations exist. We examined the biotope of corsac and red foxes in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve in Dornogobi Aimag, Mongolia, which lies at the confl ue nce of steppe and semi-desert vegetation zones. We evaluated the extent to which both species occur in these two zones and the habitats within them based on locations of scats ( n = 1 ,967), opportunistic sightings ( n = 2 19), and captures ( n = 3 5) collected from August 2004 to August 2007. Corsac and red foxes occurred in both steppe and semi-desert zones and all habitat types in the reserve. However, corsacs occurred more frequently than expected in steppe zone and red foxes occurred more than expected in semi-desert zone. Corsac locations associated positively with steppe habitats, including grass, shrub, and semi-shrub plains, whereas red fox locations fell mainly in drier, more rugged semi-desert habitats, suggesting ecological separation exists between species. As corsac and red foxes appear to be declining in Mongolia, our results suggest that protection efforts in Ikh Nart should focus on steppe habitats for corsacs and semi-desert habitats for red foxes

Ecology of the Daurian Hedgehog ( Hemiechinus dauuricus ) in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia: Preliminary Findings

The Daurian hedgehog ranges across northern Mongolia, southern Siberia, and northern China. However, few details of the species’ behavior, ecology, or distribution are known. We conducted a pilot study of the ranging behavior and diet of Daurian hedgehogs in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia. We captured and radio-tagged eight hedgehogs (six males/two females) between June and September 2006. We tracked their movements until hibernation to estimate home range sizes and daytime nest characteristics. We also analyzed scats ( N = 38) to gain a preliminary understanding of the food habits of the species. During the study, we collected 237 hedgehog locations, including 91 night, 141 day, and fi ve hibernation sites. Hedgehogs were followed a mean of 53.43 ± 4.35 SE days from capture before entering hibernation. Mean home range size for seven hedgehogs was 422.72 ± 94.07 SE ha. Daytime nest sites had one, rarely two entrances, and usually occurred in rocky outcrops or at the base of shrubs. The most frequently occurring prey groups in scats included beetles (47%), cockroaches (28%), and grasshoppers (20%). Scats also included bird (3%), reptile (1%), and rodent (1%) remains. Daurian hedgehogs in Ikh Nart were generally larger in size, occupied larger home ranges, and ate similar foods compared to Daurian hedgehogs in other regions. The presence of Daurian hedgehogs in Ikh Nart also represents a range extension for the species

Seasonal food habits of corsac and red foxes in Mongolia and the potential for competition

Competition often occurs between sympatric species that exploit similar ecological niches. Among canids, competition may be reduced by partitioning resources such as food, time, and habitat, but the mechanisms of coexistence remain poorly understood, particularly among fox species. We described the food habits of two foxes that live sympatrically across northern and central Asia, the corsac fox (Vulpes corsac) and red fox (v. vulpes), by analyzing scats collected during a field study in Mongolia. We analyzed 829 corsac and 995 red fox scats collected from April 2005 to August 2007 and tested the extent to which food partitioning occurred. The diets of both species consisted mainly of insects followed by rodents, but also included birds, reptiles, large mammal remains (carrion), plant material (including fruits and seeds), and garbage. Despite high overlap in the proportion of food items consumed, differences existed between species in overall diet with corsacs more frequently consuming beetles, but proportionally fewer crickets and large mammal remains than red foxes. We detected interspecific differences during the pup rearing and dispersal seasons, when prey was abundant, but not during the breeding season, when prey was scarce and diet overlap highest. Each species' diet also differed seasonally and exhibited moderate overall breadth. Corsacs consumed proportionally more beetles and rodents during pup rearing and crickets during dispersal relative to other seasons, whereas red foxes consumed proportionally more crickets during pup rearing and dispersal and more rodents and large mammals during pup rearing and breeding relative to other seasons. Our results suggest that partitioning of food resources during most of the year facilitates coexistence, and that the potential for competition is highest during winter months

Diet composition of lesser kestrels in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia

The lesser kestrel is recognized as âLeast Concernâ in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List since 2011. So far, all available diet studies on the lesser kestrel were conducted in its European range or in partial African breeding and nonbreeding range. In particular, little is known about the feeding behavior of this small falcon in Asian ranges. Thus, this study can be considered as the first to examine the diet composition of the central Asian breeding populations of lesser kestrels. This study aims to provide some information about the diet composition of this species among Asian populations through biological and ecological investigations. Pellets (n = 762) dropped by lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) were collected during their breeding season from nine to 10 colony sites in Ikh Nart, between June and September of 2009 and 2010, and analyzed. A total of 1,484 prey items were identified in the pellets collected. After a measure of their weight (g) and length and width (mm), we carefully examined each pellet and separated all prey remains using tweezers. Our results indicated that insects (including orthopterans and coleopterans) were dominant in lesser kestrelâs diets. We found that the lesser kestrelâs diet mainly consisted of insects (69.7%), lizards (17.4%), small mammals (10%), small birds (2%), and other food (1%). Keywords: diet composition, insects, pellets, reptiles, small mammal