Siberian musk deer. Photo of Siberian musk deer - lifestyle of the Siberian musk deer. Status and commercial value of musk deer

Musk deer, this is an unusual artiodactyl, which has given rise to many myths and superstitions associated with its feature - long fangs. Because of these fangs growing from the upper jaw, the deer for a long time was considered a vampire who drinks the blood of other animals.

IN old times people considered him an evil spirit, and shamans tried to get his fangs as a trophy. The name of the deer is translated from Greek as “bearing musk.” Appearance of musk deer has attracted naturalists since ancient times, and to this day many are ready to travel hundreds of kilometers along mountain paths to see it in person.

Habitat

Almost the entire world population of musk deer is distributed in the north. The habitat of the species is the Altai and Sayan mountains, the mountain systems of Eastern and Yakutia, the Far East and Sakhalin. Deer live in all taiga forests of mountainous areas.

In the southern territories, the species lives in small pockets in Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Korea, and Nepal. Deer were also found in the foothills of the Himalayas, but have now been practically exterminated there.

The same fate befell him in the mountains of Vietnam. Musk deer live in dense forests on steep mountain slopes. Most often you can find it at an altitude of 600-900 meters, but they are also found at 3000 meters in the mountains of the Himalayas and Tibet.

Musk deer migrate very rarely, preferring to stay in the selected area of ​​the territory. Females and young-of-the-year deer have a small territory, while adult males, older than three years old, occupy up to 30 hectares. taiga forest for their lands.

Females and young of the year are mainly guided by the amount of food, and the habitat of individual males depends on the number of females in the territory, and the absence of other males. Each male’s territory is usually home to one to three females.

This unpretentious deer has adapted to life even in boreal northern forests. Temperature fluctuations in the Eastern Siberian taiga are very high: from -50 to +35 C⁰, but still these artiodactyls live there too.

Starting from the right bank of the Siberian Yenisei and to Pacific Ocean, a gloomy, endless taiga grows, three quarters of which are in the belt permafrost. Vast plateaus and ridges, covered with dense forests of fir, cedar, and spruce, are completely impassable.

And only narrow animal trails between fallen trees will help the traveler find a landmark. These dreary, cold, empty forests, completely overgrown with lichens and mosses, have chosen musk deer as their home.

Lifestyle

Despite the apparent gloominess of these taiga forests, deer feel safe there. After all, a rare animal will be able to sneak up on them silently. Brown bear or it is almost impossible for a wolf to get close to a musk musk deer- the crackle of breaking branches will certainly warn the victim, and he will quickly take off.

Even the agile wolverine, lynx and Far Eastern marten are not always able to catch this resourceful deer - it can change the direction of movement sharply by 90 degrees and confuse its tracks like a hare.

Only on days of snowstorms and winds, when the forest cracks and branches break, will the musk deer not hear the creeping predator. The deer has a chance to escape if it manages to do so within a short distance.

The musk deer cannot run for long; physically its body is very resourceful, but high speed shortness of breath quickly appears, the deer has to stop to rest, and on straight ground it cannot hide from the fleet-footed and hardy ones.

But in mountainous areas, musk deer have developed their own tactics for protecting themselves from persecution. She confuses the trail, meanders, and goes into places inaccessible to her enemies, making her way there along narrow cornices and ledges.

In a safe place, the deer waits out danger. Natural characteristics allow the musk deer to jump from ledge to ledge and walk along narrow cornices, only a few tens of centimeters long.

But if it is possible to escape from a lynx or marten in this way, then when a person hunts for musk deer, this feature is taken into account by experienced trappers, and even their dogs specifically drive the musk deer to the settling areas so that the person can wait for the deer there.

The value of musk deer for humans

A musk deer hunting has been going on since ancient times. If previously the goal was to get an unusual deer skull with fangs, now the animal is valued for its gland which produces musk.

In nature stream of musk deer necessary for males to mark their territory and attract females during the rutting period. Since ancient times, man has used musk deer musk for medicinal and cosmetic purposes.

Even the ancient Arab healers mentioned musk deer musk in their chronicles. In Rome and Greece, musk was used to make incense. In the east, it was used to prepare medicines for rheumatism, cardiovascular diseases, and to increase potency.

