SUSLIKS (in Kyrgyz: sary chychkandar)
Kyrgyzstan is home to two species of susliks: the yellow or sand suslik — Citellus fulvus Lich. and the relict suslik — Citellus relictus Kaschk. Both are significant in fur harvesting, ranking fourth in terms of their share in the republic.
Yellow Suslik (in Kyrgyz: sary chychkan)
A fairly large animal. Body length exceeds 300 mm, tail length up to 120 mm. The fur color is sandy-yellow with a small admixture of black hairs, uniform. The belly is somewhat lighter than the back. Weight of adults in spring: males — from 250 to 750 g, females — from 200 to 400 g.
In Kyrgyzstan, the yellow suslik inhabits only the Chui Valley, rising to the foothills of the Kyrgyz Ridge at an altitude of 1600—1700 m (farms named after Strelnikova, "Noruz"). The yellow suslik is found in neighboring republics, being numerous in Kazakhstan, in the steppe and forest-steppe zones of the European part of the Soviet Union.
Favorite habitats of the yellow suslik are virgin areas with wormwood-ephemeral vegetation. In areas with developed agriculture, it settles in the crops of agricultural plants: wheat, barley, oats, alfalfa, etc. They can be found along roadsides, in isolated virgin patches among large cultivated areas.
The population of these susliks varies in different regions, with sporadic distribution observed even within the same habitat. The highest density of their settlements is noted in virgin areas located along both banks of the rivers Chui, Sokuluk, and Ala-Archa. On average, there are 30 active burrows for every 100 burrows.
As we can see, the density of suslik settlements in the same habitats varies significantly depending on the location of the site (from 2.4 to 10 burrows per 1 ha in virgin areas and from 4.3 to 12 burrows per 1 ha on the edges of crops). For example, in virgin areas along the banks of the Ala-Archa River, the density of settlements is significantly higher than in the vicinity of the village of Kamyshanovka and along the banks of Ak-Su, where intensive trapping was conducted during the counting period.
Susliks live in solitary, widely scattered burrows, rarely forming colonies.
The animals are active in the morning and evening hours, usually staying in their burrows during the hot part of the day. Throughout the year, the active period lasts 4—4.5 months, while the rest of the time they hibernate. Susliks wake up depending on the onset of spring: early spring — in the second half of February, late spring — in early March. The timing of hibernation also depends on the weather conditions of the summer months.
Susliks begin to reproduce shortly after emerging from their burrows. The mating season lasts a short time, 15—20 days. The number of embryos ranges from 5 to 12, with an average of 7.9 per female.
The suslik feeds on almost all plants, eating green parts of bulbs, seeds, including ears of grains. In virgin areas, the main diet consists of ephemeral plants, as well as various types of wormwood and couch grass. In a day, a suslik consumes more than 200 g of feed. Animal food, mainly insects, constitutes a relatively small part. In search of food, the animals can travel significant distances, sometimes up to 100 m or more from their burrows.
The harmful activity of the yellow suslik away from crops is insignificant. However, when settling near agricultural crops, it feeds on grains and vegetative parts of plants, causing noticeable damage.
Relict Suslik (in Kyrgyz: kaldyk sary chychkan)
The size of this suslik is significantly smaller than that of the yellow one. Body length up to 280 mm, tail length more than 80 mm. The fur color is brownish-ochre, transitioning to a grayish-yellow shade on the sides. The fur is short, dense, and quite coarse.
In Kyrgyzstan, the relict suslik inhabits two unconnected areas: the Issyk-Kul basin, with adjacent ridges of Terskey and Kungoy Ala-Too, and the Western Tien Shan — along the slopes of Moldotoo, Talas, Chatkal, and Fergana ridges, in the Chatkal Valley. Outside the republic, it is found in isolated areas in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan.
