Cheng racing rat

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Cheng racing rat
Systematics
Family : Long-tailed mice (Muridae)
Subfamily : Gerbils (Gerbillinae)
Tribe : Gerbillini
Sub tribus : Rhombomyina
Genre : Racing rats ( meriones )
Type : Cheng racing rat
Scientific name
Meriones chengi
Wang , 1964

The Cheng racing rat ( Meriones chengi ) is a rodent from the genus of racing rats ( Meriones ) within the gerbils (Gerbillinae). It has only been found in eastern Xinjiang in the western People's Republic of China , but the species status is disputed.

features

The Cheng racing rat reaches a head-torso length of 13.1 to 15.0 centimeters with a tail of 8.8 to 11.7 centimeters in length . The rear foot length is about 31 to 34 millimeters, the ear length about 17 millimeters. It is accordingly a medium-sized species of the genus, it is slightly larger than the closely related midday rat ( M. meridianus ) to which it is partially assigned, and smaller than the Libyan racing rat ( M. libycus ). The back fur is dark brown, darker than that of the midday rat, the hair is gray-black at the base. The peritoneum is woolly and colored white, the hair of the middle chest area has a light gray base. The soles are hairy except for a narrow bare strip near the ankle . The hind feet have black claws. The length of the tail is about three quarters of the length of the head and torso, it is a monochrome pale brown and has a distinct tuft of hair at the tip.

The skull has a total length of 36 to 38 millimeters. It is slightly larger than that of the midday mouse, the forehead and inter-eye region are broad. The tympanic bladder (bulla tympanica) is very large and reaches 37% of the total length of the skull. A bulge above the eye is clearly formed.

distribution

The Cheng racing rat has only been found in the Turpan Depression in eastern Xinjiang in the western People's Republic of China and is accordingly endemic .

Way of life

Very little information is available about the lifestyle of the Cheng racing rat. It lives in mountain regions and inhabits dry grassy areas and semi-desert habitats above 1000 meters above sea level. The animals are very social and build numerous burrows, which are usually created in the area of ​​bushes.

Systematics

The Cheng racing rat is often classified as a separate species within the racing rats ( Meriones ), which consists of about 20 species. The first scientific description comes from the Chinese zoologist Sung Wang, who described the species in 1964 using individuals from Xinjiang. The first descriptor classified them as an independent species in the subgenus Pallasiomys . However, according to molecular biological investigations by Ito and coworkers (2010) and in agreement with Pawlinow and coworkers (1990), they regard it as a synonym for the midday rat ( M. meridianus ). This was confirmed by Ying Wang and colleagues in 2013 who found greater genetic differences between the subspecies of Meriones meridianus than between these and Meriones chengi .

Status, threat and protection

The Cheng racing rat is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as not endangered (least concern). This is justified with the comparatively large distribution area of ​​more than 20,000 km² and the assumed frequent occurrence of the species. Potential threats for the species are not known, information on the stocks is not available.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c d e Darrin Lunde, Andrew T. Smith: Cheng's Gerbil. 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. 249.
  2. ↑ Meriones (Pallasiomys) chengi . In: Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): 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 .
  3. ↑ Mamoru Ito, Wei Jiang, Jun J. Sato, Qiang Zhen, Wei Jiao, Kazuo Goto, Hiroshi Sato, Kenji Ishiwata, Yuzaburo Oku, June-Jie Chai, Haruo Kamiya: Molecular phylogeny of the subfamily Gerbillinae (Muridae, Rodentia) with emphasis on species living in the Xinjiang-Uygur Autonomous Region of China and based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b and cytochrome c oxidase subunit II genes . In: Zoological Science . tape 27 , no. 3 , 2010, p. 269-278 , doi : 10.2108 / zsj.27.269 .
  4. ^ Igor Jakowlewitsch Pawlinow: A review of phylogeny and classification of Gerbillinae (Mammalia: Rodentia) . In: Зоологические исследования . No. 9 , 2008, p. 1-68 .
  5. ↑ Ying Wang, Li-Ming Zhao, Feng-jie Fang, Ji-Cheng Liao, Nai-Fa Liu (2013): Intraspecific molecular phylogeny and phylogeography of the Meriones meridianus (Rodentia: Cricetidae) complex in northern China reflect the processes of desertification and the Tianshan Mountains uplift. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 110: 362-383.
  6. ↑ a b Meriones chengi in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.2. Listed by: AT Smith, CH Johnston, 2008. Retrieved November 18, 2016.

literature

  • Darrin Lunde, Andrew T. Smith: Cheng's Gerbil. 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. 249.

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