In Europe steel apply jet Siberian musk deer in the cosmetics and perfume industry. In China, more than 400 types of medicines have been created based on musk.

The male musk deer begins to produce musk at the age of 2 years, and the gland functions until the end of its life. It is located in the lower abdomen, next to the genitals, dried and crushed into powder yields 30-50 grams of powder.

Nutrition

Small in size (no more than 1 meter in length and 80 cm in height) musk deer weighs only 12-18 kilograms. This small deer feeds mainly on epiphytes and terrestrial lichens.

In winter, this makes up almost 95% of the musk deer’s diet. In summer, it can diversify the table with blueberry leaves, some umbrella plants, fir and cedar needles, and ferns. Deer seem to allow the lichens to grow to new winter.

While feeding, it can climb sloping tree trunks, jump on branches and climb to a height of 3-4 meters. Unlike domestic animals, wild deer do not eat up the food completely, but try to collect lichens little by little so that the feeding area is preserved. Musk deer do not have to share their food with other animals, so there is always enough food.

Reproduction and lifespan

The solitary lifestyle of a deer changes when the rutting season begins. In November-December, males begin to actively mark the territory with their scent glands, placing up to 50 marks per day. They use hills for this.

They try to expand their territory and often meet with their neighbors. In the struggle for a place in the sun, and therefore for a female, deer fight quite fiercely. When meeting, two males first simply walk around each other at a distance of 6-7 meters, baring their fangs and raising their fur, thus giving themselves confidence and additional size.

More often than not, the younger deer will leave the area. In the case when the forces are equal, a fight begins, where sharp fangs and hooves are used. The deer spare no effort, break off their fangs and deeply wound each other in the struggle.

After mating, the female bears 1-2 cubs, which are born in the summer and reach sexual maturity in 15-18 months. Musk deer live only about five years. In captivity, their age reaches 10-12 years.

Currently, the musk deer population numbers about 125 thousand individuals. Although in the old days the musk deer were almost completely exterminated, the species still survived and is now classified as a commercial species. The number is regulated hunting farms and a certain number of vouchers are issued to shoot musk deer in different regions countries.

Musk deer is an animal that has given rise to many myths and superstitions. Its extraordinary appearance has long attracted the attention of naturalists, who were ready to easily travel hundreds of kilometers through mountainous terrain just to see this creature in person. And even today interest in him has not waned.

What kind of miracle animal is the musk deer, the description of which has so many interesting facts? Why is it so remarkable? And why is it under protection? World Organization for the protection of animal rights?

What a wondrous beast?

The animal musk deer is one of the True, it is very different from its closest relatives both in size and appearance. Another name for it is musk deer. The musk deer animal gained its fame due to two reasons: unusual fangs and musk.

This deer has two front canines that grow from the upper jaw. Because of them, the musk deer acquired the reputation of a vampire hunting other animals. Moreover, people used to believe that this beast was evil spirit, and shamans often hunted him in order to get his teeth as a magical trophy.

The time of superstitions has sunk into oblivion, but the persecution of these animals has not stopped. After all, the animal musk deer is known for one more feature, namely musk. It was this substance that became the target of many poachers who were ready to destroy whole view, just to get such a coveted award.

Appearance

What does a musk deer look like? In the photo, the animal resembles a cross between a roe deer and a deer, although without horns. It just so happens that this species is completely devoid of bone growths on the head, as well as tear pits under the eyes.

Musk deer rarely grow more than one meter in length. As for its height, this moment the largest individual observed was no more than 80 cm. Moreover, its weight ranges from 12 to 18 kilograms. The color of the coat can vary from dark brown to light brown.

The musk deer is an animal known for its long tusks. True, only males have them and can reach up to 7 cm in length. For musk deer they serve as a tool of protection, and only in mating season gentlemen can use them as a way to prove their superiority over others.

Musk deer animal: habitat

This animal prefers mountainous terrain, and therefore its main habitat is marked by the mountains of China and Tibet. But you can also meet him in Russia. Thus, musk deer are found over a very vast territory: starting from the lower Altai and ending with the Amur itself.

The musk deer's favorite place is the forest. Therefore, this is where the animal spends most time. However, this does not mean that deer do not wander high into the mountains. Thus, there is evidence that some individuals live in the Himalayas, at an altitude of more than 3000 m above sea level.

