Sikkim rock vole

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sikkim rock vole
Systematics
Superfamily : Mice-like (Muroidea)
Family : Burrowers (Cricetidae)
Subfamily : Voles (arvicolinae)
Tribe : Arvicolini
Genre : Neodon
Type : Sikkim rock vole
Scientific name
Neodon sikimensis
Horsfield , 1841

The Sikkim rock vole ( Neodon sikimensis ) is a rodent species from the genus Neodon within the voles (Arvicolinae). It occurs in South Asia in the Himalayas from the south of the People's Republic of China through Nepal and Bhutan to northeast India .

features

The Sikkim vole reaches a head-trunk length of 9.7 to 11.9 centimeters with a tail of 3.0 to 5.2 centimeters in length . The rear foot length is 17 to 22 millimeters, the ear length 11 to 16 millimeters. As with the Gansu rock vole ( Neodon irene ), the back fur is gray to dark brown, the sides of the body are a little lighter ocher brown and merge into the dark gray peritoneum. The Sikkim rock vole differs from this species primarily in its size and tooth features.

The genome consists of a diploid chromosome set of 2n = 48 chromosomes (FN = 56).

distribution

The Sikkim vole occurs in South Asia in the Himalayas from the south of the People's Republic of China via Nepal and Bhutan to north-east India in West Bengal and Sikkim . The distribution area in China includes parts of southern Xizang .

Way of life

The Sikkim rock vole lives mainly in mountain meadows and habitats rich in vegetation on the edge of rhododendron stands or coniferous forests at altitudes between 2100 and 3700 meters. The animals feed on herbivores mainly by green parts of plants, more rarely of seeds. There is limited data on reproduction, with pregnant females being captured with two or three embryos .

Systematics

The Sikkim rock vole is classified as an independent species within the genus Neodon , which consists of four to five species. The first scientific description comes from the British zoologist Thomas Walker Horsfield , who described the species and also the genus in 1841 using individuals from Sikkim in India. Sometimes the Gansu rock vole ( Neodon irene ) was considered a synonym for the Sikkim rock vole.

Status, threat and protection

The Sikkim rock vole is classified as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This is justified with the comparatively large distribution area and the assumed large populations of the species, but no data are available on the stocks and populations . Potential endangerment risks for the entire population of the species are not known. In parts of South Asia, it is threatened by habitat loss and degradation due to logging, as well as introduced species and domestic cats and dogs.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c Darrin Lunde, Andrew T. Smith: Sikkim Mountain 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. 237-238.
  2. ↑ a b c Neodon sikimensis . 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 Neodon sikimensis in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.2. Posted by: S. Molur, 2008. Retrieved November 6, 2016.

literature

  • Darrin Lunde, Andrew T. Smith: Sikkim Mountain 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. 237-238.

Web links