Big-eared mountain vole
| Big-eared mountain vole | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Alticola macrotis | ||||||||||||
| ( Radde , 1862) |
The big-eared mountain vole ( Alticola macrotis ) is a rodent species from the genus of the mountain voles ( Alticola ). It occurs in southern Siberia in the area of Lake Baikal to Mongolia , Kazakhstan and the north of the Chinese Xinjiang .
features
The large-eared mountain vole reaches a head-trunk length of 10.0 to 12.5 centimeters with a tail of 2.1 to 2.9 centimeters in length and a weight of about 36 to 40 grams. The rear foot length is 15 to 17 millimeters, the ear length 13 to 16 millimeters. The back fur is dark gray-brown with a few long black hairs. The ventral side is white. The tail is very short, it is dark brown on top and white on the underside.
The skull has a total length of 25.5 to 28.0 centimeters, it has very small tympanic bubbles (bullae tympanica). The molars are characterized by a thick layer of enamel and have significantly rounded corners than those of other species.
distribution
The big-eared mountain vole lives in the Trans-Baikal region and in the Tarbagatai Mountains . It occurs in southern Siberia in the area of Lake Baikal as far as Mongolia , Kazakhstan and the north of the Chinese autonomous region of Xinjiang . In Mongolia, the species can be found in the Mongolian Altai and on Munku Sardyk in Eastern Sayan. The altitude distribution extends up to 2450 meters.
Way of life
The big-eared mountain vole lives mainly in coniferous and mixed forest areas on rocky mountain slopes. The animals probably feed primarily herbivore on parts of plants.
Systematics
The big-eared 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 German naturalist Gustav Radde from 1862, who described the species using individuals from the Vostochnyy Sayan in the Krasnoyarsk region in southern Siberia. It is closely related to the lemming mountain vole ( Alticola lemminus ) from north-eastern Siberia. Alticola fetisovi from the Lake Baikal region was partially regarded as a subspecies of the big-eared mountain vole, but partially classified as a separate species.
Status, threat and protection
The big-eared mountain vole is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). 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 Darrin Lunde, Andrew T. Smith: Large-Eared 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. 217.
- ↑ a b c d e Alticola macrotis in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.2. Posted by: N. Batsaikhan, D. Tinnin, S. Shar, G. Sukhchuluun, 2008. Retrieved September 22, 2016 ..
- ↑ a b Alticola macrotis . 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: Large-Eared 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. 217.
Web links
- Alticola macrotis inthe IUCN 2016 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: N. Batsaikhan, D. Tinnin, S. Shar, G. Sukhchuluun, 2008. Retrieved September 22, 2016.