Habits of the musk deer

This type of deer is accustomed to a solitary lifestyle. This rule is violated only during the mating season, and then not for long. By the way, during mating games male musk deer become very aggressive towards each other. Quite often, their skirmishes lead to bloody fang fights, which can sometimes lead to death.

During the rest of the year they lead a quiet and measured lifestyle. They feed mainly on moss and fresh leaves. Therefore, the rumor that musk deer drink blood is just an empty superstition that has nothing to do with the truth.

In addition, the musk deer is very timid; any danger makes it run away without looking back. At the same time, it is almost impossible to catch up with him. Thanks to special structure body, he can change the running trajectory without even slowing down.

Hunting for musk

In the old days, the musk deer population was not threatened. Its meat was not suitable for consumption as it had an unpleasant aftertaste. As for the skin, although it retained heat, it was still much worse than that of other animals. So the only enemies of the deer were shamans and mystics who collected their fangs. But everything changed the moment Chinese alchemists began to use musk in their medicines.

For those who don't know, musk is a viscous substance that has a tart odor. Each male musk deer has a special gland that secretes this secretion. It was she who became the object of hunting for many healers and healers. According to Chinese folk medicine, then there are more than 200 potions and ointments infused with musk.

A little later, this substance began to be used in perfumery. Thanks to the tartness of the aroma, it quickly gained popularity among fashionistas and fashionistas of the time. Consequently, the pursuit of musk only intensified.

Ultimately, musk deer were hunted by everyone who wanted to make a quick buck. This led to the fact that the number of these animals decreased to such a limit that they were on the verge of complete extinction.

The fight for musk deer rights

Fortunately, the world is not without good people. This decline in musk deer numbers has caused outrage among animal rights activists. And so they began to take active steps to protect them.

Thanks to their intervention, musk deer was listed in the Red Book, and poachers hunting it were punished to the fullest extent of the law. Such measures saved the animal from extinction, although a complete restoration of the musk deer population will not happen soon.

Beast in Captivity

However, with the advent of the hunting ban, the need for musk did not disappear. And so farmers tried to breed a species that could live in captivity. The first attempts were unsuccessful, as the musk deer died very quickly. But over time, it was still possible to develop a breed that lives according to human rules.

True, as the farmers themselves assure, caring for it is still a lot of work. In particular, a lot of trouble arises during the period when males are ready to mate. Nevertheless, this approach greatly helped wild musk deer by reducing the demand for their glands.

• Previously, the appearance of a musk deer in the vicinity of a village foreshadowed grief. Therefore, after such a visit, shamans performed rituals to drive away evil spirits.
• When running away from an enemy, a musk deer behaves like a real hare. It meanders from side to side, and if a predator approaches, it can jump high and change its running trajectory by 90 degrees at lightning speed.
• In 1845, the musk deer population was more than 250 thousand individuals. A hundred years later, this number had dropped to 10 thousand, which became a signal for the salvation of the musk deer.

To obtain this valuable raw material, which was widely used in medicine and for making baits for predators, humans have long hunted musk deer. With the help of musk deer stream they healed from anemia, fainting, neurological and mental disorders, seizures, neurasthenia and heart problems. Today, musk has found use in the perfume industry as an odor fixer and is included in premium perfume products. You can buy musk deer musk for 1000 rubles per gram. It is usually sold in high-end hunting stores and online exotic goods stores.

These animals are distributed from Tibet and the Eastern Himalayas to Eastern Siberia, Sakhalin and Korea. They inhabit impenetrable thickets of bushes or dense young spruce forests, as well as fir forests of mountain taiga, where there is access to water. They stay mainly at an altitude of 600-900 m above sea level, and only in the mountains rise to 3000 m. Often in animal habitats, the slopes of the hills are almost vertical, and if they are flat, then with scattered granite boulders. Musk deer make their way through these places without difficulty, easily jumping from one stone to another. It is kept from sliding on boulders by soft horny rims on the hooves.

In such areas, animals live sedentary, alone, rarely in groups of three, occupying individual plots ranging in size from 30 hectares in summer and up to 10-20 hectares in winter. Within the family, contacts between animals are peaceful, but towards other individuals they show extreme aggression.

