Narrow-headed vole

Narrow-headed vole
	skull
Systematics
Superfamily :	Mice-like (Muroidea)
Family :	Burrowers (Cricetidae)
Subfamily :	Voles (arvicolinae)
Tribe :	Arvicolini
Genre :	Field mice ( Microtus )
Type :	Narrow-headed vole
Scientific name
	Microtus gregalis
	( Pallas , 1779)

The narrow-headed vole ( Microtus gregalis ) is a rodent species from the genus of field mice ( Microtus ) within the voles (Arvicolinae). It occurs in large parts of Asia in Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Russia , Mongolia and the People's Republic of China .

features

The narrow-headed vole reaches a head-trunk length of 8.9 to 12.2 centimeters with a tail of 2.1 to 3.2 centimeters in length . The rear foot length is 15 to 18 millimeters, the ear length 9 to 12 millimeters. The back fur is pale yellowish-sand-colored, the sides of the body are lighter yellow and merge into the gray-sand-colored peritoneum. In winter the fur is lighter ocher-red. The tail can be monochrome yellowish-sand-colored or two-colored with a dark brown upper side and yellowish-sand colored underside. The tops of the hands and feet are brownish white.

The species differs from most species of the genus by the long and laterally flattened skull. This has a length of 25 to 27 millimeters and a width in the area of the zygomatic arches of 12.6 to 14 millimeters, making it almost twice as long as it is wide. In the tooth features the type corresponds to the field mouse ( Microtus arvalis ).

distribution

The narrow-headed vole occurs in large parts of Asia in Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Russia , Mongolia and the People's Republic of China . The distribution area in Russia extends from the White Sea to the Lauf de Kolyma and then over large parts of the steppe areas in southwest Siberia and Sakha (Yakutia), in Mongolia, in Kazakhstan, in Kyrgyzstan and in northern China. In China it can be found in parts of Nei Mongol , Hebei and Xinjiang . According to the IUCN, the species also occurs on the Alaska peninsula .

Way of life

The narrow-headed vole lives in the tundra as well as dry steppe areas and in mountain meadows at altitudes of up to 4,000 meters. In forest areas and in semi-deserts it lives in the area of open grassy areas. The animals feed on herbivores both of above-ground as well as underground vegetation of different species, with grasses and legumes preferred. It is active both at night and during the day, but the main activity is in the evening and at night. The animals live in groups and dig complex cave systems as burrows; when the population is high, they form colonies. These reach depths of 10 to 25 centimeters and have 10 or more exits and an average of 5 nest and storage chambers. The narrow skull is seen as an adaptation to life in narrow crevices in the frozen ground.

Reproduction takes place during the warmer summer months, but the first litter can take place in the snow-covered burrow at the end of winter. Up to five litters can follow each year. The first litter of the year usually consists of only two young animals, later litters can consist of seven to nine, a maximum of 12 young animals.

Systematics

The narrow-headed vole is classified as an independent species within the field mice ( Microtus ), which consists of more than 60 species. The first scientific description comes from the German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas , who described the species in 1777 on the basis of individuals from the area east of the Tschulym in Siberia. It is assigned as the only species of the subgenus Stenocranius within the field mice.

Depending on the system, a total of 11 to 15 subspecies of the narrow-headed vole are listed and it is possible that it is a species complex of several species. Darrin Lunde and Andrew T. Smith describe five subspecies for the range in China in Smith & Yan Xie 2009:

Microtus gregalis angustus : in Hebei and Nei Mongol.
Microtus gregalis dolguschini : in the northwest of Xinjiang.
Microtus gregalis raddei : in Nei Mongol.
Microtus gregalis ravidulus : in the west of Xinjiang.
Microtus gregalis sirtalaensis : in Nei Mongol in the area of the Argun and Morgele in Xilin Gol .

Status, threat and protection

The narrow-headed vole is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as not endangered (least concern). This is justified with the very large distribution area and the frequent occurrence of the species. Potential endangerment risks for the species are not known.

supporting documents

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Darrin Lunde, Andrew T. Smith: Narrow-Headed 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. 231.

↑ ^a ^b ^c Microtus (Stenocranius) gregalis . 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 .

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Microtus gregalis in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.2. Posted by: N. Batsaikhan, K. Tsytsulina, N. Formozov, B. Sheftel, 2008. Retrieved October 30, 2016.

literature

Darrin Lunde, Andrew T. Smith: Narrow-Headed 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. 231.

Web links

Microtus gregalis inthe IUCN 2016 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: N. Batsaikhan, K. Tsytsulina, N. Formozov, B. Sheftel, 2008. Retrieved October 30, 2016.

[Smith_&_Yan_Xie_2009-1] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Darrin Lunde, Andrew T. Smith: Narrow-Headed 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. 231.

[Wilson_&_Reeder_2005-2] Microtus (Stenocranius) gregalis . 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 .