The vertebrate fauna of the Kyztash Cave (Karabudakhkentskaya / Zhivoy) in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia

Aim. To establish the role of the Karabudakhkentskaya Cave in the conservation of vertebrate biodiversity in the foothills part of the east of the North Caucasus.

Materials and Methods. The study of literature data. Monthly inspection of the cave for the presence of vertebrates, to establish their species and to determine the reasons for their presence in the cave. Analysis of photo and video materials obtained from camera traps installed inside the cave. 

Results. During the analysis of the literature and our own research, it was found that the presence of 8 vertebrate species belonging to 2 classes, 3 orders and 5 families is repeatedly registered in the Karabudakhkent Cave. Of these, 5 species are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Dagestan. For the horseshoe‐bearing Megel, the cave serves as the main wintering place in the North Caucasus. In addition, during the summer period, one of the largest brood colonies of the Sharp‐eared Moth in Russia is located in the cave.

Conclusion. The complex of works carried out made it possible to supplement and obtain new information indicating the key role of the Karabudakhkenstkoi Cave in the vital activity of rare vertebrate species. At the same time, there is an increasing anthropogenic impact caused by an increase in the flow of tourists to the Republic of Dagestan. These circumstances indicate the need to give the Karabudakhkentskaya Cave the status of a Natural Monument of Federal Significance.

1. Gusendibirov D.S. Large caves of Foothill Dagestan. Izvestiya Dagestanskogo gosudarstvennogo pedagogicheskogo universiteta. Estestvennye i tochnye nauki [News of Dagestan State Pedagogical University. Natural and exact sciences]. 2012, no. 1, pp. 90–94.(In Russia)

2. Kamalova T.A., Magomedbekov G.U., Nazhmutdinova S.A., Abdullaev N.A. Problems and prospects of sustainable development of the tourist and recreational complex of the Republic of Dagestan. South of Russia: ecology, development, 2017, no. 2, pp. 213–228. (In Russia) DOI: 10.18470/1992‐1098‐2017‐2‐213‐228

3. Krasnaya kniga Respubliki Dagestan [The Red Book of the Republic of Dagestan]. Makhachkala, Jamaludinov M.A. Publ., 2020, 800 p. (In Russian)

4. Krasnaya kniga Rossiiskoi Federatsii, tom «Zhivotnye», 2oe izdanie [Red Book of the Russian Federation, volume "Animals". 2nd edition]. Moscow, FSBI "Research Institute of Ecology" Publ., 2021, 1128 p. (In Russian)

5. Amirhanov Z.M. O zimovke podkovonosov Megeli (Rhinolophus mehelyi Matschie) v Dagestane [About wintering of horseshoe beetles of Megeli (Rhinolophus mehelyi Matschie) in Dagestan] Materialy 1 Vsesoyuznogo soveshchaniya po rukokrylym, Leningrad, 6–9 fevralya, 1974 [Materials of the 1st All‐Union Meeting on bats, Leningrad, 6‐9 february 1974]. Leningrad, 1974, pp. 91–92. (In Russia)

6. Amirhanov Z.M. Razmeshchenie rukokrylykh v Dagestane [Placement of bats in Dagestan].In: Rukokrylye (Chiroptera) [Bats (Chiroptera)]. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1980, pp. 63–69. (In Russian)

7. Gazaryan S.V., Dzhamirzoev G.S. Itogi i perspektivy izucheniya khiropterofauny Dagestana [Results and prospects of studying the chiropterofauna of Dagestan]. Materialy mezhddunarodnoi konferentsii «Mlekopitayushchie gornykh territorii», Moskva, 4–9 sentyabrya, 2005 [Proceedings of the international conference "Mammals of mountainous territories", Moscow, 4‐9 September 2005]. Moscow, 2005, pp. 49–57. (In Russian)

8. Smirnov D.G., Vechnik V.P., Jamirzoev G.S. Preliminary data on bat wintering in Dagestan: places of finds and ecological features. Plecotus et al., 2021, no. 24, pp. 3–17. (In Russian)

9. Gazaryan S. V. The sharp‐eared moth Myotis blythii (Vespertilionidae, Myotinae) in the Russian Caucasus. Plecotus et al., 2017, no. 20, pp. 30–53. (In Russian)

10. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2022‐2. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org (accessed 05.04.2023)

11. Khritankov A.M., Zhigalin A.V. Nemnogo istorii i nekotorye itogi izucheniya rukokrylykh v zapovednike «Stolby» [A little history and some results of the study of bats in the Stolby Nature Reserve]. In: Trudy gosudarstvennogo zapovednika «Stolby» [Proceedings of the «Stolby» State Nature Reserve]. 2016, iss. 20, pp. 179–205. (In Russian)

12. Mitchell‐Jones A. J., Bihari Z., Masing M., Rodrigues L. Protecting and managing underground sites for bats. Eurobat Publication Series N 2. UNEP/Euribat secretariat, Bonn, Germany, 2007, 38 pp.