ecology

Vladimir G. Ishchenko (1938 – 2021) – in memory of a Yekaterinburg Petersburger

This paper is dedicated to the history of the life path and scientific biography of Vladimir Georgievich Ishchenko, the founder of the national amphibian population ecology. He was born in 1938 and formed as a biologist in Leningrad, where he took his first steps in science under the guidance of Pavel Viktorovich Terentyev.

On the Ecology of the Desert Sand Boa Eryx milliaris (Reptilia, Boidae) in Kalmykia

The paper contains data on the inhabitation, abundance and temperature selectiveness of the desert sand boa in Kalmykia. Bioclimatic variables influencing its range are also analyzed by modeling with the Maxent software. Two models were used in our analysis, built on 19 standard bioclimatic variables and on a shortlist after the removal of correlated variables. The body temperature of the desert sand boa varied from 12 to 33°С. Its population level stays rather high in Kalmykia, up to two specimen per ha on sand hills of the Chernozemelskiy district.

A SIMPLE METHOD FOR FEEDING STUDIES IN LIVE ANURAN AMPHIBIANS

A simple method of food sampling in live frogs is described. This method enables complete extraction of the stomach contents and leads to a very low mortality of frogs. That is why it is more reasonable than killing and preserving frogs for further study of their diet composition. Photographs of food extracting are provided, which can be used in field conditions.