Alpine vole
| Alpine vole | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Microtus multiplex | ||||||||||||
| ( Fatio , 1905) |
The Alpine vole or Fatio vole ( Microtus multiplex ) is a mammal from the subfamily of voles (Arvicolinae). The small European distribution area of the species includes parts of the Alps and some neighboring mountains, where the animals live mostly underground in areas with dense ground vegetation. The species is considered harmless.
Mark
The Alpine vole is slightly larger than the similar short-eared vole . The head-torso length is 90–110 mm, the tail length 30–44 mm, the length of the rear foot 15–17 mm and the ear length 9–11 mm. The animals weigh 20-30 g. The fur is light yellowish and reddish brown on the upper side, the underside and the back of the feet are hairy whitish. The ears are almost completely hidden in the fur. The roof of the skull is slightly arched and the ear capsules are relatively large. The Alpine vole can only be distinguished from the extremely similar and closely related two species, the Bavarian short-eared mouse ( Microtus bavaricus ) and the Illyrian short-eared mouse ( M. liechtensteini ), by molecular genetics or through the comparative analysis of several tooth and skull dimensions.
distribution and habitat
The relatively small area of distribution of the Alpine vole ranges from the eastern Massif Central to the east over the southern Alps in France and Switzerland to the central north of Italy and there to the south to the northern part of the Apennines . It inhabits open and semi-open habitats with dense ground vegetation such as meadows, clearings and older forests with a dense herbaceous layer and occurs there from sea level to 2800 m.
Way of life
Alpine voles are more diurnal than nocturnal, but mostly live underground. The species is apparently monogamous and lives in pairs in exclusive territories all year round. The branched underground duct system is laid out flat below the surface of the ground, the animals also use blind mole ducts ( Talpa caeca ). In each territory there are several nests, which are usually also created underground, rarely above ground under heaps of stones. The food, which is probably exclusively plant-based, consists mainly of roots, tubers and onions; animals rarely eat grass or the fruit of chestnuts . Reproduction takes place all year round, but its intensity decreases significantly in winter. The litters are relatively small and contain only 2-3 young on average.
Existence and endangerment
The Alpine vole is common locally, there is no evidence of population decline. According to the IUCN, the world population is considered to be not at risk (“least concern”).
swell
Individual evidence
literature
- Stéphane Aulagnier, Patrick Haffner, Anthony J. Mitchell-Jones, François Moutou, Jan Zima: The mammals of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. The destination guide. Haupt, Bern et al. 2009, ISBN 978-3-258-07506-8 , pp. 206-207.
- Anthony J. Mitchell-Jones, Giovanni Amori, Wieslaw Bogdanowicz, Boris Krystufek, PJH Reijnders, Friederike Spitzenberger, Michael Stubbe, Johan BM Thissen, Vladimiŕ Vohralik, Jan Zima: The Atlas of European Mammals. Poyser, London, 1999, ISBN 0-85661-130-1 , pp. 242-243.
- Marco Salvioni: Home Range and Social Behavior of Three Species of European Pitymys (Mammalia, Rodentia). In: Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. Vol. 22, No. 3, ISSN 0340-5443 , 1988, pp. 203-210.
Web links
- Microtus multiplex in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2009. Posted by: Aulagnier, S., Amori, G., Hutterer, R., Krystufek, B., Yigit, N., Mitsain, G. & Muñoz, LJP, 2008 Retrieved December 7, 2009.