of the epizootical situation in the North-West Mongolia and bordering regions of Russia has revealed the fact that plague agent of the main ssp., for the first time ever isolated in the Altai mountain natural plague focus in 2012, is imported from Serkh-Munkh-Khairkhan, which stands approximately 240 km away from it on the straight. It has been demonstrated that possibility of Yersinia pestis ssp. pestis transfer into the territory of Gorny Altai via slow natural migration of infected rodents, lagomorphs and their ectoparasites, as well as transmission by birds or terrestrial varmints in the mountainous environment over that large distance even within the period of several decades, is extremely negligible. The situation is conditioned by the presence of numerous physicalgeographical barriers between the two regions involved and ecological peculiarities of the plague vectors and carriers. It is more likely that the agent of the main spp. has appeared in Gorny Altai due to the importation of infected fleas with isabelline wheatear (Ocenanthe isabellina) during a spring migration.
Mantodea (mantid), Diptera (fly) and Suncus murinus (Musk Shrew); also 13 Hemiptera (bugs) and five microchiropteran bats (Table 1).
DISCUSSIONAlthough biomass studies formed no part of this investigation, it must be mentioned that it is ecologically significant as it elucidates the total food mass consumed. For example, though the Scarabaeidae topped numerically with 454 individuals, they are significantly less in biomass than 78 mice. A casual calculation using the known weights of specimens (Kumar, 1985) shows the following: 454 Scarabaeidae at the estimated mean weight of 0.57g each weigh 258.78g, whereas 78 mice at the estimated mean weight of 13.30g each weigh 1037.40g.It is interesting to compare the prey spectrum of Athene brama between the agricultural fields of Andhra Pradesh studied by Kumar (1985) and this biome. In Andhra Pradesh fields no precedent was recorded of the Spotted Owlet feeding on snails, dragonflies, mantids, termites, bugs, ant lion larvae, moths, flies and hymenopterans; all these were consumed here in addition to very significant quantities of termites (19.88%) and Hymenoptera (21.06%). Hence it could be concluded that the Spotted Owlet has opportunistic feeding habits -its prey varying with locality and availability of food. This trait was recognized by Kumar (1985) and could be the reason for it being the most abundant and widespread species of owl on the Indian sub continent.
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