Western blind mouse
| Western blind mouse | ||||||||||||
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Western blind mouse ( Spalax leucodon ) |
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| Spalax leucodon | ||||||||||||
| Nordmann , 1840 |
The western blind mouse ( Spalax leucodon , also known as Nannospalax leucodon or Nannospalax montanosyrmiensis ) is a species from the subfamily of blind mice , which was first described by Alexander von Nordmann in 1840 .
Appearance and habitat
With a head-trunk length of 15 to 24 centimeters, the western blind mouse is slightly smaller than the very similar eastern blind mouse . Western blind mice are the size of a rat and have the cylindrical body typical of blind mice. The soft fur is brown-gray on the top and dark gray on the belly. The animal has neither auricles nor a tail, the eyes are invisibly hidden under a layer of skin. A bright strip of bristles stretches from the nose to where one expects the eyes. In the skull there is a small opening each to the right and left of the occipital hole, which are only very indistinct in animals from the Peloponnese .
Similar types:
- Bucovinian blind mouse ( Spalax graecus )
- Eastern blind mouse ( Spalax microphthalmus )
Occurrence and way of life
The western blind vole was native to Southeastern Europe, Asia Minor, and Libya. Originally she was a steppe inhabitant, but as a cultural follower she now also lives in fields, meadows and pastures. In the mountains it was detected at an altitude of 2,400 meters.
The diurnal and nocturnal animals dig up to 100 meters long tunnels up to four meters deep. They have special larders, nest chambers and even special places to relieve themselves. Western blind mice feed on roots, tubers and crops that they take with them in their corridors. They are mostly loners, do not hibernate and only very rarely come to the surface, if at night.
Danger
The western blind vole is one of the species that is particularly threatened with extinction; only approximately 400 animals live worldwide (as of autumn 2016).
literature
- Antal Festetics : Contributions to the ethology, ecology and geographical distribution of the Spalax leucodon (Nordmann 1840). 2 parts. Vienna 1963–1965, (Vienna, University, dissertation from January 28, 1965).
- Abdullah Arslan: Studies on the orientation behavior of the blind mouse (Spalax leucodon, Nordmann, 1840). Tübingen 1978, (Tübingen, University, dissertation, 1978).
- Franz Krapp: Functional anatomical analysis of the head grave apparatus from Spalax leucodon (Nordmann 1840). Skull and masticatory muscles. Vienna 1964, (Vienna, University, dissertation of December 22, 1964)
- Marie Luise Leder: On the microscopic anatomy of the brain of a blind rodent (Spalax leucodon, Nordmann 1840) with special consideration of the visual system. Vienna 1973–1974, (Vienna, University, dissertation from January 30, 1974).
Web links
- Nannospalax leucodon in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2008. Posted by: Krystufek, B. & Amori, G., 2008. Accessed September 4, 2013.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Rare mammal saved by shovel. In: New Scientist . Volume 232, No. 3093, October 1, 2016, p. 7, online version of the print article