Rothschild blind mole

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Rothschild blind mole
Systematics
Superfamily : Mice-like (Muroidea)
Family : Spalacidae
Subfamily : Blind mole rat (Myospalacinae)
Tribe : Myospalacini
Genre : Eospalax
Type : Rothschild blind mole
Scientific name
Eospalax Rothschildi
( Thomas , 1911)

The Rothschild blind mole rat ( Eospalax rothschildi ) is a comparatively large rodent species within the blind mole rat (Myospalacinae). It is endemic to the central People's Republic of China .

features

The Rothschild blind mole reaches a head-trunk length of 14.9 to 17.2 centimeters with a weight of about 165 to 440 grams. The tail is very short with a length of 2.9 to 3.7 centimeters . The rear foot length is 23 to 31 millimeters. The fur on the back is gray-brown with red-tipped hair. The ventral side is light gray-brown. In many individuals, the head has a white patch on the forehead ( blaze ). The tail is hairy and two-colored, gray-yellowish on top and white on the underside. The claws of the feet are slim and lightweight compared to other blind mullets.

The skull is small, compact and rounded. The snout area is elongated and rectangular on average. The zygomatic arch is expansive and strongly built. The front end of the nasal bones is clearly notched. The bony eye ring is protruding, the tympanic membrane is very small and flat. There is a narrow gap between the upper incisors. The genome consists of a diploid chromosome set of 2n = 58 chromosomes.

distribution

The Rothschild blind mole rat is endemic to the People's Republic of China . The distribution area includes parts of central China in the provinces of Hubei , Shaanxi , Gansu and Sichuan . It usually occurs at altitudes between 1000 and 3000 meters.

Way of life

The Rothschild blind mole rat lives in forest areas, bushes and meadows, and less often in agricultural areas. The animals feed on herbivores mainly of grasses, roots and cereals. They live in soft soils and build complex underground structures.

The reproductive phase begins in April and the females give birth to one litter with one to five pups per year.

Systematics

The Rothschild blind mole rat is classified as an independent species within the blind mole rat in the genus Eospalax , which consists of three species. The first scientific description comes from Oldfield Thomas in 1911 using an individual from Gansu. The species was named after Nathaniel Charles Rothschild , who made the type specimen available to the British Museum . Mostly all the species were Eospalax in the genre Myopalax classified.

Within the species, two subspecies are distinguished with the nominate form :

  • Eospalax rothschildi rothschildi (Milne-Edwards, 1867): the subspecies is common in Gansu, Shaanxi and Sichuan.
  • Eospalax rothschildi hubeinensis Li & Chen, 1989: nominate form; the subspecies is common in Gansu, Shaanxi and Hubei.

Status, threat and protection

The Rothschild blind mud is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as not endangered (least concern). This is justified by the large distribution area and the frequent occurrence of the species. There are no potential risks to the existence of the species.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Andrew T. Smith: Rothschild's Zokor. 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. 210.
  2. ↑ a b c d e Eospalax rothschildi in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017.3. Listed by: AT Smith, CH Johnston, 2008. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  3. ↑ a b Eospalax Rothschildi . 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 .
  4. ↑ Bo Beolens, Michael Grayson, Michael Watkins: The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009; P. 350; ISBN 978-0-8018-9304-9 .

literature

Web links