The current state of ondatra (<i>Ondatra zibethicus</i>) numbers on the lakes of Korgalzhyn state nature reserve
The article examines the current number of Ondatra ( Ondatra zibethicus ) on the lakes of the Korgalzhyn state natural park (SNP). Accounting work was carried out in the spring and autumn of 2017 by counting huts and holes. Two methods of accounting were used to determine the number of muskrat: on the route (Lake Yesay, Sultankeldy, Zhamankol and Kokai) and on sites (Zhamankol Lake, Taban) using machinery. The average density of the muskrat dwellings on the lakes of the Korgalzhyn SNP for 1 hectare is 0.21 settlements. When the water level rises, some of the huts are flooded, which causes an underestimation of the results of the sur- vey, presumably by 20 %. According to the data of the spring registration on the lakes of the Korgalzhyn SNP, the estimated number of muskrats in the Korgalzhyn Reserve for the period of spring registration works was -10080 individuals. The establishment of a favorable hydrological regime and the absence of outbreaks of epizootic tularemia also led to an increase in the local population of muskrat. In 2017, frozen lake melted on 27-28 April. The first appearance of muskrat on the surface of ice was recorded on April 22, 2017, a mass appearance was noted from 24.04.2017. The activity of the muskrat on the reservoir and the partial construc- tion of the huts are noted at the beginning of the first decade of May. One of the main factors influencing the distribution of the muskrat is the geomorphological structure of the water bodies, represented mainly by steep banks in the east and gently sloping banks in the southwest. According to research in the autumn, the muskrat willingly inhabits the north-western and north-eastern parts of the lakes.