Musk deer are excellent jumpers, unmatched in maneuverability. They are capable of changing the direction of movement by 90° without slowing down. Fleeing from persecution, musk deer, like a hare, confuse their tracks.

Musk deer feed on woody lichens, leaves, branches, tree bark, moss, grass and mushrooms. When collecting food, animals can climb an inclined tree trunk and even jump from branch to branch at a height of up to 4 meters.

Calving of females begins in May–June. At this time, they stay close to their shelters. Having brought one, two, and sometimes three tiny cubs weighing only 0.3-0.5 kg, the mother almost immediately begins to teach them how to survive. First, she teaches the babies to lay low, and at the age of 3-5 weeks, she begins to teach them to lay low. To do this, the female gives a false danger signal and climbs onto the rocks, and the cubs, trying to keep up with the mother, repeat all her movements. Then, unadapted and weak calves often die, falling off a narrow stone ledge, but this is only natural selection.

Musk deer are timid, timid and very careless. They often become targets for hunters and end up in snares and snares. Musk deer also have a lot of natural enemies. They are often waylaid by lynxes while feeding, and are pursued by wolverines and foxes. On Far East The Siberian musk deer is the main prey of the harza, which hunts it in families. As a result, the number of these valuable animals is sharply reduced, so musk deer are listed as

Musk deer is a cloven-hoofed animal that looks like a deer, but unlike it, does not have horns. But the musk deer has another means of defense - fangs growing on the upper jaw of the animal, because of which this essentially harmless creature was even considered a vampire, blood drinkers other animals.

Description of musk deer

Musk deer occupies an intermediate place between deer and real. This animal belongs to the musk deer family, which includes one modern genus of musk deer and many extinct species saber-toothed deer. Of the living artiodactyls, the closest relatives of the musk deer are deer.

Appearance

Musk deer can rarely grow more than 1 meter in length. The height at the withers of the largest observed individual does not exceed 80 cm. Usually, the height of this animal is even less: up to 70 cm at the withers. Musk deer weigh from 11 to 18 kg. One of its most interesting features is that the length of the forelimbs of this amazing animal is one third shorter than the hind limbs, which is why the musk deer’s sacrum is 5 or 10 cm higher than the withers.

Her head is small, shaped like a triangle in profile. Wide in the skull, but tapering towards the end of the muzzle, and in the male the front of the head is more massive than in the females of this species. The ears are quite large and set high - almost on the top of the head. With their rounded shape at the ends, they are more reminiscent of the ears of a kangaroo than of a deer. The eyes are not too large and protruding, but at the same time expressive, like those of other deer and related species. Lacrimal fossa, typical of many other artiodactyls, in representatives of this kind not available.

This is interesting! One of the most notable features of the musk deer is the thin, slightly downward-curved fangs on the upper jaw, reminiscent of small tusks, which are found in both females and males. Only in females the fangs are small and can hardly be seen, while in males the length of the fangs reaches 7-9 cm, which makes them a formidable weapon, equally suitable for protection from predators and for tournaments between representatives of the same species.

The fur of this animal is thick and long, but at the same time brittle. The color is brown or brownish. Juveniles have blurred lightish spots on their backs and sides. gray spots. The hairline consists mainly of awns, the undercoat is weakly expressed. However, precisely because of the thickness of its fur, the musk deer does not freeze even in the harshest Siberian winters, and the thermal insulation of its fur is such that the snow does not even melt under the animal lying on the ground. In addition, this animal’s fur does not get wet, which allows it to easily stay afloat when crossing water bodies.

Due to its thick fur, the body of the musk deer seems somewhat more massive than it actually is. The front legs are straight and strong. The hind legs are muscular and strong. Due to the fact that the hind legs are longer than the front ones, they are strongly bent at the knees and the animal often places them at an angle, which is why it seems as if the musk deer moves as if crouching. The hooves are medium-sized and pointed, with well-developed lateral toes.
The tail is so small in size that it can hardly be seen under the thick and rather long fur.

Behavior, lifestyle

Musk deer prefer to lead a solitary lifestyle: even family groups of 2-4 individuals of this species can be rarely seen. In such groups, animals behave peacefully, but they are wary and even hostile towards other members of their own species. Males mark their territory, which ranges from 10 to 30 hectares depending on the season. Moreover, they do this with the help of special musk glands located on their stomach.

