European ground squirrel

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European ground squirrel
European ground squirrel

European ground squirrel

Systematics
Subordination : Squirrel relatives (Sciuromorpha)
Family : Squirrel (Sciuridae)
Subfamily : Ground Squirrel (Xerinae)
Tribe : Real ground squirrels (Marmotini)
Genre : Ground Squirrel ( Spermophilus )
Type : European ground squirrel
Scientific name
Spermophilus citellus
( Linnaeus , 1766)

The one in Austria also, European ground squirrel ( Spermophilus citellus , Syn. : Citellus citellus ), also Schlichtziesel called, is a bodenbewohnendes, mostly steppes and grasslands besiedelndes rat large rodent from the family of squirrel (Sciuridae). It occurs in the steppes of southeastern Europe from Austria in parts of the Balkans as well as in Turkey.

features

Skull ( Museum Wiesbaden Collection )

The European ground squirrel reaches a length of 18 to 23 centimeters without a tail . With the relatively long and densely hairy tail, 5.5 to 7.5 centimeters are added. It weighs 200 to 430 grams, depending on the season. The legs are relatively short. The yellow-gray fur above is covered with white-yellow spots, these spots are missing on the sides of the body. The fur brightens a little towards the yellowish belly side. The forehead and parting are shaded a little darker than the back. The dark eyes are framed by a lighter ring.

1 · 0 · 2 · 3  =  22
1 · 0 · 1 · 3
Tooth formula of the ground squirrel

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.

Together with the Asia Minor ground squirrel ( spermophilus xanthoprymnus ), the Taurus-ground squirrel ( spermophilus taurensis ), the spotted suslik ( spermophilus suslicus ), the Daurian ground squirrel ( spermophilus dauricus ) and the Alashan ground squirrel ( spermophilus alashanicus ) of the European ground squirrel forms a probably closely related Group of ground squirrels that are anatomically very difficult or impossible to distinguish and can only be identified due to their different distribution areas. The Asian ground squirrel, which occurs in Turkey just like the European and Taurus ground squirrel, differs from them, for example, in having a shorter tail and features of the skull. A reliable delimitation of the species is only possible through comparative skull measurements or genetic tests.

distribution

Distribution area of ​​the European ground squirrel

Its main distribution area is in the steppes of Southeast Europe , Turkey and parts of the Balkans . There are also occurrences in Austria (e.g. on the Perchtoldsdorfer Heide near Vienna, Rafinger Heide ( Pulkau )) and in the Bohemian Central Uplands in the Czech Republic . The only German occurrence existed until around 1950 at Oelsen in the Eastern Ore Mountains . An attempt to resettle ground squirrels near Rudolphsdorf on the border with the Czech Republic was given up in 2016 after eleven years. Exposures on the grounds of zoos (“Osterzgebirge” wildlife park, Geising-Hartmannmühle, Nuremberg zoo, Riesa home zoo), on the other hand, seem to work better.

In addition to the European ground squirrel, Turkey also has the Asian ground squirrel and the Taurus ground squirrel , which was only described in 2007 and was formerly assigned to the Asian ground squirrel , although the European ground squirrel is restricted to the European part of Turkey west of the Bosporus . Spermophilus taurensis , on the other hand, occurs in the eastern parts of the Taurus Mountains , with its range only overlapping in the northern part with that of the Asia Minor ground squirrel, where both species occur parapatric .

Way of life

European ground squirrels live in earthen burrows which they leave during the day to look for food. They feed mainly on green parts of plants, flowers and seeds ; depending on the offer, they supplement their diet with roots , tubers and onions . Also invertebrate animals such as insects and earthworms are not spurned. In late summer, in contrast to other ground squirrel and common hamsters, they hardly build up supplies, but instead intensify their food intake. Together with changes in your metabolism, this leads to the build-up of your body's own fat deposits. When they have built up enough fat reserves, they hibernate for several months from late August / early September to March or April of the next year . Female ground squirrels are usually sexually mature after their first hibernation and give birth to 2 to 10 young each year.

Despite their hectic movements that are typical of the horns and their constant readiness to flee, ground squirrel populations can reduce any shyness towards humans. The animals can then be hand-fed, and even climb around on people who are sitting or lying down. Ground squirrels look particularly cute to humans by looking out of the holes in the ground, holding the food with their front paws, the frequent “making of men” and, above all, an unusually pronounced facial expression, even for rodents. Photographers often wait specifically for strange motifs, whereby the scene of a ground squirrel on a flower stem is regularly recorded and published.

Systematics

European ground squirrel ( Donau-Auen National Park )

The European ground squirrel is classified as an independent species within the species of ground squirrel ( Spermophilus ) and represents the type species of the species. According to the current status, following a revision of the species, the ground squirrel consists of 15 species.

