| Bavarian pine vole (Microtus bavaricus) | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Subfamily: | Arvicolinae |
| Genus: | Microtus |
| Subgenus: | Terricola |
| Species: | M. bavaricus |
| Binomial name | |
| Microtus bavaricus (König, 1962) | |
The Bavarian pine vole (Microtus bavaricus) is a vole from the Austrian, Italian, and Bavarian Alps of Europe. It lives in moist meadows at elevations of 600 to 1,000 meters.
During the last Ice Age, it survived in three glacial refuges, including in the Northern Alps.
There are 23 museum specimens of this species; it was previously known to live in only one location, Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, which was altered by the construction of a hospital in the 1980s. No specimens of this rodent were recorded after 1962 and it was thought to be extinct. However, a population apparently belonging to this species was discovered in 2000 in Northern Tyrol, just across the German-Austrian border.
A 2010 study found that it was discovered in Slavonia, Croatia, rather than its original habitat of Austria or Germany. Although it was difficult to analyze the exact cause due to the limited population, it was assumed that the habitat had changed due to competition with other species.
An Austrian scientist, Friederike Spitzenberger, stumbled upon the species in a live trap. Its species status was confirmed by genetic studies, and it was found to be very closely related to Liechtenstein's vole ( Microtus liechtensteini ) from the Eastern Alps. [2] Further research is required to determine the size and range of the population and the species has been re-assessed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN.
As of July 2024, the Alpenzoo Innsbruck begun a breeding program at their "Center of Species Survival" with the intention to release Bavarian pine voles back into the wild and further study the species: the program has experienced "groundbreaking success." [3]
Genetic studies with other subgenera have shown that Microtus bavaricus does not have similar or closely related genetic sequence data compared to other subgenera. In particular, it formed a clear separate cluster from Microtus liechtensteini and did not appear to show a close relationship with Microtus tatricus.
Microtus is a genus of voles found in North America, Europe and northern Asia. The genus name refers to the small ears of these animals. They are stout rodents with short ears, legs and tails. They eat green vegetation such as grasses and sedges in summer, and grains, seeds, root and bark at other times. The genus is also called "meadow voles".
The Tatra pine vole, also called the Tatra vole or Tatra ground vole, is a species of vole endemic to the Carpathian mountain range in Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine and Romania. Two subspecies have been recognised. M. t. tatricus occupies the western part of the range in Slovakia and Poland, and M. t. zykovi is found in Ukraine and Romania.
The Mediterranean pine vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in France, Andorra, Portugal, and Spain where it lives in a network of shallow tunnels.
The Mexican vole is a species of vole.
The Jalapan pine vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae, found only in Mexico. The scientific name quasiater translates as "almost black", while the common name refers to the city of Jalapa, close to where the first specimen was collected.
The European pine vole, also known as the common pine vole, is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is native to much of Europe and parts of Asia.
Liechtenstein's pine vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in central and eastern Europe, from northern Italy through to Austria, Slovenia, Serbia and Croatia.
Terricola is a subgenus of voles in the genus Microtus. The authority for this taxon is Fatio in 1867. Earlier use of the name by John Fleming has no formal taxonomic standing. Species in this subgenus are:
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