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Subbotin, A. E., & Istomov, S. V. (2009). The population status of snow leopards Uncia uncia (Felidae, Carnivora) in the western Sayan Mountain Ridge. Doklady Biologicl Sciences, 425, 183–186.
Abstract: The snow leopard (Uncia uncial Schreber, 1776) is the most poorly studied species of the cat family in the world and, in particular, in Russia, where the northern periphery of the species area (no more than 3% of it) is located in the Altai-Hangai-Sayan range [1]. It is generally known that the existing data on the Russian part of the snow leopard population have never been a result of targeted studies; at best, they have been based on recording the traces of the snow leopard vital activity [2]. This is explained by the snow leopard's elusive behavior, inaccessibility of its habitats for humans, and its naturally small total numbers in the entire species area. All published data on the population status of the snow leopard in Russia, from the first descriptions of the species [3-6] to the latest studies [7, 8] are subjective, often speculative, and are not confirmed by
quantitative estimates. It is obvious, however, that every accurate observation of this animal is of particular interest [9]. The purpose of our study was to determine the structure and size of the population group presumably inhabiting the Western Sayan mountain ridge at the northern boundary of the species area
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Johnson, W. E., Eizirik, E., Pecon-Slattery, J., Murphy, W. J., Antunes, A., Teeling, E., et al. (2006). The Late Miocene Radiation of Modern Felidae: A Genetic Assessment (Vol. 311).
Abstract: Modern felid species descend from relatively recent (G11 million years ago) divergence and speciation events that produced successful predatory carnivores worldwide but that have confounded taxonomic classifications. A highly resolved molecular phylogeny with divergence dates for all living cat species, derived from autosomal, X-linked, Y-linked, and mitochondrial gene segments (22,789 base pairs) and 16 fossil calibrations define eight principal lineages produced through at least 10 intercontinental migrations facilitated by sea-level fluctuations. A ghost lineage analysis indicates that available felid fossils underestimate (i.e., unrepresented basal branch length) first occurrence by an average of 76%, revealing a low representation of felid lineages in paleontological remains. The phylogenetic performance of distinct gene classes showed that Y-chromosome segments are appreciably more informative than mitochondrial DNA, X-linked, or autosomal genes in resolving the rapid Felidae species radiation.
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Warren E.Johnson, E. E. (2006). The Late Miocene Radiation of Modern Felidae: A Genetic Assessment (Stephen J.O'Brien Emma Teeling Agostinho Antunes W. J. M. Jill Pecon-Slattery, Ed.) (Vol. 311). Washington D.C.
Abstract: Modern felid species descend from relatively recent (<11 million years ago) divergence and
speciation events that produced successful predatory carnivores worldwide but that have
confounded taxonomic classifications. A highly resolved molecular phylogeny with divergence dates
for all living cat species, derived from autosomal, X-linked, Y-linked, and mitochondrial gene
segments (22,789 base pairs) and 16 fossil calibrations define eight principal lineages produced
through at least 10 intercontinental migrations facilitated by sea-level fluctuations. A ghost lineage
analysis indicates that available felid fossils underestimate (i.e., unrepresented basal branch
length) first occurrence by an average of 76%, revealing a low representation of felid lineages
in paleontological remains. The phylogenetic performance of distinct gene classes showed that
Y-chromosome segments are appreciably more informative than mitochondrial DNA, X-linked,
or autosomal genes in resolving the rapid Felidae species radiation.
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Matyushkin, E. N. (2000). Tracks and tracking techniques in studies of large carnivorous mammals. Zoologichesky Zhurnal, 79((4)), 412–429.
Abstract: In Russia, traditions of track observations and the use of tracking techniques in studying the ecology and behavior of mammals were founded by A.N. Formozov. An analytic review of his data on large carnivorous mammals (tiger, snow leopard, wolf, brown bear, wolverine, and others) is given. A special detailed observation of animals' tracks as a source of information on their life is shown only to start. The efficiency of track observations in various fields of studies, including counting animals, is estimated. The values of day and night distances for various animal species, given in literature, have never been properly substantiated methodically. The tracking method is the most effective in studying the use of the home range by animals, drawing the network of their movements and scent-marking behavior. The hunting behavior of large predators in dense forests is can only be deduced by observing their tracks. In some cases, the use of tracking has a distinct advantage over radio tracking. The main propositions are illustrated by the materials of the author obtained in various Russian regions (in forests of the northern Russian Plain and southern Far east) for 1958-1998.
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Rothschild, B. M., Rothschild, C., & Woods, R. J. (1998). Inflammatory arthritis in large cats: An expanded spectrum of spondyloarthropathy. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 29(3), 279–284.
Abstract: Spondyloarthropathy was documented for the first time in 14 (3.7%) of 386 large cats, affecting eight species belonging to three genera. The limited distribution of joint erosions, associated with spine and sacroiliac joint pathology, was indistinguishable from that occurring in humans with spondyloarthropathy of the reactive type. This form of inflammatory arthritis is almost twice as common as osteoarthritis (for felids as a whole), and animal well-being may be enhanced by its recognition and by initiation of specific treatment.
