Ward bank vole

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Ward bank vole
Systematics
Superfamily : Mice-like (Muroidea)
Family : Burrowers (Cricetidae)
Subfamily : Voles (arvicolinae)
Tribe : Myodini
Genre : Père david voles ( Eothenomys )
Type : Ward bank vole
Scientific name
Eothenomys wardi
( Thomas , 1912)

The Ward bank vole or Chamutong red-backed vole ( Eothenomys wardi ) is a rodent species from the subfamily of voles (Arvicolinae). It occurs only in the extreme northwest of Yunnan in the area of ​​the Mekong and Saluen .

features

The Ward bank vole is the smallest species of the genus and reaches a head-trunk length of 10.7 to 11.0 centimeters with a tail of 5.9 to 6.6 centimeters in length . The rear foot length is 19 to 20 millimeters, the ear length 14 to 15 millimeters. It is a relatively large species in the Eothenomys chinensis species complex and morphologically resembles the larger Sichuan bank vole ( Eothenomys chinensis ), which also has a longer tail. The fur on the back is gray-brown and the peritoneum is slate-gray. The species also differs from the Sichuan bank vole in the significantly smaller tympanic cavity of the skull.

distribution

The Ward bank vole occurs only in the extreme northwest of Yunnan in the area of ​​the Mekong and Saluen in southern China .

Way of life

Almost no information is available about the way of life of the species. The Ward bank vole lives near water in deciduous and coniferous forests as well as on open and stony meadows at altitudes of 2400 to 4250 meters. The breeding season extends from early summer to late autumn.

Systematics

The Ward bank vole is classified as an independent species within the genus Eothenomys , which consists of eight species. The first scientific description comes from the British zoologist Oldfield Thomas , who described the species in 1912 using individuals from the area around Chamutong west of Atunsi in northwestern Yunnan. The species was partially assigned to the Sichuan bank vole ( Eothenomys chinensis ) and also to the genus Anteliomys , but is now classified in the Eothenomys chinensis species complex within the genus Eothenomys .

Status, threat and protection

The Ward bank vole is classified as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This is justified with the very small distribution area of ​​less than 20,000 km², currently estimated at 8,337 km², and the occurrence in fewer than ten known locations. No current information is available about the status of the stocks and the endangerment, but the species would very likely be classified as endangered (vulnerable) if data became known and the impression that the stocks were decreasing. Potential endangerment risks for the species are not known.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c Darrin Lunde, Andrew T. Smith: Yulong Chinese 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. 225-226.
  2. ↑ a b c Eothenomys wardi . 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 d e Eothenomys wardi in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.2. Listed by: AT Smith, CH Johnston, 2008. Retrieved October 23, 2016.

literature

  • Darrin Lunde, Andrew T. Smith: Ward Chinese 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. 225-226.

Web links