Mongolian vole

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Mongolian vole
Systematics
Superfamily : Mice-like (Muroidea)
Family : Burrowers (Cricetidae)
Subfamily : Voles (arvicolinae)
Tribe : Arvicolini
Genre : Field mice ( Microtus )
Type : Mongolian vole
Scientific name
Microtus mongolicus
Radde , 1861

The Mongolian vole ( Microtus mongolicus ) is a rodent species from the genus of field mice ( Microtus ) within the voles (Arvicolinae). It occurs in the northeast of the People's Republic of China , in Russia and in Mongolia .

features

The Mongolian vole reaches a head-trunk length of 11.9 to 13.2 centimeters with a tail 2.8 to 3.8 centimeters in length . The rear foot length is 17 to 19 millimeters, the ear length 13 to 14 millimeters. The fur on the back is dark red-brown, the sides of the body are lighter and merge into the gray side of the abdomen. The tail is clearly two-colored with a dark brown top and a sand-colored underside. The tops of the hands and feet are hairy with a mixture of brown and silvery hair.

Characteristic is the development of the enamel of the upper molar M3. It has a prism with four following opposing triangles and a closing cap with three enamel folds each on the lip and tongue side. The first lower molar m1 consists of a prism with five following triangles and a cap. This has a fold on the tongue side and is convex or only very slightly indented on the lip side. The cap partially covers a large part of the last triangle.

distribution

The Mongolian vole occurs in the low to medium altitudes up to altitudes of about 3000 meters in the mountain regions in the northeast of the People's Republic of China , in Russia and in the northeast of Mongolia . In China, the species is found in the north of the Nei Mongolia , Heilongjiang and Jilin , in Mongolia on the monk Saridag in the Chöwsgöl-Aimag , in the Chentii Mountains and in the Changai Mountains as well as in the Mongol-Daguur steppe and in the Ich-Hjangan -Bergen.

Way of life

As with other species of the genus, very little information is available about the way of life of the Mongolian vole. She lives in the forest and forest-steppe areas and like other field mice they feed on herbivores of plants, especially green plant parts and grasses, as well as underground roots and tubers. It stores roots and tubers in its underground burrow, and it can store up to 2 kilograms.

Systematics

The Mongolian 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 zoologist Gustav Radde , who described the species in 1861 using individuals from the Omutnaja in the Chita Oblast in Transbaikalia . The species is assigned to the subgenus Alexandromys within the field mice and is closely related to the reed vole ( Microtus fortis ).

Status, threat and protection

The Mongolian 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 large distribution area and the large populations of the species. No information is given about potential endangerment risks for the species due to the lack of data on the populations.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c d Darrin Lunde, Andrew T. Smith: Mongolian 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. 233.
  2. ↑ a b c d e Microtus mongolicus in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2016.2. Posted by: S. Shar, D. Lkhagvasuren, 2008. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  3. ↑ a b Microtus (Alexandromys) mongolicus . 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 .

literature

  • Darrin Lunde, Andrew T. Smith: Mongolian 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. 233.

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