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Xu, F., Ming, M., Yin, S. -jing, Chundawat R.S., Marden, & Nui, Y. (2006). Preliminary Study on the Habitat Selection of Uncia uncia (Vol. 23).
Abstract: Uncia uncia is one of the rare large species on the brink of extinction in Felidae in the world, and inhabit only the Central Asian mountains. It is said that there are currently only 4500-7300 Uncia uncia surviving. During the period from September 2004 to July 2005, the habitat selection of Uncia uncia was investigated in some mountains in Xinjiang, including the eastern Tianshan Mountains, Beita Mountains, Altay Mounts and Mount Tumor National Nature Reserve. In several months of fieldwork, we got 171 sign samples of Uncia uncia and 123 random samples in total. Five habitat features, i.e., the elevation, topographic features, vegetation type, grazing status and ruggedness, are selected to compare the difference of selectivity of the Uncia uncia habitat selection. The Chi-square goodness-of-fit test and the binomial test are used to check the significance of Uncia uncia habitat selection, and the principal component analysis is used to find the primary factors in in the selection. The result s are as follows : (1) Uncia uncia selected all kinds of the habitat types , especially the elevation , topography , vegetation types and ruggedness ; (2) Ruggedness and the vegetation types are the preliminary factors for the habitat selection. Topography is the secondary factor ; (3) Uncia uncia prefer to inhabit in the rugged habitat s with moderate shrubberies , and they also like to leave signs in valley bottoms rather than hillsides.
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Hussain, S. (2000). Protecting the snow leopard and enhancing farmers' livelihoods: A pilot insurance scheme in Baltistan. Mountain-Research-and-Development., 20, 226–231.
Abstract: Snow leopards that prey on poor farmers' livestock pose a twofold problem: they endanger farmers' precarious mountain livelihoods as well as the survival of the snow leopard as a unique species since farmers engage in retaliatory killings. Project Snow Leopard (PSL), a recent pilot initiative in Baltistan, involves a partnership between local farmers and private enterprise in the form of an insurance scheme combined with ecotourism activities. Farmers jointly finance the insurance scheme through the payment of premiums per head of livestock they own, while the remaining funds are provided by profits from trekking expeditions focusing on the snow leopard. The insurance scheme is jointly managed by a village management committee and PSL staff. The scheme is structured in such a way that villagers monitor each other and have incentives to avoid cheating the system.
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Klubnikin, K., Annett, C., Cherkasova, M., Shishin, M., & Fotieva, I. (2000). The sacred and the scientific: Traditional ecological knowledge in Siberian River conservation. Ecological-Applications., 10(5), 1296–1306.
Abstract: The Katun River originates in the steppe of the Altai Mountains in Siberia. One of the major headwaters of the Ob River, the Katun is considered central to the culture of the indigenous Altaians. The Katun Valley contains large numbers of important cultural sites, dating from the Neolithic and representing some of the earliest human settlement in Russia. Modern-day Altaians still observe traditional ceremonies honoring the river and springs throughout the watershed and utilize traditional ecological knowledge in their management of the land and water resources. Russian and international scientists have identified the Altai Mountains as a region of high plant diversity and endemism, and as important habitat for endangered species such as the snow leopard. The Katun River itself contains species of threatened and endangered fishes, and its headwaters are part of the unusual Mongolian ichthyofaunal province that is characterized by high levels of endemism. The same regions are considered by the Altaian people to be special or sacred and are recognized by Western scientists as having great value for conservation. During the era of perestroika, a hydroelectric dam was to be built on the Katun. The large dam, a vestige of the earlier Soviet plan for the Project of the Century, would have devastated significant agricultural, ecological, recreational, and cultural resources. The indigenous Altaian people would have lost much of their sacred and cultural landscape. The Katun dam project united indigenous people, well-known Siberian writers, and scientists in protest, which became so heated that it engaged the international community, with lasting effects on Russian society. The magnitude of the protest illustrates the importance of the Altai Mountain region to all of Russia. The active participation of indigenous Altaians reflected their traditional willingness to take action against political decisions that negatively impacted the environmental, cultural, and religious values of their homeland. Their involvement also reflected the new wave of awareness under perestroika that underscored a greater respect and autonomy for indigenous peoples in Russia.
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Zhang, F., Jiang, Z., Zeng, Y., & McCarthy, T. (2007). Development of primers to characterize the mitochondrial control region of the snow leopard (Uncia uncia) (Vol. 7).
Abstract: The snow leopard (Uncia uncia) is a rare carnivore living above the snow line in central Asia. Using universal primers for the mitochondrial genome control region hypervariable
region 1 (HVR1), we isolated a 411-bp fragment of HVR1 and then designed specific primers
near each end of this sequence in the conserved regions. These primers were shown to yield
good polymerase chain reaction products and to be species specific. Of the 12 snow leopards
studied, there were 11 segregating sites and six haplotypes. An identification case of snow
leopard carcass (confiscated by the police) proved the primers to be a useful tool for forensic
diagnosis in field and population genetics studies.
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Kuznetsov B.A. (1975). The cats – Felidae (Vol. Part 3.).
Abstract: An identification table for genus and species of Felidae family of USSR is given. Snow leopard Panthera uncia (Schreher) described for Pamir, Tien Shan, Altai and mountains of Tuva.
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