Northern Voalavo

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Northern Voalavo
Systematics
Subordination : Mouse relatives (Myomorpha)
Superfamily : Mice-like (Muroidea)
Family : Nesomyidae
Subfamily : Madagascar rats (Nesomyinae)
Genre : Voalavos ( Voalavo )
Type : Northern Voalavo
Scientific name
Voalavo gymnocaudus
Carleton & Goodman , 1998

The Northern Voalavo ( Voalavo gymnocaudus ) is a species of Madagascar rat within the Voalavos known by only two species . The species is endemic to the north of Madagascar , where it is known from two localities.

features

The Northern Voalavo reaches a head-body length of 8 to 9 centimeters with a tail length of 12 to 12.9 centimeters, the weight is 17 to 25.5 grams. This makes it a very small species of rodent. The fur of the animals is dense and soft with a silky texture. The back color is medium gray, the flanks and the neck are a little browner and the belly is white to light gray. The tail is largely bare and two-tone, the top is gray and the underside is white. The lower legs are whitish brown, the feet and toes are completely white.

The females have three pairs of teats .

distribution

Location of the two previously known Voalavos. Green: Eastern Voalavo. Red: Northern Voalavo.

Both Voalavo species are only endemic to Madagascar and are only known from individual sites. The evidence for the Northern Voalavo comes from two mountain ranges in the Northern Highlands, one in the Anjanaharibe-Sud Reserve and one in the Marojejy National Park . Both are located in the northernmost province of the island, the province of Antsiranana , in the vicinity of the city of Andapa .

Way of life

Very little information is available about the way of life of the Voalavos. Northern Voalavo occurs in humid mountain rainforest areas at altitudes between 1220 and 1950 meters. The animals probably feed on seeds and other parts of plants. They are nocturnal and probably live in ground nests or in the leaves of trees. You will be able to climb lianas that are thinner than a pencil.

The animals have glands in the upper chest area, which produce a specific scent, especially in males capable of mating, in order to attract females. The females probably give birth to a litter with an average of two young at the end of the rainy season from August to September.

Systematics

The Northern Voalavo is classified as an independent species within the genus of the Voalavos ( Voalavo ), which only contains the Eastern Voalavo , which was only described in 2005 . The first scientific description of the species comes from the zoologists Michael D. Carleton and Steven M. Goodman in 1998, who described it using individuals from the Anjanaharibe-Sud Reserve and classified it in a newly established genus.

Apart from the nominate form, no subspecies are distinguished within the species . The generic name Voalavo is derived from a Malagasy word that is generally used for "rodent" or "rat". The epithet “gymnocaudus” is made up of the Greek gymnós for 'naked' and the Latin cauda for 'tail' and refers to the animals' almost completely hairless tails.

Status, threat and protection

Northern Voalavo is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as “least concern”. Although the range is probably very small, the species lives entirely in protected and inaccessible rainforest areas and is currently not exposed to any threats to its existence.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Northern Naked-tail Forest Mouse. In: SM Goodman, A. Monadjem: Family Nesomyidae (Pouched Rats, Climbing Mice and Fat Mice) In: Don E. Wilson, TE Lacher, Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (editor): Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Rodents 2. (HMW, Volume 7) Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2017, p. 532. ISBN 978-84-16728-04-6 .
  2. ↑ a b Voalavo gymnocaudus . 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 .
  3. ↑ Steven M. Goodman, Daniel Rakotondravony, Hary N. Randriamanantsoa, ​​Marlène Rakotomalala-Razanahoera: A new species of rodent from the montane forest of central eastern Madagascar (Muridae: Nesomyinae: Voalavo). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 118 (4), 2005; Pp. 863-873. doi : 10.2988 / 0006-324X (2005) 118 [863: ANSORF] 2.0.CO; 2 .
  4. ^ A b Michael D. Carleton, Steven M. Goodman: New taxa of nesomyine rodents (Muroidea: Muridae) from Madagascar's northern highlands, with taxonomic comments on previously described forms. Fieldiana Zoology 90, 1998; Pp. 163–200, species and genus description: pp. 182–183. ( Digitized version , description ).
  5. ↑ a b voalavo gymnocaudus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2016 Posted by: R. Kennerley, 2016. Retrieved on 18 May 2020th

literature

  • Northern Naked-tail Forest Mouse. In: SM Goodman, A. Monadjem: Family Nesomyidae (Pouched Rats, Climbing Mice and Fat Mice) In: Don E. Wilson, TE Lacher, Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (editor): Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Rodents 2. (HMW, Volume 7) Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2017, p. 532. ISBN 978-84-16728-04-6 .
  • Michael D. Carleton, Steven M. Goodman: New taxa of nesomyine rodents (Muroidea: Muridae) from Madagascar's northern highlands, with taxonomic comments on previously described forms. Fieldiana Zoology 90, 1998; Pp. 163–200, species and genus description: pp. 182–183. ( Digitized version , description ).

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