The first scientific description comes from Carl von Linné from the year 1766. He described the species in the 12th edition of his Systema naturae on the basis of individuals from Austria, whereby the location was later limited to the Wagram in Lower Austria . Linnaeus described the European ground squirrel as Mus citellus and thus assigned it to the mice . In 1825, the species was used by Frédéric Cuvier in his treatise on the teeth of mammals ( Des dents des mammifères, considérées comme caracteres zoologiques. ) As a nomenclature type for the first description of the genus Spermophilus and was first named under the name Spermophilus citellus , which is still valid today . At the same time, the name Citellus citellus was common for a long time , which was coined in 1816 by Lorenz Oken in Oken's textbook on natural history . However, all names devised by Oken were invalidated by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) in 1956 because they did not follow the Linnean nomenclature . This makes Spermophilus the only valid generic name.

In addition to the nominate form, four subspecies are distinguished within the species . A total of eight subspecies have been described, most of which are now synonymous with the accepted four subspecies. However, as the craniometric data of these subspecies are inconsistent, a revision is suggested.

  • Spermophilus citellus citellus : nominate form, occurs in Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
  • Spermophilus citellus gradojevici : in Macedonia. The back color is pale yellow and the ventral side is sand yellow. The dark band in front of the tip of the tail is more brown than black. S. c. karamani is considered a synonym.
  • Spermophilus citellus istricus : Plains of the Lower Danube in Romania. The back is conspicuously speckled with white spots. S. c. laskarevi is considered a synonym.
  • Spermophilus citellus martinoi : in Bulgaria. S. c. balcanicus and S. c. thracius are considered synonyms.

The name Spermophilus is derived from the Greek words spermatos for "seed" and phileo for "love", which translates as "seed lover". The species name citellus is derived from the Latinized form of the German term "Ziesel" for the ground squirrel.

Hazard and protection

Danger sign for crossing ground squirrel north of Stammersdorf

The European ground squirrel is listed as "Endangered" (VU) on the IUCN's Red List of Endangered Species . The species is protected under European law and is listed in Appendices II ("Species of Community Interest, for the conservation of which special protected areas must be designated") and IV ("Species of Community Interest to be strictly protected") of the Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive led by the EU . The species is classified as "critically endangered" (EN) in the Austrian Red List. However, stocks in the urban area of Vienna are higher than ever before; In 2016, almost 10,000 pieces were counted there.

supporting documents

  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.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f Nicolás Ramos-Lara, John L. Koprowski, Boris Kryštufek, Ilse E. Hoffmann: Spermophilus citellus (Rodentia: Sciuridae) . In: Mammalian Species . tape 913 , no. 913 , December 12, 2014, p. 71-87 , doi : 10.1644 / 913.1 .
  3. ↑ a b Mutlu Kart Gür, Hakan Gür: Spermophilus xanthoprymnus (Rodentia: Sciuridae) . In: Mammalian Species . tape 42 , no. 892 , 2010, p. 183-194 , doi : 10.1644 / 864.1 .
  4. ↑ a b İslam Gündüz, Maarit Jaarola, Coskun Tez, Can Yeniyurt, P. David Polly, Jeremy B. Searle: Multigenic and morphometric differentiation of ground squirrels (Spermophilus, Sciuridae, Rodentia) in Turkey, with a description of a new species . In: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution . tape 43 , no. 3 , June 2007, p. 916-935 , doi : 10.1016 / j.ympev.2007.02.021 .
  5. ↑ https://www.saechsische.de/die-ziesel-verlassen-rudolfsdorf-3531295.html
  6. ^ A b Kristofer M. Helgen, F. Russell Cole, Lauren E. Helgen, Don E. Wilson: Generic Revision in the Holarctic Ground Squirrel Genus Spermophilus . In: Journal of Mammalogy . tape 90 , no. 2 , April 14, 2009, p. 270-305 , doi : 10.1644 / 07-MAMM-A-309.1 .
  7. ↑ a b c d e f Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012, ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1 , pp. 302-303.
  8. ↑ a b Spermophilus citellus 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 .
  9. ^ Carl von Linné : Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. 12th edition, Volume 1, 1966, p. 81 ( digitized version ).
  10. ↑ Frédéric Cuvier : Des dents des mammifères, considérées comme caracteres zoologiques. 1825 ( digitized ).
  11. ^ Federal Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management (Ed.): Red Lists of Endangered Animals Austria. Checklists, risk analyzes, need for action. Part 1: Mammals, birds, grasshoppers, water beetles, netflies, beaked flies, Tagfalter Böhlau Verlag, Vienna 2005, ISBN 3-205-77345-4
  12. ↑ https://www.mein Bezirk.at/alsergrund/c-lokales/ziesel-neuer-rekord-bei-zaehler-in-wien_a1641253

literature

  • Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012, ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1 , pp. 302-303.
  • Nicolás Ramos-Lara, John L. Koprowski, Boris Kryštufek , Ilse E. Hoffmann: Spermophilus citellus (Rodentia: Sciuridae) . In: Mammalian Species . tape 913 , no. 913 , December 12, 2014, p. 71-87 , doi : 10.1644 / 913.1 .

Web links

Commons : European ground squirrel  album with pictures, videos and audio files