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Résumé

At present it is suggested to define forest-steppe marmot Kastschenko as a species (Brandler, 2003). This changes the question of it's protection fundamentally as the number of these marmots in Kuzbass is about 3000. The main colonies of the marmots are in three regions of oblast. The marmot is found only in the forest-steppe of Kuznetsk basin. The habitats of the marmots are on the south slopes of ravines with three types of burrows: winter, summer, feed jr safe. The entrance to the burrow is orientated towards the south or south-east. Winter burrows are situated more often on the hills and have many paths (3-5). There is no vegetation on the hills in the places of grazing and hayfield. The main entrance has a ground (lookout post) up to 1 metre diameter. The slopes are cut up with longitudinal paths. The paths are almost straight; their width is 8-12 sm. Summer burrows are not far from winter ones (5-10 rn) and they may have no hills. In summer burrows we often watch females with cubs. Safe burrows are located in 100 metres far from winter burrows, in the places of feeding. One family has up to 10 such burrows without hills with one entrance and excellent disquise. Young prefer such burrows in the case of danger. Anthropogenic transformation will promote interchange of ectoparasites between marmots and domestic animal. Marmot contact with the ticks Ixodes persulcatus and Ixodes crenulatus may cause the outbreaks of naturally focal diseases. Significant differences in biology of two marmot populations (Topkinskij and Krapivinskij regions) confirm the presence of two marmot species in Kuzbass. Many Russian and foreign specialists are needed to carry out an integrated research in more detailed determination of the marmot habitat boundary.