During the mating season, there are often serious fights between musk deer males, sometimes ending in the death of one of the rivals. But the rest of the time these artiodactyls are quiet and calm image life.

Thanks to its fine hearing, the animal perfectly hears the cracking of breaking branches or the crunch of snow under the paws of a predator approaching it, and therefore it is very difficult to take it by surprise. Only on the most severe winter days, when blizzards and blizzards are raging, and in the forest the branches of the trees are cracking from the frost and the branches are breaking due to the wind, can the musk deer not even hear the approach of a predatory animal, for example, wolf pack or a connecting rod bear, and not have time to escape from it in time.

This is interesting! Individuals of this species, living in mountainous areas, have developed their own way of escaping from predators: they simply go along narrow ledges and cornices hanging over bottomless abysses to a safe place, where they wait out the threat of attack. The musk deer succeeds in this due to its inherent natural agility and elusiveness, thanks to which it can jump over mountain ledges and walk along narrow cornices hanging over cliffs.

This is a dexterous and evasive animal that can confuse its tracks and abruptly change direction while running. But it cannot run for long: it quickly gets tired and is forced to stop in order to catch its breath.

How long does a musk deer live?

In conditions wild environment habitat, musk deer, on average, lives from 4 to 5 years. In captivity, its lifespan increases 2-3 times and reaches 10-14 years.

Sexual dimorphism

The main difference between males and females is the presence of thin, elongated fangs, reaching a length of 7-9 cm. Females also have fangs, but they are much smaller and almost invisible, while the fangs of males are noticeable from afar. In addition, the male has a wider and more massive skull, or rather its front part, and the supraorbital processes and arches are much better expressed than in females. As for the differences in coat color or size of animals of different sexes, they are insignificantly expressed.

Types of musk deer

There are seven known living species of the musk deer genus:

• Siberian musk deer. It lives in Siberia, the Far East, Mongolia, northwest and northeast China, as well as the Korean Peninsula.
• Himalayan musk deer. As the name suggests, it inhabits the Himalaya region.
• Red-bellied musk deer. Lives in the central and southwestern regions of China, southern Tibet, as well as Bhutan, Nepal and northeastern India.
• Berezovsky's musk deer. Inhabits the central and southern regions of China and northeastern Vietnam.
• Anhui musk deer. Endemic to Anhui Province in eastern China.
• Kashmir musk deer. Lives in northern India, Pakistan and possibly northeastern Afghanistan.
• Black musk deer. It lives in northern China, Burma, as well as India, Bhutan and Nepal.

Range, habitats

The most famous of all modern musk deer, the Siberian musk deer, lives over a wide range: in Eastern Siberia, in the eastern Himalayas, as well as in Sakhalin and Korea. At the same time, she prefers to settle in mountain, mainly coniferous, forests, where it would be difficult to reach her beasts of prey or people.

Important! Due to the fact that the musk deer is a shy and very cautious animal, it tries to stay in places that are difficult for humans to reach: in thickets of bushes, in dense fir or spruce mountain forests, as well as on steep hills.

As a rule, it adheres to the border of 600-900 meters above sea level, although sometimes it can rise into the mountains up to 1600 meters. But in the Himalayas and Tibet it can also climb cliffs located 3000 meters above sea level. If necessary, he can climb such steep mountain cliffs that people could only climb using climbing equipment.

Musk deer diet

In winter, the musk deer's diet consists of almost 95% of various lichens, which it mainly eats from wind-fallen trees. At the same time, when collecting food, this artiodactyl can climb a vertically growing tree trunk 3-4 meters and even deftly jump from branch to branch. In the warm season, the “menu” of representatives of this species becomes more diverse due to fir or cedar needles, as well as blueberry leaves, ferns, horsetails and some umbrella plants. However, the animal can eat needles at any time of the year, including in winter.

This is interesting! The musk deer is very careful about the lichens growing on the territory of its territory: even in the most hungry times, it tries not to eat them completely, but collects them little by little so that they can continue to grow in the forest area chosen by the animal.

