DISTRIBUTION OF CHAMOIS (<i>RUPICAPRA RUPICAPRA CAUCASICA</i>) IN THE EASTERN CAUCASUS
The main spatial parameters determining territorial distribution of the chamois in the highlands of Daghestan during summer and winter periods are identified and determined. In the Tlyarata Reserve in summer and winter the chamois prefer the slopes of 25-35°steep with the optimal combination of protective and feeding conditions. In summer the animals prefer to stay on the slopes of the western exposure, making minor movements within the rhododendron shrub belt, while in winter the chamois distribution is determined by the snow cover. The most preferable are meadows and shrub biotopes. Thus, various conditions, added up to the slopes of different exposures over the course of the year, determine the character of use of the territory by the chamois in the Tlyarata Reserve.