Afghan voles
| Afghan voles | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Blanfordimys | ||||||||||||
| Argyropulo , 1933 |
Afghan voles ( Blanfordimys ) are a rodent species in the family of agitators (Cricetidae) with two species found in Central Asia.
The following species belong to the genus.
- Blanfordimys afghanus , from northeast Iran and Turkmenistan via Afghanistan to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan .
- Blanfordimys bucharensis , in the border triangle Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan.
The species reach a head-trunk length of 93 to 112 mm, a tail length of 20 to 30 mm and a weight of 25 to 34 g. The long, dense fur is predominantly gray-brown in color with a lighter underside. These voles have large eyes and small rounded ears. The strongly flattened Bulla tympanica is characteristic of the genus .
Steppes , semi-deserts and mountains serve as living space , in which up to 2200 meters above sea level can be reached. These voles form colonies and dig underground tunnel systems that are about 20 to 30 cm deep. They primarily look for food in the morning or evening hours. Births were documented for most of the year, with the exception of the hot summer months. A litter usually consists of 3 or 4 young animals.
Both species are listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Don E. Wilson, DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World . A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference . 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 (English, Blanfordimys ).
- ↑ a b c Blanfordimys in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014. Accessed April 16, 2015.
- ^ A b Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's mammals of the world . 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 , pp. 1469–1470 (English, limited preview in Google Book Search).