Smith muck
| Smith muck | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Eospalax smithii | ||||||||||||
| ( Thomas , 1911) |
The Smith's mole rat ( Eospalax smithii ) 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 Smith-Blindmull reaches a head-torso-length of 16.5 to 22.5 centimeters with a weight of about 180 to 460 grams. The tail is very short with 3.4 to 3.9 centimeters in length . The rear foot length is 25 to 33 millimeters. The back fur is dark brown with slightly cinnamon-colored hair tips. The belly is gray-brown with a cinnamon-colored touch. The back of the head is dark gray to shiny black, around the ears the color is dark brown. The vibrissae are black and white and the animals can have a white forehead patch ( blaze ).
The skull has no protruding bony eye ring, the inter orbital region is narrower than in related species. The front end of the nasal bones is flat and not notched.
distribution
The Smith mole rat is endemic to the People's Republic of China . The distribution area includes parts of central China in Ningxia , western Shaanxi , Gansu and northern Sichuan .
Way of life
The Smith-Blindmull lives in steppe areas and open areas, meadows and also in agricultural areas. The animals feed on herbivores mainly of grasses. They live in very soft soils and build complex underground structures with storage rooms.
The reproductive phase begins in May and the females give birth to two litters between May and September, especially in June and July, with an average of two to four and a maximum of eight pups each.
Systematics
The Smith 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 JA C Smith, who belonged to an expedition to East Asia. Mostly all the species were Eospalax in the genre Myopalax classified.
Apart from the nominate form, no subspecies are distinguished within the species .
Status, threat and protection
The Smith-Blindmull 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
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Andrew T. Smith: Smith'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 , pp. 210-211.
- ↑ a b c d e Eospalax smithii in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017.3. Listed by: AT Smith, CH Johnston, 2008. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
- ↑ Eospalax smithii . 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 .
- ↑ Bo Beolens, Michael Grayson, Michael Watkins: The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009; P. 383; ISBN 978-0-8018-9304-9 .
literature
- Andrew T. Smith: Smith'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 , pp. 210-211.
Web links
- Eospalax smithii inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017.3. Listed by: AT Smith, CH Johnston, 2008. Retrieved December 21, 2017.