Moreover, we can say that it is the needles of fir or cedar that enrich its diet, which is poor in the cold season, with vitamins, and the phytoncides contained in the needles, among other things, serve as a kind of medicine and protect the musk deer from diseases.

Moreover, in the warm season, she mainly tries to eat something different. plant foods so that the lichens have time to recover before next winter.

Reproduction and offspring

From November or December, males begin to mark their territory: they can place up to 50 marks per day. At this time of year, they become especially aggressive: they defend their possessions and females from the encroachments of rivals. During the rut, real fights without rules often occur between males, which sometimes even end in death.

True, at first the animals only try to intimidate each other and force them to retreat without a fight. When meeting, males walk in circles around an opponent at a distance of 5-7 meters from him, while raising the hair on his body and baring his impressive fangs. As a rule, the younger male cannot withstand this display of power from a stronger opponent and retreats without ever engaging in battle. If this does not happen, then a fight begins and strong hooves and sharp fangs are used.

The animals forcefully hit each other with their front legs on the back and croup, while jumping high, which makes such a blow even more powerful. With his fangs, a male musk deer can inflict serious injuries on his opponent, and sometimes even the fangs themselves cannot withstand the force of the blow and break off. After mating occurs in December or January, the female gives birth to one or two cubs after 185-195 days of pregnancy.

This is interesting! Babies are born in the summer and within a few hours after their birth, they are left to their own devices. The female takes them away from the place where the cubs were born and leaves them alone.
But at the same time, the musk deer does not go far from children: it protects them and feeds them with milk twice a day for 3-5 months. Upon reaching this age, young animals can already live independently.

But don’t think that the musk deer is a bad mother. All the time while her cubs are helpless and dependent on her, the female remains close to the babies and carefully monitors whether there is any predator nearby. If the threat of attack becomes real, the mother musk deer warns her offspring with sound signals and peculiar jumps that the enemy is nearby and it is necessary to hide.

Moreover, the female, even at risk own life, tries to attract the attention of the predator not to the babies, but to herself, and when she succeeds, she takes him away from her cubs. These artiodactyls reach sexual maturity at 15-18 months, after which they can begin to reproduce in the first mating season.

Description of the species and area. Musk deer looks like a little one antlerless deer (rice. 98 ). Body length is 70-90 cm, height at the withers is 50-60 cm. It is usually brown or brown in color with two white stripes along the front side of the neck; sometimes (more often in young people) light gray spots are scattered along the back and sides. The male has a pair of thin fangs up to 6 cm long protruding from under his upper lip. The standing animal's croup is noticeably higher than the withers. An alarmed musk deer holds its ears vertically, and not spread to the sides, like a roe deer. A musk deer track with two or four clear imprints of narrow hooves, 4-5 cm long; when running, the tracks of the hind legs are often ahead of the tracks of the front ones, like a hare. Piles of droppings resemble sunflower seeds. The eyes glow yellowish-green at night.

Distributed in Siberia east of the Yenisei, Altai, Sayan Mountains, Amur Region, Primorye and Sakhalin ( rice. 99 ). Inhabits deep taiga forests, often mountainous. It feeds mainly on woody lichens; in summer it also eats herbaceous plants, and in winter it eats fir and cedar needles. Usually lives alone in the remote dark coniferous taiga with windbreaks, dead wood, rock outcrops, often near a stream or a small forest lake. In his area he lays out a dense network of paths, most of them passing at the foot of the cliffs and along fallen trunks. In winter, musk deer trails sometimes turn into deep trenches. Along the paths, the musk deer quickly escapes pursuit. Running away, she can full speed turn at a right angle, stop instantly and pick up speed again with one long jump. If a predator or a specially trained dog manages to untangle the tracks, the musk deer settles in the rocks. It is very difficult to see musk deer. Sometimes you can hear her alarm signal - a characteristic “chief-foy”, similar to sneezing.

The rut is at the beginning of winter, at this time musk deer are found in groups of 3-4. Males fight very rarely. Pregnancy lasts more than six months. The female brings 1-2, occasionally 3 spotted cubs, which at first hide in a secluded place, usually in a windfall. Only towards the end of summer do they begin to accompany the mother, who, in case of danger, tries to distract the predator towards herself. Musk deer become adults the following year. Males have a gland on their belly that secretes musk (musk musk). It is used in perfumery and oriental medicine; as well as in the manufacture of odorous baits for predators. IN early XIX century in most regions of Russia, musk deer were almost exterminated, then the number increased thanks to measures taken for its protection, but in Soviet time fell again due to poaching. Basically, musk deer are killed for musk, which is in great demand in a number of eastern countries, especially in Japan.

