Flat-headed mountain vole
| Flat-headed mountain vole | ||||||||||||
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| Alticola strelzowi | ||||||||||||
| ( Kastchenko , 1899) |
The flat-headed mountain vole ( Alticola strelzowi ) is a rodent species from the genus of the mountain voles ( Alticola ). It occurs in East Asia from the Altai in southern Russia and northwestern Mongolia as well as eastern Kazakhstan to the north of the Chinese Xinjiang .
features
The flat-headed mountain vole reaches a head-trunk length of 10.4 to 13.5 centimeters with a tail of 3.3 to 4.7 centimeters in length . The rear foot length is 19 to 22 millimeters, the ear length 14.5 to 26 millimeters. The back fur is variable, but generally grayish brown. The peritoneum is whitish gray. The tail is comparatively long and usually white, sometimes brownish white on top. The top of the feet is white.
The skull is very flat and has a total length of 25.0 to 30.0 centimeters. The width of the skull is greater than the height.
distribution
The flat-headed mountain vole occurs in East Asia from the Altai in southern Russia and northwestern Mongolia as well as eastern Kazakhstan to the north of the Chinese autonomous region of Xinjiang . The altitude distribution ranges from 400 to 3000 meters.
Way of life
The flat-headed mountain vole lives mainly in stony to rocky areas and eroding rock areas with narrow crevices and caves. At the entrance to the building, which lies in crevices in the rock, the animals pile up piles of stones and plant material. They are diurnal and feed primarily herbivores from plant parts such as grasses and seeds. In the crevices of the rock, the animals set up storage facilities before winter.
During the breeding season, females in China can have three litters, and dams with 7 to 11 embryos have been documented. In more northerly areas of the distribution area there are two litters with 5 to 7 young animals each.
Systematics
The flat-headed mountain vole is classified as an independent species within the genus of the mountain voles ( Alticola ), which consists of twelve species. The first scientific description comes from the Ukrainian naturalist Mykola Feofanowytsch Kaschtschenko from 1899, who described the species using individuals from the area around Lake Teniga in the Altai region in southern Russia. Within the mountain voles, the species is usually classified in its own subgenus Platycranius .
Status, threat and protection
The flat-headed mountain vole is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as Least Concern. This is justified with the very large distribution area and the assumed large populations of the species. No information is available on the population figures, there are no known risks to the species in the distribution area of the species. Local forest fires could pose a threat to local populations .
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e Darrin Lunde, Andrew T. Smith: Flat-Headed Mountain 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. 218.
- ↑ a b c d e f Alticola strelzowi in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.2. Posted by: N. Batsaikhan, D. Tinnin, S. Shar, D. Avirmed, D. Usukhjargal, 2008. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
- ↑ a b Alticola (Platycranius) strelzowi . 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 .
literature
- Darrin Lunde, Andrew T. Smith: Flat-Headed Mountain 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. 218.
Web links
- Alticola strelzowi inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.2. Posted by: N. Batsaikhan, D. Tinnin, S. Shar, D. Avirmed, D. Usukhjargal, 2008. Retrieved September 25, 2016.