In the Issyk-Kul basin, the relict suslik inhabits the eastern part of the northern and southern shores, at an altitude of 1700 to 2500 m, rising to the coniferous forest belt. As noted by Yu. M. Rall, “...the dry foothills with gently rounded hills and semi-desert-steppe vegetation on loess-like deposits are characteristic for the life of these susliks.” In the Western Tien Shan system, it is distributed from 2000 to 3300 m (Kara-Bura Pass). It inhabits meadows and meadow-steppes with low grasses, avoiding dry semi-desert areas. For example, on the southern slopes of the Chatkal Ridge, it is numerous in the upper part of the ridge, but below 2200—2000 m, as soon as the foothill semi-deserts begin, it is absent.
In the Issyk-Kul basin, in densely populated habitats, the number of overwintered susliks is
0-10 individuals per 1 ha, and the density of burrows of all types does not exceed 10 per 1 ha.
In the western part of the Chatkal Ridge (Uzbekistan), the density of susliks in densely populated areas reaches 300 per 1 ha, usually 50—100. A very high density of these animals is observed in the western part of the Talas Ridge (Kara-Bura Pass), where they inhabit the northern and southern slopes. The relict suslik is also numerous in the Chatkal Valley and along the Chatkal Ridge.
The burrows of relict susliks are simply constructed and located at a shallow depth, often under stones. The depth of a permanent burrow is from one to two meters, and a temporary burrow is 50—60 cm. Typically, burrows have one entrance. Often, abandoned ferret burrows are used by relict susliks as their dwelling.
The same burrows are occupied by susliks for several years.
The relict suslik is active throughout the day. It appears, like the yellow one, in the morning at 7—8 o'clock and feeds with breaks until sunset. During hot weather, it hides in its burrows.
The duration of seasonal activity lasts 6—7 months. The spring emergence from burrows coincides with the time of snowmelt in their habitats. The appearance of the first susliks is noted in late February or early March. The timing of awakening is highly variable, depending on the altitude of the habitat. In the Issyk-Kul basin, they hibernate in late July or early August, but where green grass remains for a long time (Western Tien Shan), susliks hibernate a little later. For instance, A. Toktosunov writes that in late August, he observed a lot of green lush vegetation and many well-fed, very active animals. Susliks tolerate low temperatures well. According to A. S. Stroganova, at temperatures below zero on clear days, susliks were often observed on the snow, where they made runs from their burrows for 50—60 m. They are less active during strong winds.
The first to emerge from the burrows are the older animals, with males coming out before females. The males of relict susliks, like those of yellow susliks, awaken with fully developed testicles. Mating occurs after the emergence of sexually mature females. The mating season lasts for a month. Pregnancy lasts 25—28 days. G. S. Davydov establishes the pregnancy period for the Gissar population of the relict suslik at 26—27 days. The number of embryos ranges from 1 to 10, more often 5—6 (54%). The emergence of young begins on May 1, with mass dispersal of the offspring occurring in June. Depending on the altitude of the terrain, the breeding period can vary by 15—20 days.
The diet of relict susliks mainly consists of green and underground parts of plants, with animal food primarily being insects. They eat the green parts of the typechik wormwood, sedges, mint, and flowers of the caragana. During the burning of vegetation, they dig up bulbs of onions and garlic. At this time, migrations of susliks to moist areas where lush vegetation has been preserved and to agricultural crops are noted.
Insects play a significant role in the diet of the relict suslik. B. M. Petrov provides data for susliks from the Chatkal Ridge, where more than 80% of the examined stomachs contained various species of insects — click beetles, dung beetles, weevils, ladybugs, as well as larvae of beetles and caterpillars.
The contents of some stomachs were half filled with insects.
In areas distant from agricultural crops, relict susliks do not cause significant harm. However, with the expansion of arable land and the development of dryland farming, their harmful activity becomes immediately noticeable. They readily settle in crops of wheat, barley, clover, and other plants, causing significant damage. The digging activity of relict susliks contributes to the development of weeds and soil erosion on slopes.
Fauna - Animal World of Kyrgyzstan