Illyrian short-eared mouse

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Illyrian short-eared mouse
Systematics
Family : Burrowers (Cricetidae)
Subfamily : Voles (arvicolinae)
Tribe : Arvicolini
Genre : Field mice ( Microtus )
Subgenus : Terricola
Type : Illyrian short-eared mouse
Scientific name
Microtus liechtensteini
( Wettstein , 1927)

The Illyrian short -eared vole or Liechtenstein small vole ( actually, actually Liechtenstein's small vole ) ( Microtus liechtensteini ) is a mammal from the subfamily of voles (Arvicolinae). The small European distribution area of ​​the species extends from the eastern Alps to northern Croatia and Serbia . The animals there live mostly underground in areas with dense ground vegetation. The Illyrian short-eared vole used to be listed as a subspecies of the Alpine small vole , but is now recognized as a separate species. It is considered safe.

Mark

The Illyrian short-eared mouse is slightly larger than the similar short-eared mouse . The head-trunk length is 84–115 mm, the tail length 27–45 mm, the length of the rear foot 15–18 mm and the ear length 8–10 mm. The animals weigh 14-33 g. The fur is light yellowish and reddish brown on the upper side, the underside and the back of the feet are hairy whitish. The ears are almost completely hidden in the fur. The roof of the skull is slightly arched and the ear capsules are relatively large. The Illyrian short -eared mouse can only be distinguished from the extremely similar and closely related two species, the Bavarian short-eared mouse ( Microtus bavaricus ) and the alpine small vole ( M. multiplex ), by molecular genetics or through the comparative analysis of several tooth and skull dimensions.

distribution and habitat

The relatively small distribution area of ​​the Illyrian short-eared mouse extends from the Italian Eastern Alps and the extreme south-east of Austria to Istria and the northwestern Dinaric Alps in Croatia . To the south of it there are isolated occurrences in the Pannonian Plain of Croatia, in central Bosnia and in western Serbia . The species is also known from two isolated locations in the northern Alps in Austria. It mainly inhabits clearings and small meadows with dense ground vegetation in mountain forests, but also dry meadows and hedge fringes from sea level up to 1700 m.

Systematics

Wettstein described the species as Pitymis liechtensteini using a specimen he collected in Croatia in 1926 . The former genus Pitymis is now placed as a subgenus Terricola to the genus Microtus . The specific epithet was chosen by Wettstein in honor of "His Highness the Prince Johann von zu Liechtenstein", which was certainly Johann II.

Way of life

The way of life apparently largely corresponds to that of the Alpine small vole.

Existence and endangerment

The Illyrian short-eared mouse is common locally; there is no evidence of population decline. According to the IUCN, the world population is considered to be not at risk (“least concern”).

swell

literature

  • Stéphane Aulagnier, Patrick Haffner, Anthony J. Mitchell-Jones, François Moutou, Jan Zima: The mammals of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. The destination guide. Haupt, Bern et al. 2009, ISBN 978-3-258-07506-8 , pp. 206-207.
  • Anthony J. Mitchell-Jones, Giovanni Amori, Wieslaw Bogdanowicz, Boris Krystufek, PJH Reijnders, Friederike Spitzenberger, Michael Stubbe, Johan BM Thissen, Vladimiŕ Vohralik, Jan Zima: The Atlas of European Mammals. Poyser, London, 1999, ISBN 0-85661-130-1 , pp. 242-243.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ z. B. Ordinance of the Styrian state government of May 14, 2007 on the protection of wild plants, naturally wild animals including birds (species protection ordinance). State Law Gazette (LGBl.) No. 40/2007, online ( memento of the original dated October 6, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ris.bka.gv.at
  2. ↑ a b Stéphane Aulagnier, Patrick Haffner, Anthony J. Mitchell-Jones, François Moutou, Jan Zima: The mammals of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. The destination guide. Haupt, Bern et al. 2009, ISBN 978-3-258-07506-8 , pp. 206-207.
  3. ↑ The Illyrian Shorthaired Mouse on the IUCN Red List, distribution map
  4. ↑ 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 , p. 1003.
  5. ^ Otto Wettstein : Five new European mammal forms. In: Academy of Sciences in Vienna, mathematical and natural science class. Indicator. Vol. 64, 1927, ZDB -ID 211202-4 , pp. 1-5.
  6. ^ Otto Wettstein: Five new European mammal forms. In: Academy of Sciences in Vienna, mathematical and natural science class. Indicator. Vol. 64, 1927, pp. 1–5, here p. 3.

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