Heather voles
| Heather voles | ||||||||||||
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Skulls and feet of various Phenacomys species from the first description by Merriam in 1889 |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Phenacomys | ||||||||||||
| Merriam , 1889 | ||||||||||||
The heather voles ( Phenacomys ) are a genus from the subfamily of the voles (Arvicolinae) with two species that occur in North America .
features
In general physique, the species resemble other voles such as field mice ( Microtus ) or bank voles ( Myodes ). They reach a head-torso length of 9 to 12 cm and a tail length of 2.6 to 4.1 cm. The weight is between 25 and 40 g. The basic colors of the fur are gray-brown on the top and silver-gray on the underside. However, there is great variation between each specimen. The molars of the heather voles have a tooth root , which distinguishes them from field mice. An important distinguishing feature from bank voles is the different construction of the crown of the lower molars .
Way of life
As the name suggests, these voles are mainly found in open habitats with heather plants and isolated trees or bushes. They are also found on meadows and in the alpine tundra .
In summer, heather voles dig tunnel systems that lead to a living chamber 10 to 25 cm deep. Before winter, they build nests above ground out of twigs, grass and lichen , which are then covered with snow. These voles do not hibernate .
Different parts of the plant such as seeds, berries, herbs, bark or young shoots serve as food. Reproduction occurs between May and August, with females being able to raise more than one litter per year. After 19 to 24 days of gestation , 2 to 8 young are born. These are blind from birth to around the beginning of the second week of life. Infancy ends after 17 to 21 days. Females reach sexual maturity after four to six weeks, whereas males do not mate until the first winter.
Taxonomy
In the various zoological treatises, the heather voles were grouped into one species or divided into up to three species. The first scientific description was in 1889 by Clinton Hart Merriam , who assigned four newly described species to this genus.
In more recent works such as Mammal Species of the World (2005) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) two species are listed:
- Phenacomys intermedius lives in the Rocky Mountains and other mountains in the western United States and Canada .
- Phenacomys ungava occurs in Canada south of the Arctic and is found there mainly in the lowlands and in the hill country.
status
No significant impairments are known for heather voles. Both species are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. Volume 2. 6th edition. 1999, p. 1466 ff. ISBN 0-8018-5789-9
- ^ Clinton Hart Merriam , Description of a new genus (Phenacomys) and four new species of Arvicolinae. North American Fauna 2, 1889; Pp. 24-53. ( Full text )
- ↑ Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World . A taxonomic and geographic Reference . 3. Edition. 2 volumes. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 (English, Phenacomys ).
- ↑ a b Phenacomys in the IUCN 2012 Red List of Threatened Species . Accessed June 19, 2014.