Clarke vole

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Clarke vole
Systematics
Superfamily : Mice-like (Muroidea)
Family : Burrowers (Cricetidae)
Subfamily : Voles (arvicolinae)
Tribe : Arvicolini
Genre : Field mice ( Microtus )
Type : Clarke vole
Scientific name
Microtus clarkei
Hinton , 1923

The Clarke vole ( Microtus clarkei , Syn .: Volemys clarkei ) is a rodent species from the genus of field mice ( Microtus ) within the voles (Arvicolinae). It occurs in the south of the People's Republic of China to the north of Myanmar .

features

The Clarke vole reaches a head-torso length of 11.4 to 13.4 centimeters with a tail of 6.2 to 6.7 centimeters in length . The rear foot length is 19 to 21 millimeters, the ear length 12 to 15 millimeters. It looks very similar to the reed vole ( Microtus fortis ), but the back color is less yellow and more reddish-brown. The back hair is gray at the base and silver at the tip. The tail is brown on top and dirty white on the underside. The top of the feet and hands is also grayish white. The soles of the hind feet have - in contrast to the usual six - only five toe pads. The molar M2 each have two both on the lip as well as on the tongue side melting wrinkles and form at the front end of the tooth opposing triangles.

distribution

The Clarke vole occurs in the south of the People's Republic of China to the north of Myanmar . In China it can be found in the west and south of Yunnan and in the south-east of Xizang .

Way of life

There is limited information about the way of life of the Clarke vole. It lives in mountain regions on the floor of coniferous forests at altitudes of 3400 to 4290 meters. In forest edge areas it can also penetrate into the more open areas.

Systematics

The Clarke vole is classified as an independent species within the field mice ( Microtus ), which consists of more than 60 species. The first scientific description comes from the British zoologist Martin Alister Campbell Hinton , who described the species on the basis of individuals from Yunnan in the area between the Saluen and the Kuikiang from a height of 3353 meters. Together with the Taiwan vole ( Microtus kikuchii ), the Clarke vole was temporarily classified in the genus Volemys . Today it is assigned to the subgenus Alexandromys within the field mice.

The species was named after Stephenson Robert Clarke (1862-1948), a British colonel, naturalist and hunter.

Status, threat and protection

The Clarke vole is classified as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This is justified with the relatively large distribution area and the frequent occurrence of the species. Potential endangerment risks for the species are not known.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c d Darrin Lunde, Andrew T. Smith: Clarke's Vole. 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. 230.
  2. ↑ a b c Microtus (Alexandromys) clarkei . 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. ↑ a b c d e Microtus clarkei in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.2. Posted by: D. Lunde, K. Aplin, 2008. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
  4. ↑ Bo Beolens, Michael Grayson, Michael Watkins: The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009, ISBN 978-0-8018-9304-9 , p. 80.

literature

  • Darrin Lunde, Andrew T. Smith: Clarke's Vole. 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. 230.

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