Abstract: Human population growth in the Mountain Badakhshan autonomous province will result in changes of wild life habitat. The first highland nature reserve (Muksu river basin) is proposed to be established within the habitat of Marco Polo sheep, Siberian ibex, Tien Shan brown bear, snow leopard, Himalayan and Tibetan snow-cock, bar-headed goose, bearded and Himalayan vultures. The Mountain Badakhshan nature reserve will serve as a reference for other highland landscapes of the USSR, a `fiduciary' of gene bank containing valuable endemic, rare, and endangered animal and plant species.

Abstract: All species inhabiting the highlands of Asia are normally referred to as herbivorous or predators. A majority of alpine land species (rodents and ungulates) feeds upon leaves, stalks, and roots of plants. Among widely distributed highland species the most interesting are marmots, red pica, grey vole, argali, and ibex. Argali and ibex are preyed on by snow leopards. There are reasons to believe that these mountain animal species are more ancient than their cognates in a plain. All the way from Central Asia to Europe, species belonging to the eastern and western fauna complexes are observed to interpenetrate.

Abstract: Given is a general characteristic of fauna complexes in the mountains of Central Asia (Jungar Ala-Tau, Tien Shan, Hissar Alai, Kopet-Dag), peculiarities of animal distribution in association with folded mountain relief, vertical zoning, anthropogenic influence and importance of mountain fauna for human beings. It provides a description of main animal groups and is an effort of zoning fauna of the mountains of Central Asia.

Abstract: It reviews fauna of rocks, taluses, and alpine meadows of South Kazakhstan. The most typical mammal of rocks and taluses are picas (I¤hotona rutila and I. macrotis), ibex (¥…dr… sibirica), and snow leopard (Felis irbis). Besides, snow leopard, along with Tien Shan bear (Ursus l†u¤Œn¢o), ibex, mountain wolf (¥uŒn alpinus) and others, is met in the alpine meadow zone. Zoo-export of snow leopards to the zoos does not result in extermination of the animals but generates income. Various animal species are subject to trade as zoos do not limit their collections with some specific species or groups; quite the contrary they are interested in obtaining each species. Valuable animals exported from Kazakhstan are tiger, snow leopard, Tien-Shan bear, argali, and mountain wolf. The latter costs 1,000 roubles in gold, and argali even 1,500 roubles.

Abstract: It provides a zoogeographical description of Central Asia mountains: Tien Shan (west and east), Pamir, the Turkestan and Hissar ridges, and ruinous mountains in Kyzylkum. Distribution of various animal species over the area under study is described. Data concerning Central Asia sheep, ibex, and snow leopard in the alpine meadow zone, and data concerning the otter (in the Tupalang river basin) and grey partridge is presented. The author noted that generally fauna of Tien Shan, Hissar, and Pamir is similar to that of Inner Asia. The other type of fauna more similar to that of Transcaucasia is typical for Kopet-Dag.