Reed vole

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Reed vole
Systematics
Superfamily : Mice-like (Muroidea)
Family : Burrowers (Cricetidae)
Subfamily : Voles (arvicolinae)
Tribe : Arvicolini
Genre : Field mice ( Microtus )
Type : Reed vole
Scientific name
Microtus fortis
( Büchner , 1889)

The reed vole ( Microtus fortis ) is a rodent species from the genus of field mice ( Microtus ) within the voles (Arvicolinae). It occurs in large parts of the People's Republic of China as well as in Mongolia , Russia and Korea .

features

The reed vole reaches a head-trunk length of 12.0 to 13.9 centimeters with a tail of 4.8 to 6.7 centimeters in length . The rear foot length is 22 to 25 millimeters, the ear length 13 to 15 millimeters. It is a large species of field mice with a relatively long tail. The back fur is dark reddish brown, the sides of the body are sand-colored brown and merge into the grayish belly side. The tail is two-colored, the top is dark brown and the bottom is whitish brown. The tops of the feet and hands are light brown. The soles of the hind feet have - in contrast to the usual six - only five toe balls, sometimes a rudimentary sixth ball is present.

The molars M2 have three enamel folds on both the lip and tongue side and form its “C” at the front end of the tooth, with the upper arm of the C reaching further over the lingual side than the lower. The first lower molar M1 has three folds on the lip side and four folds on the tongue side.

distribution

The reed vole occurs in large parts of the People's Republic of China as well as in Mongolia , Russia and Korea . In China she can be found in Jiangsu , Shanghai , Anhui , Zhejiang , Jiangxi , Hunan , Hubei , Liaoning , Jilin , Shaanxi , Nei Mongol , Fujian and Heilongjiang . In Russia it occurs in the Amur basin and in Mongolia the distribution areas are in the area of ​​the Ulz River, the Hustai mountain region in the Mongol-Daguur steppe, on the Eröö in the western Chentii mountains as well as in eastern Mongolia and in Ikh -Hyangan Mountains.

Way of life

The reed vole lives in damp habitats, especially in areas of lake shores and the bank regions of rivers and streams with dense vegetation near the bank. Although they prefer to live close to the shore, the animals can also penetrate into neighboring regions and agricultural areas, especially in spring and summer when the water level rises. This advance is a maximum of 5 kilometers and when the water level drops, the animals also return to the shore. In addition, they occur in the marshland in forest areas and the steppe up to heights of about 2000 meters.

The animals feed on herbivorous diets , although the composition of the food can change depending on the humidity and dryness. During periods of strong vegetation growth, they mainly feed on green blades of grass and leaves. In late summer and autumn they collect plant material and store it in the burrow. They feed on this dry material as well as bark, roots and reeds in winter. The reed vole is active both during the day and at night. She moves slowly on land but is an excellent swimmer. The animals dig cave systems of varying complexity as burrows, depending on the local soil conditions. In well-drained soils, they build duct systems 10 to 15 centimeters deep and around 120 to 150 centimeters long. Several dead ends and entrances to storage rooms and nest chambers lead from the main corridor. The building also has several escape exits. In very wet or deeply rooted soils, the burrows are flatter and less complex. In swamp areas or on overgrown sandbanks, the animals build several round nests above ground with a diameter of 25 to 30 centimeters from plant material, which are connected by paths.

The breeding season extends from April to November, during which time the animals can have up to six litters, each with an average of 5 young. The gestation period is 20 days, the interval between two litters 40 to 45 days. The females become sexually mature after 3.5 to 4 months, the males a little later.

Systematics

The reed 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-Russian zoologist Eugen Büchner , who described the species using individuals from the Ordos Plateau on the Yellow River (Hwang Ho) in Inner Mongolia. It is assigned to the subgenus Alexandromys within the field mice.

Darrin Lunde and Andrew T. Smith describe five subspecies for the range in China in Smith & Yan Xie 2009:

  • Microtus fortis fortis : in Shaanxi and in the south of Nei Mongol.
  • Microtus fortis calamorum : in Jiangsu, Shanghai, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan and Hubei.
  • Microtus fortis dolichocephalus : in Liaoning, Jilin and Nei Mongol.
  • Microtus fortis fujianensis : in Fujian
  • Microtus fortis pelliceus : in Heilongjiang, Jilin and the northeast of Nei Mongol.

Status, threat and protection

The reed vole is classified as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This is justified with the very large distribution area and the frequent occurrence of the species. Potential endangerment risks for the species are not known. Regionally, habitat losses due to the conversion of habitats into settlements and usable areas as well as fires can have a potential hazard. The desiccation of water points in parts of the habitat also affects the populations of the species.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g Darrin Lunde, Andrew T. Smith: Reed 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 , pp. 230-231.
  2. ↑ a b c Microtus (Alexandromys) fortis . 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. ↑ a b c d Microtus fortis in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2016.2. Posted by: N. Batsaikhan, K. Tsytsulina, 2008. Retrieved October 29, 2016.

literature

  • Darrin Lunde, Andrew T. Smith: Reed 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 , pp. 230-231.

Web links