Rice field mouse

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Rice field mouse
Systematics
Superfamily : Mice-like (Muroidea)
Family : Long-tailed mice (Muridae)
Subfamily : Old World Mice (Murinae)
Tribe : Murini
Genre : Mice ( Mus )
Type : Rice field mouse
Scientific name
Mus caroli
Bonhote , 1902

The rice field mouse ( Mus caroli ) is a type of mouse (genus Mus ) that occurs in parts of the People's Republic of China and in Southeast Asia.

features

The rice field mouse reaches a head-trunk length of 7.2 to 9.5 centimeters with an equally long or slightly shorter tail (7.5 to 9.5 centimeters) and a weight of 11.5 to 19.5 grams. The rear foot length is 15 to 19 millimeters, the ear length 12 to 14 millimeters. The back fur is gray-brown and relatively rough, the belly side is gray-white. The tail is dark brown on top and light on the underside, the transition is sharp. It resembles the fallow vole ( Mus cervicolor ), but the tail is longer and more sharply defined in color.

The skull has a total length of 19 to 20.5 millimeters. The upper incisors are dark orange.

distribution

The rice field mouse occurs in Southeast Asia from the south of the People's Republic of China with Hainan and Taiwan via Vietnam , Laos , Myanmar , Cambodia to Thailand . In China it occurs in the provinces of Yunnan , Guizhou , Guangxi , Guangdong , Fujian , Hainan, and in Hong Kong .

The species was also probably unintentionally introduced to numerous islands in Indonesia , especially Sumatra , Java , Madura and Flores , but some of it may also be relic occurrences . The origin of the animals occurring in Japan on the Nansei Islands , of which the species was first described, as well as on the Malay Peninsula is not known.

Way of life

The rice field mouse lives mainly around and in rice fields and builds their nests in the embankments of the fields. Of course, it also occurs in grasslands and scrub. The burrows usually have two open entrances, which are marked by heaps of earth and which lead to a central living chamber. It is mainly nocturnal, but the animals also leave the burrows for short periods of time during the day.

Systematics

The rice field mouse is classified as an independent species within the genus of mice ( Mus ), which consists of around 40 species. The first scientific description comes from J. Lewis Bonhote from 1902, who described the species on the basis of individuals from the Ryūkyū Islands , Japan.

An isolated population in Myanmar may represent a species in its own right.

Status, threat and protection

The rice field mouse is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This is justified by the comparatively large distribution area and the frequent occurrence of the species as well as the ability to adapt to changed habitat conditions. Specific population sizes are not known, the distribution is spotty and regionally the species is frequent. There are no potential threats to the existence of this species.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c d e Andrew T. Smith, Darrin Lunde: Ryukyu Mouse. 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. 263.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g Mus caroli in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2014.3. Posted by: K. Aplin, D. Lunde, 2008. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  3. ^ Mus caroli . 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

  • Andrew T. Smith, Darrin Lunde: Ryukyu Mouse. 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. 263.

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