O. G. Dely szerk.: Vertebrata Hungarica 21. (Budapest, 1982)
Brushko, Z. K. ; Kubykin, R. A.: Horsfield's tortoise (Agrionemys horsfieldi Gray, 1844) and the ways of its rational utilization in Kazakhstan 55-62. o.
Our work was planned to be carried out with the help of transects and point sampling. For the estimation of numbers, several methods were used, as advised by DINESMAN & KALECHKAYA (1952). Besides recording data along transects on foot and on sample plots, transects were also covered by a vehicle. The speed of the vehicle was fixed by the speedometer and it varied according to the density of the vegetation and the relief, usually between 5-10 km per hour. The width of the strip transect was never more than 20 m. Whenever it was possible, the sex and age of tortoises were also determined. The data obtained on the strip transects were converted to 1 ha. In order to obtain data on different aspects of their ecology, the tortoises were individually marked by filing the marginal plates of the carapace (Fig. 1). Fig. 1. Scheme for individual marking Numbering was started on the right side from the first marginal plate of the front leg to the laterals and at last the marginal plates of the back lag. The tail plate was omitted and the marking continued in progress from below upwards on the left side of the carapace. With the help of this method the greatest number of animals were marked. This method of marking had no apparent adverse effects on the animals. In 1976-1979 calculations have been scattered, in pome regions of Alma-Ata, Taldy-Kurgan, Dzhambul, Chimkent oblasts (Fig. 2). The whole range, where tortoises have been found, was 1127 km 2 (area of 2130 hectares). Some territories were studied repeatedly many times. Besides the above, we studied the morphological characters of the tortoises, the structure of the populations, their activity, migrations and reproduction, including the questions which have direct connection with the reproduction of the tortoise population and with their exploitation. Horsfield's tortoise occurs under various conditions ranging from the slopes of mountains to deserts of different types, but its density varies in diverse biotopes. The largest population are typical for wormwood - ephemeral deserts, sacsaulniks and adyrs, covered with jantaks and ephemerals. They are numerous on lands with broken relief, in lowlands with a dense grass cover, along dry river bed and in ravines with abundant shelter. Much lower are their population on takyrs, in sand desert, on greasy soil, broken bricks and stony plots. In Alma-Ata and Tardy-Kurgan oblasts high populations have been recorded at three localities on the Kerbulak massif, in the vicinity of Chyngildy and Zholaman settlements where on an average 11-15 individuals live per hectare. Yet in the fifties there were about 40 individuals per hectare here (PARASKIV 1956). The intensive exploitation in these regions during the last 20-25 years have led to a three-fold decrease in the tortoise population and considerably large areas
