Abstract: Common features, origin, and landscape and zonal peculiarities of fauna in Kazakhstan and Central Asia are described. This region is part of the Mediterranean and Central Asia sub-zone of Golarctic, while north-eastern part of Kazakhstan is incorporated in the Round-boreal sub-zone. The main features of nature (sharply continental climate, vast valleys and well-marked zoning combined with a sophisticated system of vertical mountain zoning) stipulate the abundance and diversity of fauna. There are over 100 fish species, some 100 reptile and amphibian species, about 500 bird and 160 mammal species here. Snow leopard can be found in Kazakhstan's part of the Altai, in the Tien Shan and Pamir mountains.

Abstract: Ibex, whose population has reduced due to over-hunting, inhabits the alpine meadow zone in Uzbekistan. Ibex had entirely disappeared in some areas. Wild sheep, a common inhabitant of the alpine zone, has drastically decreased in number. Marhur can still be found in the mountains of Kugitang and Babatang. Wild sheep is a common species for the alpine zone. Predator animals such as snow leopard, bear, and sometimes wolf and fox can be found in this zone. A typical inhabitant of highlands is marmot an object of fur-trade.

Abstract: This paper deals with current status of biodiversity of Western Tien Shan. Just from mammals 6 species: Menzbier's marmot, dhole, Central Asian otter, snow leopard, Turkestan lynx, Tien Shan argali are included in Red dada Book of Kyrgyzstan.

Abstract: The snow leopard has never been common, but there may be fewer than 4,000 left in its Himalayan habitat, and poaching and tourism-related development in the region could drive its numbers down further.

Abstract: Noninvasive fecal assays were used to study steroid metabolism and ovarian activity in several felid species. Using the domestic cat (Felis catus) as model, the excretory products of injected [14C]estradiol (E2) and [14C]progesterone (P4) were determined. Within 2 days, 97.0 +/- 0.6% and 96.7 +/- 0.5% of recovered E2 and P4 radioactivity, respectively, was found in feces. E2 was excreted as unconjugated estradiol and estrone (40%) and as a non-enzyme- hydrolyzable conjugate (60%). P4 was excreted primarily as non-enzyme- hydrolyzable, conjugated metabolites (78%) and as unconjugated pregnenolone epimers. A simple method for extracting fecal steroid metabolites optimized extraction efficiencies of the E2 and P4 excretion products (90.1 +/- 0.8% and 87.2 +/- 1.4%, respectively). Analysis of HPLC fractions of extracted fecal samples from the radiolabel-injected domestic cats revealed that E2 immunoreactivity coincided primarily with the unconjugated metabolized [14C]E2 peak, whereas progestogen immunoreactivity coincided with a single conjugated epimer and multiple unconjugated pregnenolone epimers. After HPLC separation, similar immunoreactive E2 and P4 metabolite profiles were observed in the leopard cat (F. bengalensis), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), and snow leopard (Panthera uncia). Longitudinal analyses demonstrated that changes in fecal E2 and P4 metabolite concentrations reflected natural or artificially induced ovarian activity. For example, severalfold increases in E2 excretion were associated with overt estrus or exogenous gonadotropin treatment, and elevated fecal P4 metabolite concentrations occurred during pregnant and nonpregnant (pseudopregnant) luteal phases. Although overall concentrations were similar, the duration of elevated fecal P4 metabolites during pseudopregnancy was approximately half that observed during pregnancy. In summary, steroid metabolism mechanisms appear to be conserved among these physically diverse, taxonomically related species. Results indicate that this hormone-monitoring approach will be extremely useful for elucidating the hormonal regulatory mechanism associated with the reproductive cycle, pregnancy, and parturition of intractable and endangered felid species.