Brandt ground squirrel
| Brandt ground squirrel | ||||||||||||
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| Spermophilus brevicauda | ||||||||||||
| Brandt , 1843 |
The Brandt ground squirrel ( Spermophilus brevicauda ) is a species of squirrel from the genus of the ground squirrel ( Spermophilus ). It occurs in southeastern Kazakhstan and in the far northeast of the People's Republic of China .
features
The Brandt Ziesel reaches a head-torso length of about 16.5 to 21.0 centimeters with a weight of about 140 to 440 grams. The tail becomes 3.1 to 5.5 centimeters long and is thus, as with all ground squirrels, significantly shorter than the rest of the body. The hind foot becomes 29 to 38 millimeters long, the ear length is 5 to 9 millimeters. The species is relatively small compared to other ground squirrels and has a very short tail, which is only about a fifth of the body size. The back color is ocher to yellowish brown with individual small and light spots. The tail is rust-red to light yellow in color. There is a light eye ring around the eyes, above and below there are clear rust-red spots.
| 1 | · | 0 | · | 2 | · | 3 | = 22 |
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The skull has a total length of 45 to 48 millimeters. The type, like all species of the genus in the upper jaw half per one to a incisor tooth formed incisor (incisor) to which a tooth gap ( diastema follows). This is followed by two premolars and three molars . In contrast, the animals have only one premolar in the lower jaw. In total, the animals have a set of 22 teeth. The skull is round, the tympanic cavity is wide and short. The nasal bones are long and narrow.
distribution
The Brandt ground squirrel occurs in China only in the northeast of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region and in Kazakhstan along the Chinese border along the Tian Shan and the border with Kyrgyzstan in the southeast.
Way of life
The Brandt ground squirrel is a diurnal ground squirrel about which little information is available. It probably lives mainly in dry steppes and bushes and feeds on different parts of plants, depending on their availability. The animals can also climb into the bushes or dig in the ground in search of food. They are social and spend a lot of time in their burrows, where they hibernate at low temperatures and their summer rest at high temperatures. At very high summer temperatures they build their burrows under shady bushes.
Unlike other ground squirrels, the animals rarely stand on their hind legs and their communication consists of rather soft whistling tones. Compared to the closely related species in northern China, the Alashan ground squirrel ( S. alashanicus ) and the pale ground squirrel ( Spermophilus pallidicauda ), the distribution is allopatric , so it does not overlap with that of the other species.
Systematics
The Brandt ground squirrel is classified as an independent species within the genus of the ground squirrel ( Spermophilus ), which currently consists of 15 species following a revision of the genus. The first scientific description comes from Johann Friedrich von Brandt from 1843, who was then working in Russia. He described the species using individuals from southern Alashan in China. Originally it was considered to be a subspecies of the red-eared pebble ( Spermophilus erythrogenys ).
Apart from the nominate form, no subspecies are usually distinguished within the species . Smith & Yan Xie 2009 distinguish three subspecies for the Chinese part of the range: S. b. brevicauda (nominate form) in Altai , S. b. carruthersi in northeast Xinjiang and S. b. iliensis in the northwest of the distribution area in the area of the Ili River .
Status, threat and protection
The Brandt-Ziesel is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This is justified by the comparatively large distribution area and the frequent occurrence of the species, but no specific population sizes are known. There are no potential threats to the existence of this species.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Robert S. Hoffmann, Andrew T. Smith: Brandt's Ground Squirrel. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ 2008, ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 , p. 194.
- ^ A b c Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; P. 301. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ^ Robert S. Hoffmann, Andrew T. Smith: Spermophilus. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ 2008, ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 , p. 193.
- ↑ a b c Spermophilus brevicauda in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.3. Listed by: AT Smith, CH Johnston, 2008. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ↑ Kristofer M. Helgen, F. Russell Cole, Lauren E. Helgen, Don E. Wilson: Generic Revision in the holarctic ground squirrels genus Spermophilus. Journal of Mammalogy 90 (2), 2009; Pp. 270-305. doi : 10.1644 / 07-MAMM-A-309.1
- ↑ a b c Spermophilus brevicauda In: Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 2 volumes. 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .
literature
- Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; P. 301. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- Robert S. Hoffmann, Andrew T. Smith: Brandt's Ground Squirrel. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ 2008, ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 , p. 194.
Web links
- Spermophilus brevicauda inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.3. Listed by: AT Smith, CH Johnston, 2008. Retrieved May 24, 2015.