Cashmere voles

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Cashmere voles
Systematics
Subordination : Mouse relatives (Myomorpha)
Superfamily : Mice-like (Muroidea)
Family : Burrowers (Cricetidae)
Subfamily : Voles (arvicolinae)
Tribe : Myodini
Genre : Cashmere voles
Scientific name
Hyperacrius
Miller , 1896

Cashmere voles ( Hyperacrius ) are a genus of rodents with two species that are found in the Kashmir region of northern Pakistan and India .

The species

The following species belong to the genus.

  • The cashmere vole ( Hyperacrius fertilis ) prefers higher altitudes above the tree line between 2,450 and 3,600 meters. It is listed as near threatened by the IUCN .
  • The Pakistan vole ( Hyperacrius wynnei ) is mostly found in clearings of coniferous forests between 1,800 and 3,000 meters above sea level. The species is considered not endangered ( least concern ).

features

The head-trunk length is 96 to 138 mm, the tail is 24 to 40 mm long and the weight varies between 21.5 and 60 g. Compared to the mountain voles ( Alticola ), the species have a shorter and denser coat. The upper side of the cashmere vole has a reddish-brown color that merges into the ocher-colored underside without any distinctive delimitation. The Pakistan vole has two color variants depending on the season. In the light variant, the fur on the upper side has a yellow-brown color, while the underside is gray with a brown shade. The dark phase is characterized by a glossy brown to black-brown upper side and a slightly lighter color on the underside, which is caused by yellow or white hair tips. The Kashmiri vole is generally slightly larger than the Pakistan vole. In addition to the texture of the fur, the species differ from the mountain voles in the details of their skulls . With the exception of the thumb, which is covered with a flat nail , all fingers and toes have long, narrow claws .

Way of life

The Pakistan vole in particular digs tunnel systems that lie 3 to 7.5 cm below the surface of the earth in the warm season and in the snow cover in winter. The cashmere vole is more likely to forage on the ground. Often the structures of the individuals are close together, which is interpreted as a loose colony . Both species eat parts of plants such as grass, stems or roots.

In females there are two to three litters each season, each with two to three young animals. During the breeding season, a chamber is padded with grass.

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