The Sakhalin subspecies is listed in the Red Book of Russia (less than 450 heads have survived). Technology for breeding musk deer in captivity has been developed, but in Russia it has not yet been possible to create enterprises of this kind.

Population dynamics. The number of musk deer is determined as a result of analysis of ground survey data, estimates by specialists from territorial game departments and literary sources. The results of winter surveys over the past three years have shown that problems associated with increasing the reliability of musk deer abundance estimates can be largely resolved within the framework of the WMU, subject to its further improvement and development in the regions of Siberia and the Far East. In particular, to clarify the number of musk deer and identify the spatial structure of its range, the transition of the WMU to a system of permanent census routes, which began in 1998, is undoubtedly significant.

Table 27. Number of musk deer (thousand heads)

IN West Siberian economic region The main habitat of the musk deer is confined to mountain Altai. In the Altai Republic, the number of musk deer is estimated at 1.5 thousand individuals ( table 27 ). The exploitation of musk deer in the Altai Republic is not carried out; there is a republican ban on its production. In the Altai Territory, the musk deer habitat area is insignificant; the WMU notes its traces in 4 regions of Western Altai. The 1999 census showed a slight increase in numbers. Commercial significance There is no musk deer in the Altai Territory.

IN East Siberian economic region Musk deer live in almost all regions. In the Krasnoyarsk Territory, over the past three years, there has been a tendency for the number of animals to gradually increase from 10.5 thousand. in 1997 to 12.0 thousand goals. in 1999. Control ground surveys in 1999, carried out in the central regions Krasnoyarsk Territory, showed that local densities in areas where musk deer are not hunted reach high values - 9, 46 individuals per 1000 hectares, with the regional average - 0.34 individuals per 1000 hectares of forest area. According to regional game management specialists, “judging by the nature of long-term cyclical fluctuations in the abundance of musk deer, the current phase of its population dynamics can be assessed as stabilization at an optimal level corresponding to the capacity of the species’ habitat.” During the seasons 1995-1996, 1996-1997. hunting for musk deer in the region was closed. However, the ban did not produce significant changes in numbers, therefore, starting from the hunting season of 1997- 1998, musk deer hunting was reopened. During the hunting season 1998-1999. legal production amounted to 0.2% of the spring number. In the Republic of Khakassia, musk deer reach high abundance densities in the mountain taiga forests of the Tashtyp and Beysky districts. In the rest of the territory of the republic included in the range, its population densities are insignificant. According to the WMU, the number of musk deer in 1997 was 3.7 thousand individuals, in 1998 - 3.9 thousand. The 1999 WMU showed a sharp reduction in the number to 2.6 thousand individuals. Of course, one year of accounting data is not enough to talk about a stable trend in population decline. However, given the negative changes in the number of musk deer, during the hunting season of 1999-2000. hunting musk deer was not planned. In Buryatia, musk deer are distributed throughout the republic. According to the 1999 census, the number of musk deer decreased from 16.9 thousand in 1998 to 12.6 thousand individuals. A less significant decrease in the number of animals was also noted last year. Musk deer are hunted annually in the republic. In 1997-98 529 heads were harvested, which amounted to 84.1% of the number of licenses issued, in 1998-99. uptake of sold licenses is even higher - 91%. However, according to hunting management specialists, due to the low solvency of the population, there are problems with the sale of licenses. The structure of shooting is completely biased towards males - in 1999, out of 458 hunted animals, 455 were adult males. In the Irkutsk region, musk deer live almost throughout the entire territory, with the exception of the northern Katanga and Chunsky, as well as the urbanized Angara regions, where only isolated sightings of musk deer are recorded. Over the past three years there has been a gradual population growth, in 1999 it amounted to 20.5 thousand goals. During the hunting season of 1998-99. 364 animals were caught (58% of the quota), a similar percentage of quota development was in the 1997-98 season. In the structure of the shooting season 1996-97. males predominated - 71.5%. In Ust-Ordynsky Buryatsky Autonomous Okrug Musk deer live everywhere, but the absolute stock is small. The number has been relatively stable over the past three years. According to the 1999 census, it is 400 individuals. It has no commercial significance. In the Chita region, musk deer live in all regions, with the exception of Transbaikal, Priargunsky and Krasnokamensky. A retrospective assessment of the number, according to the Chita Game Management Department, reveals a picture of a stable state of musk deer resources in the last 5-6 years - about 22 thousand heads. It should be noted that in the Chita region high percent mastering the quota. During the 1997-1 season 998 with 100% development of the quota, 1000 heads were produced, in 1998-99. with the same quota volume - 896 animals, or 4.5% of the spring number. In the Aginsky Buryat Autonomous Okrug, according to the assessment of the regional Committee for Environmental Protection, in 1998 there were about 100-120 animals. Musk deer have no commercial significance in the district. In the Republic of Tyva, musk deer live in all regions. The number of musk deer, according to the winter route census of 1999, amounted to 10.5 thousand individuals. Over the past three years, there appear to have been some changes in the organization of the musk deer fishery. In the 1996-97 season. legal production was extremely low - only 42 musk deer were caught. During the 1997-1998 season. Musk deer production increased sharply and amounted to 420 heads in 1998-1999. 196 heads were caught or 2.1% of the spring number.

