SUMMER DIET OF THE SABLE MARTES-ZIBELLINA IN THE MIDDLE YENISEI TAIGA, SIBERIA

The summer food of the sable Martes zibellina Linnaeus, 1758, inhabiti ng taiga forests near Mirnoe Field Station on Middle Yenisei, Siberia, was studied by the analysis of 136 scats. Microtinae rodents (mainly northern red-backed vole Clethrionomys rutilus) constituted 52.3% of b iomass consumed by sables. Plant food (seeds of Siberian pine Pinus si birica and berries of Vaccinium sp.) was also frequently eaten; they o ccurred in 79.4% of scats but constituted only 19.9% of biomass. Shrew s, burunduks Eutamias sibiricus, birds and insects were supplementary food, however, these groups of prey formed totally about 25% of consum ed biomass.