Taiwanese wood mouse
| Taiwanese wood mouse | ||||||||||||
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Taiwanese wood mouse ( Apodemus semotus ) |
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| Apodemus semotus | ||||||||||||
| ( Thomas , 1908) |
The Taiwanese wood mouse ( Apodemus semotus ) is a species of mammal belonging to the genus of wood mice ( Apodemus ) within rodents (Rodentia). It is endemic to the island of Taiwan .
features
The Taiwanese wood mouse reaches a head-trunk length of 8.3 to 10.0 centimeters and a tail length of 10.0 to 11.9 centimeters with a weight of 18.5 to 39 grams. The rear foot length is 23 to 25 millimeters and the ear length 15 to 17 millimeters. The species corresponds in its appearance to the South Chinese wood mouse ( Apodemus draco ) with a pale reddish-brown fur on the back, which becomes a little lighter yellowish-brown towards the flanks, and a grayish-white belly side. The tail is slightly longer than the rest of the body. The skull has a length of about 29 millimeters.
It differs significantly from the fire mouse ( Apodemus agrarius ), which can also be found in Taiwan, as the only other species of the genus, especially due to the lack of a back stripe. The fire mouse is also limited to regions below 1000 meters in altitude, while the Taiwanese wood mouse only occurs above 1800 meters.
distribution
The Taiwanese wood mouse is endemic to the island of Taiwan .
Way of life
The Taiwanese wood mouse lives generalistically in most of the available habitats from grasslands to deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests at altitudes of 1,800 to 3,200 meters. It prefers microhabitats with dense vegetation or overlay, but can also be found in houses. Reproduction takes place throughout the year, with most litters occurring in April to May and especially in September to October. The litter size is two to six, on average 3.5 young animals.
Systematics
The Taiwanese wood mouse is classified as an independent species within the wood mice (genus Apodemus ), which consists of 20 species and is distributed over large parts of Europe and Asia. The first scientific description was made by Oldfield Thomas in 1911, who described the species using individuals from Taiwan.
Hazard and protection
The species 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 assumed large populations of the species. There are no known risks to the species.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f Taiwan Field Mouse In: Andrew T. Smith, Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. 2008, p. 256.
- ↑ a b Apodemus semotus ( Memento of the original from December 23, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 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 .
- ↑ Apodemus semotus in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015-4. Listed by: AT Smith, CH Johnston, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
literature
- Taiwan Field Mouse In: Andrew T. Smith, Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. 2008, p. 256.
Web links
- Apodemus semotus inthe IUCN 2015-4 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: AT Smith, CH Johnston, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2015.