[A burrow of a little ground squirrel as a consortium].

Structure of consortia as an animal community inhabiting a mammalian burrow with an example of the little souslik Spermophilus pygmaeus Pallas from Western Kazakhstan was studied. Species composition, numbers and distribution of invertebrates in different types of burrows and nests of the little souslik were examined on the background to their food dependencies on the host. The consortia is considered as a system of concenters around the host of burrow (center of community, CC). Recognized concenters are given with ranks based on food relations between invertebrate inhabitants and CC: concenter of I rank includes direct parasites and predators of CC, II rank is represented by consumers of dead bodies of the souslik and its life activity products; III rank includes predators and parasites of souslik's cohabitants, and concenter of IV rank encompasses animals, which use the burrow as a refuge only. Within limits of each concenter, a number of "rondos", groups of animals attributed to certain systematic category, for example ticks, gamasid mites, certain insect orders etc., may be recognized.