Taurus ground squirrel
| Taurus ground squirrel | ||||||||||||
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| Spermophilus taurensis | ||||||||||||
| Gündüz , Jararola , Tez , Yeniyurt , Polly & Searle , 2007 |
The Taurus ground squirrel ( Spermophilus taurensis ) is a species of squirrel from the genus of the ground squirrel ( Spermophilus ). It lives endemically in the Taurus Mountains in Turkey.
features
The Taurus ground squirrel reaches a head-torso length of about 20 centimeters with a weight of about 200 grams. The tail becomes about 6.1 centimeters long and is therefore, as with all ground squirrels, significantly shorter than the rest of the body. The back color is straw yellow and slightly mottled due to a mottling of black and brown spots and a reddish tinge. The chin and cheeks are sand-colored, there are small sand-colored spots behind the ears. The feet are light sand-colored, the belly is white to gray in color. The tail is relatively wide, the upper side corresponds in its color to the back and the underside is straw yellow to reddish. It ends in a distinct black tip of the tail.
| 1 | · | 0 | · | 2 | · | 3 | = 22 |
| 1 | · | 0 | · | 1 | · | 3 |
The type, like all species of the genus in the upper jaw half per one to a incisor tooth formed incisor (incisor) to which a tooth gap ( diastema follows). This is followed by two premolars and three molars . In contrast, the animals have only one premolar in the lower jaw. In total, the animals have a set of 22 teeth.
In addition to the Taurus ground squirrel, the Asian ground squirrel ( Spermophilus xanthoprymnus ) and the European ground squirrel ( Spermophilus citellus ) can also be found in Turkey, although the European ground squirrel is restricted to the European part of Turkey west of the Bosporus . Spermophilus taurensis , on the other hand, occurs in the eastern parts of the Taurus Mountains , with its range only overlapping in the northern part with that of the Asia Minor ground squirrel, where both species occur parapatric . The Asian ground squirrel differs from the other two species in that it has a slightly shorter tail and features of the skull. A reliable demarcation of the species is only possible through comparative skull measurements or genetic tests.
distribution
The Taurus ground squirrel is endemic in the Taurus Mountains in Turkey at altitudes above 1000 meters.
Way of life
There are only a few observations about the way of life of the Taurus ground squirrel, even if it was assigned to the very well-known Asian ground squirrel until a few years ago. He is diurnal and lives in the mountain region.
Systematics
The Taurus ground squirrel is classified as an independent species within the genus of the ground squirrel ( Spermophilus ), which currently consists of 15 species following a revision of the genus. The first scientific description comes from a working group led by the Turkish zoologist İslam Gündüz in 2007. They separated the species from the Asia Minor ground squirrel on the basis of a molecular biological and morphometric analysis and described the Taurus ground squirrel anew.
Apart from the nominate form, no further subspecies are distinguished within the species .
Status, threat and protection
The Taurus ground squirrel is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). The distribution area is very small with an area of 17,255 km 2 , but there are no known potential threats to the existence of the species and no rapid decline in populations is assumed. However, the animals have no protection status and are regionally regarded as pests.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; P. 313. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ^ Robert S. Hoffmann, Andrew T. Smith: Spermophilus. 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. 193.
- ↑ Mutlu Kart Gür, Hakan Gür: Spermophilus xanthoprymnus (Rodentia: Sciuridae). Mammalian Species 42 (892), 2010; Pp. 183-194. doi : 10.1644 / 864.1
- ↑ a b Spermophilus taurensis in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.1. Posted by: N. Yigit, 2008. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
- ↑ Kristofer M. Helgen, F. Russell Cole, Lauren E. Helgen, Don E. Wilson: Generic Revision in the holarctic ground squirrels genus Spermophilus. Journal of Mammalogy 90 (2), 2009; Pp. 270-305. doi : 10.1644 / 07-MAMM-A-309.1
- ↑ a b İslam Gündüz, Maarit Jaarola, Coskun Tez, Can Yeniyurt, P. David Polly, Jeremy B. Searle: Multigenic and morphometric differentiation of ground squirrels (Spermophilus, Sciuridae, Rodentia) in Turkey, with a description of a new species. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 43 (3), 2007; Pp. 916-935. doi : 10.1016 / j.ympev.2007.02.021
literature
- Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; P. 313. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
Web links
- Spermophilus taurensis inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.1. Posted by: N. Yigit, 2008. Retrieved June 28, 2015.