Bavarian short-eared mouse

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Bavarian short-eared mouse
Systematics
Family : Burrowers (Cricetidae)
Subfamily : Voles (arvicolinae)
Tribe : Arvicolini
Genre : Field mice ( Microtus )
Subgenus : Terricola
Type : Bavarian short-eared mouse
Scientific name
Microtus bavaricus
King , 1962

The Bavarian short-eared mouse ( Microtus bavaricus ) is a mammal from the subfamily of voles (Arvicolinae). The species , which was only described in 1962 , is endemic to the Northern Limestone Alps and is now only found in the Brandenberg Alps in Tyrol .

Mark

The Bavarian short-eared mouse is slightly larger than the similar short-eared mouse . The head-trunk length is 88–106 mm, the tail length 32–44 mm, the length of the hind foot 15–17 mm and the ear length 7–12 mm. The animals weigh 18-28 g. The fur is yellowish brown, the backs 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 Bavarian short -eared mouse can only be distinguished from the extremely similar and closely related two species Alpine small vole ( Microtus multiplex ) and Illyrian short-eared mouse ( M. liechtensteini ) by molecular genetics or by comparative analysis of several tooth and skull dimensions.

Way of life

The animals live in underground tunnels that run flat under the surface of the ground; the soil that is left over when digging the passages is thrown up into small heaps of earth. The species is diurnal and nocturnal. The food is likely to consist of subterranean parts of plants, and occasionally grass and herbs.

distribution and habitat

The species is endemic to the Northern Limestone Alps and is only known from two localities there. One is located in Bavaria near Garmisch-Partenkirchen . The Bavarian short-eared mouse has not been seen there since 1962 and is considered to be extinct or lost in all of Germany. The habitat near Garmisch-Partenkirchen consisted of moderately moist meadow slopes near a stream at a height of about 730 m. The second site is in Rofan, part of the Brandenberger Alps in the north of Tyrol . In Tyrol, the animals inhabit a very open mixed forest that was used as forest pasture until 2005 and is dominated by spruce . This location is 730–1100 m above sea level and also has numerous streams.

Existence and endangerment

The Bavarian short-eared mouse was only discovered in 1962 near Garmisch-Partenkirchen. At that time, 23 animals were caught with mousetraps and identified as a new species based on morphological characteristics. After that, the species could no longer be detected there and was considered lost. The occurrence in Tyrol was discovered in 1976 and 1977, but was not identified as belonging to this species until 2000 through genetic and karyological investigations.

The site near Garmisch-Partenkirchen was destroyed by the construction of a hospital. The last known occurrence in Tyrol has not yet been adequately protected either. The forest pasture there was given up in 2005. Large parts of the forest inhabited by the species have since been cleared and converted into fenced cattle pastures. For the rest of the forest, after the cessation of forest pasture, strong compaction of the vegetation close to the ground and increased forest use are feared.

In 2009 a research project started, in the course of which the distribution, the ecological demands and the population size of the species should be researched and at the end of which a management plan for the forest pastures should be developed. Despite intensive searches, no further occurrences could be found in the vicinity of the known sites in Germany or Austria. In Germany the species is listed as "extinct" on the red list . The IUCN classifies the species as " Critically Endangered " due to the very small known area and the ongoing habitat destruction there .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Friederike Spitzenberger: Microtus bavaricus. In: Wolfgang Rabitsch, Franz Essl: Endemiten. Treasures in Austria's flora and fauna. Natural science association for Carinthia and others, Klagenfurt and others 2009, ISBN 978-3-85328-049-2 , p. 860 f.
  2. ↑ Friederike Spitzenberger: The mammal fauna of Austria. Series: Green series of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management. Volume 13, Austrian Medien Service, Graz 2001.
  3. ↑ H. Haupt, G. Ludwig, H. Gruttke, M. Binot-Hafke, C. Otto & A. Pauly (eds.): Red List of Endangered Animals, Plants and Fungi in Germany, Volume 1: Vertebrates. Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Bonn-Bad Godesberg, 2009
  4. ↑ Microtus bavaricus in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2019. Posted by: Meinig, H., 2019. Retrieved December 27, 2019.

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.
  • Erwin Stresemann (founder), Konrad Senglaub, Hans-Joachim Hannemann, Bernhard Klausnitzer (ed.): Excursion fauna of Germany. Volume 3. Vertebrates. 12th, heavily edited edition. G. Fischer, Jena et al. 1995, ISBN 3-334-60951-0 , p. 423.

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