New Data on the Distribution of Musk Deer (Moschus moschiferus) in Yakutia

• Published in: Biology bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vol. 49; no. 5; pp. 558 - 563
• Main Authors: Argunov, A. V., Safronov, V. M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01.10.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cell Biology; Deer; Ecology; Life Sciences; Moschidae; Moschus moschiferus; Pasture; Population density; Predators; Rivers; Snow; Taiga; Zoology; Lena River; landscapes; range; Central Yakutia; subspecies; musk deer; settlement
• ISSN: 1062-3590; 1608-3059
• DOI: 10.1134/S106235902205003X

— At present, in Central Yakutia on the right bank of the Lena River, the northern border of the distribution of the Siberian musk deer has advanced to the mouth and lower reaches of the Aldan River; on the left bank, it reaches to the settlement of Elanka and the Keteme River. The northernmost points of entry along the left bank of the Lena River were noted 150 km from Yakutsk. The movement of musk deer populations reveals an association with climate warming and an increase in the snow cover height. Musk deer settle in many regions of relatively little snow like Central Yakutia, which includes taiga–alas landscapes with a large number of settlements and significant areas of hay, arable, and pasture lands. This is the first manifestation of the ability of the species to settle locally in agricultural regions with a relatively high density of the human population. At this stage, the expansion of the Siberian musk deer range to the north did not reach the southern border of the distribution of the Verkhoyansk subspecies. The issues of the effect of hunting pressure and predators on the number of musk deer and the effect of fires on the territorial redistribution of this species are discussed in this article.