Category: Current studies

Difference in hunting styles of lynxes between the warm and cold season with implication for the home range structure

We have found a great difference in hunting styles of lynxes between the warm and cold seasons. In the cold season, particularly during the snow period lynxes hunt mostly by walking i.e. patrolling prey-rich habitats and suddenly attacking prey. In the warm season lynxes mainly wait for prey from a hide over prey pathway. Such … Continue reading “Difference in hunting styles of lynxes between the warm and cold season with implication for the home range structure”

We have found a great difference in hunting styles of lynxes between the warm and cold seasons. In the cold season, particularly during the snow period lynxes hunt mostly by walking i.e. patrolling prey-rich habitats and suddenly attacking prey. In the warm season lynxes mainly wait for prey from a hide over prey pathway. Such waiting usually lasts about ten and more hours. Continue reading “Difference in hunting styles of lynxes between the warm and cold season with implication for the home range structure”

Where do births and raising early days kittens in lynxes take place? When do lynxes give birth in Belarus?

The common belief of the lynx-related zoologists is that parturition in lynxes takes place in a thicket somewhere under treefall. Sometimes, it really happens. However, during twenty years of searching for wolf dens in Paazierre Forest and Naliboki Forest in Belarus in April-June in 1997-2017 I have found more than one thousand of wolf dens (mostly without pups, former ones etc) under treefalls and other vegetation thickets (mainly young spruce ones), but only a few lynx denning sites (easily recognisable by presence of lynx hair) have been found under treefalls.
Continue reading “Where do births and raising early days kittens in lynxes take place? When do lynxes give birth in Belarus?”

Changes in the wolf reproduction rate and packing pattern with the increase in the lynx population density

Concerning competition between wolves and lynxes in Belarus, it is worthwhile to compare the situation in the local wolf population in Naliboki Forest in 2008-2012 (when there were half as many lynxes as there are now) and in 2015-2017 (when there were about 50 and even more lynxes). Both wolves and lynxes were more or less protected in Naliboki Forest in the 2000s. Continue reading “Changes in the wolf reproduction rate and packing pattern with the increase in the lynx population density”

Wolf breeding peculiarities

In Europe and wider in Eurasia between wolf researchers and in the circle of other wolf-related people (e.g. hunters specialising in killing wolves, wolf pup searches) there is a widely spread belief on wolf reproduction that wolves are strictly monogamous species with a certain way of breeding and family pattern of pack formation. Actually, in my study in Belarus since the late 1990s there have been found so many abnormalities in those, that I start to think about what actually prevails in the wolf reproduction and packing: the “rules” or “exceptions”. Such “abnormalities” occurring too often are a very interesting phenomenon and they need to be further investigated.  Continue reading “Wolf breeding peculiarities”

The essential changes in my research establishment that happened in 2015-2017

For more than thirty years, till 2016 I had worked for the Institute of Zoology of the National Academy of Science of Belarus. But with time I started noticing that my working time was more and more wasted on the continuous applying for projects, reporting and very time-consuming presenting of the results in scientific journals. There was not enough time for the study itself.  But  if even a quite successful  zoologist neglects this applying-reporting-presenting chain,  soon he will appear without a financial support. So it seems the only way for a reseracher to be employed as a zoologist with some financial resources is to stay at a computer screen. Such a system in zoology seems to act all around the world, when an experienced zoologist should spend the main working time like that. I got convinced that, at least, it is true for zoology of vertebrate animals,  the field I have worked in for more than 30 years since 1984. Continue reading “The essential changes in my research establishment that happened in 2015-2017”

Investigation on the lynx population biology (general information)

Since the early 2000s I have paid more and more research attention to the lynx Lynx lynx. At that time there were not much known about the species in Belarus. Thus for the beginning I raised only regionally important questions of the lynx ecology, which had been investigated in other parts of the species range, … Continue reading “Investigation on the lynx population biology (general information)”

Since the early 2000s I have paid more and more research attention to the lynx Lynx lynx. At that time there were not much known about the species in Belarus. Thus for the beginning I raised only regionally important questions of the lynx ecology, which had been investigated in other parts of the species range, but seemingly they are not entirely answered still somewhere as well as in Belarus. Among  the basic ecological questions I considered the most common ones such as the  species population number and habitat carrying capacity, distribution of lynxes in its between-year and seasonal changes, home range and its structure,  prey supply and  foraging, diet in its between-year and seasonal changes, lynx predation impact on the prey populations, reproduction rate and mortality causes. Continue reading “Investigation on the lynx population biology (general information)”

Investigation of the wolf population biology (general information)

Since 1999 I have shifted own efforts on the study on the wolf Canis lupus population ecology.  In 1996-1998 in Paazierre Forest (mainly in the Lovat terrain), the northern Belarus  there were fulfilled studies on the wolf diet in relation to the dramatic changes in the preystock and on breeding in wolves. The research on the … Continue reading “Investigation of the wolf population biology (general information)”

Since 1999 I have shifted own efforts on the study on the wolf Canis lupus population ecology.  In 1996-1998 in Paazierre Forest (mainly in the Lovat terrain), the northern Belarus  there were fulfilled studies on the wolf diet in relation to the dramatic changes in the preystock and on breeding in wolves. The research on the question of the species breeding had been continued there until 2005.  However,  since 2000 the main study area on wolves has been replaced in Naliboki Forest and its rural-forest surroundings.  The species reproduction and breeding behaviour have become the main pressing questions of my zoological study. Continue reading “Investigation of the wolf population biology (general information)”

Book about Naliboki Forest

Naliboki Forest is my love from my childhood and student-time. Since 1983 the terrain has been a study area for almost all my studies on vertebrate predators and their prey.

Naliboki Forest is my love from my childhood and student-time. Since 1983 the terrain has been a study area for almost all my studies on vertebrate predators and their prey. Continue reading “Book about Naliboki Forest”