Kuludzhun State Nature Sanctuary (zoological)

Kuludzhun – a state natural zoological sanctuary. It was organized on November 29, 1967 in an area of 46 thousand ha in Samarsky district of East Kazakhstan region.

Geographic location

The sanctuary is located in the northwest of the Zaysan basin, covering most of the Kyzylkum sand massif and the lower course of the Kuludzhun River in the northwest of the Zaysan basin. To the east it is bounded by the water line of the Bukhtyrma reservoir.

Relief

The relief consists of a wind‑formed plain and unsteady sand dunes forming an accumulative plain; in the Kuludzhun spread there are alluvial‑erosional terraces with various herbaceous steppes, sand dunes with reeds and rushes on the banks, and small lakes such as Kaznaq, Kambar‑Karasu, etc.

Flora

The plant cover of the sanctuary is diverse: desert shrubs and semi‑shrubs, remnants of the Katonkaragay pine forest that disappeared in the mid‑19th century. Marshy meadows are typical in the Kuludzhun River spread. About 200 higher‑order plant species grow in the sanctuary. Most of them are representatives of desert vegetation – sagebrush, saltwort, wormwood, grasses, and thistles. Shrubs include acacia, sea buckthorn, barley. Small lakes among the sands have reeds and rushes on their shores. Species entered in Kazakhstan’s Red Book: saltwort, Potanin sandwort, Fedchenko sagebrush, Steinberg saltwort, coinwort, ryan, old‑girl, Zaysan larkspur, Ludwig beetle‑eater, daragül (a type of lily), root‑sedge, sage, sagebrush. A rare plant in the area is the common pine.

Fauna

Mammal fauna (20 species) makes up one third of the species composition of the Zaysan basin. Desert‑adapted species dominate: ear‑spotted jerboa, gerbil, various gerbil species. Several hundred individuals of marmots come here to hibernate. Two species of amphibians, the common frog and the spade‑footed toad, inhabit the area. There are 6 species of reptiles: various coloured lizards, jumping lizard, common shield‑snouted snake, common yellow‑belly snake, Zaysan sand lizard, large‑eyed lizard. About 80 bird species are present, distributed according to two habitats: among the sands live skylarks, grey wheatears, bustards; rare ones include grey shrike, white‑browed shrike, duadaq, bezgeldik, hawk‑eagle, black‑vulture. In the marshy river spread live sandpipers – black‑legged sandpiper, grey‑winged sandpiper, large sandpiper, large curlew, large white‑stork, blue‑stork, grey goose, baryldaik gull, flat‑beaked gull, brown gull, etc. Some animal species are included in Kazakhstan’s Red Book: Zaysan sand lizard, large‑eyed lizard, red‑spotted beetle, curled beetle, black beetle, small white‑stork, squeaking goose, beaked goose, steppe falcon, hawk, grey shrike, white‑browed shrike, duadaq, bezgeldik, long‑tailed gerbil. A rare species in the sanctuary area is the steppe cat.