Mediterranean field mouse
| Mediterranean field mouse | ||||||||||||
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Mediterranean field mouse ( Microtus guentheri ) |
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| Microtus guentheri | ||||||||||||
| (Danford & Alston , 1880) |
The Mediterranean field mouse ( Microtus guentheri ) is a rodent in the burrower family .
features
With a head body length of 109 to 130 mm, a tail length of 23 to 32 mm and a weight of 26 to 47 g, the species is one of the medium-sized to large field mice . The soft fur is gray-brown to red-brown on the upper side, with no clear border to the light gray to white underside. Scattered black hair tips on the top create a dotted pattern. In the Mediterranean field mouse, females generally weigh 2 to 3 g less than males. They have two pairs of teats on the chest and two pairs in the groin area. The tail is only slightly lighter on the underside. The species has a robust skull with a large tympanic bladder ( Bulla tympanica ).
distribution
The distribution area extends from the south of Serbia , from North Macedonia and from the southeast of Bulgaria via Greece and large areas of Turkey to Israel . Another population in northeast Libya is occasionally listed as a separate species, Microtus mustersi . The work Handbook of the Mammals of the World also lists the European population together with the population in western Turkey as a separate species, Microtus hartingi . The Mediterranean field mouse lives in the lowlands and in low mountain ranges up to 1500 meters. She lives on dry grassy areas, either natural or landscaped. Occasionally corn fields and other arable land are visited.
Way of life
The Mediterranean field mouse creates complex tunnel systems, the passages of which are usually 10 to 20 cm deep. Individual tunnels reach a depth of 60 cm. The nest includes a chamber for rearing the offspring, which is padded with a web of dry plant parts, and up to two storage rooms. During the summer, activity is limited to twilight and night. At other times of the year the activity is independent of the time of day and there is no hibernation .
An ordinary family consists of the parents and 5 to 12 young animals. Some families live together for two or more generations, with the largest documented nest containing six males, eight females, and 68 juveniles. In these large families, the tunnel system has an extension of up to 90 m², while the nest of an average family covers 3 to 20 m². The Mediterranean field mouse usually does not move further than 10 meters from the nest entrance.
Collected plant seeds, which together often weigh 250 to 1500 g, are stored in the storage facilities. The Mediterranean field mouse also eats green herbs and tubers .
In nature, reproduction is limited to the period between November and April. In laboratory animals, up to 10 offspring per litter were born after 21 days of gestation . Since females are ready to mate shortly after birth, litters were born 21 to 25 days apart under laboratory conditions. It is also assumed for wild specimens that a female can produce up to 60 offspring per mating season. The offspring is naked at birth with their eyes and ear canals closed. The first tips of the hair can be seen after about four days and the animals can see and hear after about 10 days. The young are generally suckled for 15 to 21 days, but they start eating solid food after just 10 days. Occasionally, sexual maturity occurs after 30 (males) or 36 (females) days. Most females are able to reproduce after 60 days, while the figure for males is 90 days.
Danger
There are no threats to the species and it can adapt to changing landscapes. In agricultural areas, the Mediterranean field mouse is considered a pest . The IUCN lists them as Least Concern .
Individual evidence
- ↑ 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, Microtus guentheri ).
- ↑ a b c d e f Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 7 - Rodents II . Lynx Edicions, 2017, ISBN 978-84-16728-04-6 , pp. 348 (English).
- ↑ a b c Microtus guentheri in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2016. Posted by: Amori, G., 2016. Retrieved on February 8, 2020.