Relic ground squirrel
| Relic ground squirrel | ||||||||||||
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Relic ground squirrel ( Spermophilus relictus ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Spermophilus relictus | ||||||||||||
| ( Kashkarow , 1923) |
The relict ground squirrel ( Spermophilus relictus ) is a species of squirrel from the genus of the ground squirrel ( Spermophilus ). It occurs in the border area in the extreme east of Kyrgyzstan , Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan .
features
The relict ground squirrel is relatively small and reaches a head-to-trunk length of about 23 to 27 centimeters. The tail becomes about 7 centimeters long and is therefore, as with all ground squirrels, significantly shorter than the rest of the body. The back color is gray, cinnamon and straw yellow mottled with indistinct spots. The head is slightly lighter and, like the belly and sides, is gray and yellow. The tail is yellowish cinnamon brown at the base and becomes darker towards the end according to the back color, on the underside it is cinnamon to rust brown.
| 1 | · | 0 | · | 2 | · | 3 | = 22 |
| 1 | · | 0 | · | 1 | · | 3 |
The type, like all species of the genus in the upper jaw half per one to a incisor tooth formed incisor (incisor) to which a tooth gap ( diastema follows). This is followed by two premolars and three molars . In contrast, the animals have only one premolar in the lower jaw. In total, the animals have a set of 22 teeth.
distribution
The relict ground squirrel occurs in the western and central Tian Shan Mountains and the western peripheral ranges of the Pamir Alai in the far east of Kyrgyzstan , Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan . It shows an allopatric distribution to the Spermophilus ralli . The altitude distribution is between 500 and 3200 meters.
Way of life
The relict ground squirrel is a diurnal ground squirrel that occurs mainly in mountain steppes and mountain meadows. It lives in colonies and builds comparatively simple burrows, which usually consist of a single passage with a nest chamber. The entrances are close together, in summer the animals use a chamber less than a meter deep, and wintering takes place at a depth of one to two meters. The animals are shy and quickly retreat into their burrows when threatened. Alarm calls are relatively low screams.
The animals spend the winter like other ground squirrels in hibernation , which begins in late summer in August or September and lasts until February or early March. The breeding season occurs in the spring after waking up. The females give birth to a litter of three to six young animals, with the number of young animals decreasing in higher mountain regions.
Systematics
The relict ground squirrel is classified as an independent species within the genus of ground squirrel ( Spermophilus ), which currently consists of 15 species following a revision of the genus. The first scientific description comes from the Russian zoologist Daniil Nikolajewitsch Kaschkarow from 1923. He described the species on the basis of individuals from the river valleys of the Karabura and the Kumysch-Tagh in Talas-Alatau in Kyrgyzstan. The Tienschan ground squirrel ( Spermophilus ralli ) was originally considered a subspecies of the relict ground squirrel , but both differ on the basis of their molecular biological characteristics.
Apart from the nominate form, no subspecies are distinguished within the species .
Status, threat and protection
The relict ground squirrel is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This is justified by the comparatively large area of distribution and the lack of potential threats to the existence of this species. In the past, the animals were hunted as meat and fur suppliers.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; P. 310. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ^ Robert S. Hoffmann, Andrew T. Smith: Spermophilus. 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. 193.
- ↑ a b c d Spermophilus relictus in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.1. Posted by: K. Tsytsulina, 2008. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
- ↑ Kristofer M. Helgen, F. Russell Cole, Lauren E. Helgen, Don E. Wilson: Generic Revision in the holarctic ground squirrels genus Spermophilus. Journal of Mammalogy 90 (2), 2009; Pp. 270-305. doi : 10.1644 / 07-MAMM-A-309.1
- ↑ a b c Spermophilus relictus. 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
- Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; P. 310. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
Web links
- Spermophilus relictus inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.1. Posted by: K. Tsytsulina, 2008. Retrieved June 25, 2015.