On Far East Musk deer are widespread. In the Sakha Republic, musk deer live over a large area, mainly including the southwestern, central and northeastern regions of Yakutia. According to the Department biological resources Republic of Sakha, the number of musk deer in 1996 was estimated at 20.0 thousand individuals, in 1997 - at 13.0 thousand. The limit of about 100 animals allocated during this period was practically not mastered. In the hunting season 1995-1996. 17 were officially mined, and in 1996-1997. - 2 musk deer. There is no later information about production. In the Khabarovsk Territory, musk deer are widespread. Over the past three years, according to the WMU, the number of musk deer has increased from 20.7 thousand heads. in 1997 to 26.3 in 1998 and then in 1999.decreased to 24.0 thousand goals. Starting from the 1996-97 season. Khabarovsk region a quota of 1000 animals was allocated. Actual production in the 1996-97 seasons. and 1997-98 amounted to 35% of the quota in 1998-99. it rose to 62%. During the hunting season 1998-1999. the male harvest percentage was 89.6%. In the Primorsky Territory, musk deer are common, except in the Khanka regions. The number, according to the hunting department, since 1992 is within 18 thousand individuals. According to the hunting department, in the last three years there has been a slow increase in numbers from 17.7 thousand individuals in 1997 to 21.0 thousand in 1999. Musk deer are exploited annually. However, legal production is small. In the 1997-1998 season. with a quota of 1000 goals. 148 musk deer were caught in 1998-1999. - 124 musk deer were caught out of 550 allowed for hunting.IN Amur region The musk deer's range has a very complex border and includes 8 out of 20 administrative districts. The 1999 WMU showed a 15% increase in numbers compared to the previous year, which amounted to 13.0 thousand individuals. There is no operation. The mining ban was introduced at the regional level. In the Jewish Autonomous Region, the presence of musk deer was noted in the Obluchensky and Oktyabrsky districts. The musk deer stock in 1999 was determined to be 0.26 thousand individuals. Musk deer are not hunted. In the Sakhalin region, the musk deer lives only on Sakhalin Island, where it is distributed almost everywhere. The exception is the Okha region, where it has not been observed in the last decade. According to the 1997 ZMU data, its number was 1.1 thousand heads, in 1998 - 1.46 thousand heads. In 1999, the trend of population growth that emerged in 1998 was confirmed. In 1999, the number of musk deer was estimated at 1.6 thousand. The Sakhalin subspecies of musk deer is listed in the Red Book of the RSFSR.

In Russia as a whole, the post-harvest abundance of musk deer from 1997 to 1999 is assessed as relatively stable. During the hunting season 1998-1999. the production amounted to 2769 heads. The level of legal removal of musk deer is gentle. IN last years in Russia as a whole, production did not exceed 2.5% of the post-harvest abundance.