Tienschan ground squirrel
| Tienschan ground squirrel | ||||||||||||
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| Spermophilus ralli | ||||||||||||
| ( Kuznetsov , 1948) |
The Tienschan ground squirrel ( Spermophilus ralli ) is a species of squirrel from the genus of the ground squirrel ( Spermophilus ). It occurs in the eastern Tian Shan Mountains in the extreme east of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan and in the west of Xinjiang in the People's Republic of China .
features
The Tienschan ground squirrel reaches a head-trunk length of about 20.0 to 24.0 centimeters with a weight of 290 to 405 grams. The tail becomes 6.0 to 7.5 centimeters long and is thus, as with all ground squirrels, significantly shorter than the rest of the body. The hind foot becomes 33 to 42 millimeters long, the ear length is 5 to 9 millimeters. The species is relatively small. The back color is gray-brown to light yellow-sand with inconspicuous light spots, the sides are slightly lighter in color. The winter coat is lighter and grayer in color than the summer coat. The tail is rust-red to light yellow on the top, just before the tip there is a noticeable dark band and the tip of the tail itself is yellowish-white. There is no noticeable markings on the face.
| 1 | · | 0 | · | 2 | · | 3 | = 22 |
| 1 | · | 0 | · | 1 | · | 3 |
The skull has a total length of 47 to 50 millimeters. 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.
distribution
The Tienschan ground squirrel occurs in the eastern Tian Shan Mountains in the far east of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan and in the west of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China . It shows an allopatric distribution to the relict ground squirrel ( Spermophilus relictus ).
Way of life
The Tienschan ground squirrel is a diurnal ground squirrel, avoiding the hottest times of the day. It lives mainly in mountain meadows and is colony-forming. The burrows of the animals are close together and each has several exits and a wintering chamber at a depth of one to two meters. The corridors are about six centimeters in diameter. The animals are often raised at the entrance. Green vegetation and seeds serve as food, and more rarely also insects. Communication takes place through soft squeaking screams.
The animals spend the winter like other ground squirrels in hibernation , which ranges from August or September to February or early March. The breeding season takes place in the spring after waking up, the females give birth to a litter of three to seven young animals after a gestation period of 25 to 27 days.
Systematics
The Tienschan 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 the Russian zoologist Boris Aleksandrovich Kuznetsov from 1948 and was published in his book Zveri Kirgizii , a compilation of animal species in Kyrgyzstan. He described the species using individuals from the Issyk Kul basin in Kyrgyzstan. The Tienschan ground squirrel was originally regarded as a subspecies of the relict ground squirrel ( Spermophilus relictus ), but differs from it on the basis of molecular biological characteristics.
Apart from the nominate form, no subspecies are distinguished within the species .
Status, threat and protection
The Tienschan ground squirrel is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as Least Concern. This is justified by the comparatively large distribution area and the frequent occurrence of the species, but no specific population sizes are known. There are no potential threats to the existence of this species, the animals used to be hunted as meat suppliers.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e Robert S. Hoffmann, Andrew T. Smith: Tian Shan Ground Squirrel. 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. 195.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; P. 310. 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.
- ↑ a b c Spermophilus ralli in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.1. Listed by: AT Smith, CH Johnston, 2008. Retrieved June 20, 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 c Spermophilus ralli In: Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): 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 .
literature
- Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; P. 310. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- Robert S. Hoffmann, Andrew T. Smith: Tian Shan Ground Squirrel. 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. 195.
Web links
- Spermophilus ralli inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.1. Listed by: AT Smith, CH Johnston, 2008. Retrieved June 20, 2015.