ГОРА БОЛЬШОЕ БОГДО
MOUNTAIN GREAT BOGDO
The Bogdinsky-Baskunchaksky State Nature Reserve, established in 1997, is located in the northeastern part of the Caspian lowland. The territory of the Reserve is divided into two separate clusters: the Mountain Great Bogdo and the Green Garden. In 2021, Mountain Great Bogdo is included in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves. The main zone of the Reserve includes the Mountain Great Bogdo itself and the salt Baskunchak Lake, one of the largest in Russia, located at its foot.
About 500 species of plants, 1,500 spe- cies of invertebrates, 13 species of reptiles, 225 species of birds, 47 species of mammals live under the protection of the Reserve. Moreover, the widest variety of species is recorded on Mountain Great Bogdo and nearby. For exam- ple, the southern and southeastern slopes of the mountain are the only habitat for the even-fingered gesco. Many bird species inhab- iting the territory of the Reserve are listed in the Red Data Book, such as Dalmatian pelican, pallid harrier, long-legged buzzar, steppe eagle, greater spotted eagle, Eastern imperial eagle, white-tailed eagle and lesser kestre.
The rich and varied relief of the Mountain Great Bogdo, as well as the surroundings of Lake Baskunchak, provide suitable habitat for many species of mammals. Of the insectivores, the hedgehog and the shrew are common for this region; rodents are widespread — ground squirrels, jerboas, hamsters and gerbils. You can meet hare, steppe wolf and fox, as well as rare animals from the Red Data Book such as marbled polecat and saiga antelope.
