Duke of Bedford's vole

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Duke of Bedford's vole
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Cricetidae
Subfamily: Arvicolinae
Tribe: Microtini
Genus: Proedromys
Thomas, 1911
Species:
P. bedfordi
Binomial name
Proedromys bedfordi
Thomas, 1911
Synonyms
  • Microtus bedfordi(Thomas, 1911)

The Duke of Bedford's vole (Proedromys bedfordi) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. [2] After the Liangshan vole was removed from this genus, [3] the Duke of Bedford's vole became the only member of the genus Proedromys. It is found only in mountainous parts of central China. It is a rare species and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being "vulnerable".

Contents

Description

The Duke of Bedford's vole has a head-and-body length of between 75 and 100 mm (3 and 4 in) and a tail length of 14 to 15 mm (0.55 to 0.59 in). The dorsal fur is long and a dull shade of mid-brown, the underparts are whitish-grey. The upper surface of both fore and hind feet is whitish, and the tail is bicoloured, being brown above and whitish below. The skull is robust, the broad incisors are recurved and have grooves on their outer surfaces, and the molars have no roots and continue to grow throughout the animal's life. [4]

Distribution and habitat

The Duke of Bedford's vole is a rare species and is known from only three localities in China; two of these are in southern Gansu Province and northern Sichuan Province, and the third is the Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve, where the vole was discovered for the first time in 2003. It is a forest dweller and has been found at elevations between 2,440 and 2,550 m (8,000 and 8,400 ft). It is also known from fossilised remains and appears to have been more plentiful in the Pleistocene age than it is now. [4]

Status

Very little is known of this vole, the size of the total population, the population trend and the area of occupancy. Its extent of occurrence is probably under 20,000 km2 (7,722 sq mi). The main threat it faces is the destruction of its mountain habitat by logging or conversion to cropland. Because of its small area of occurrence and these other factors, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed the vole's conservation status as being "vulnerable". [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arvicolinae</span> Subfamily of rodents

The Arvicolinae are a subfamily of rodents that includes the voles, lemmings, and muskrats. They are most closely related to the other subfamilies in the Cricetidae. Some authorities place the subfamily Arvicolinae in the family Muridae along with all other members of the superfamily Muroidea. Some refer to the subfamily as the Microtinae or rank the taxon as a full family, the Arvicolidae.

<i>Microtus</i> Genus of rodents

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".

<i>Arvicola</i> Genus of mammals (water voles)

The water voles are large voles in the genus Arvicola. They are found in both aquatic and dry habitat through Europe and much of northern Asia. A water vole found in Western North America was historically considered a member of this genus, but has been shown to be more closely related to members of the genus Microtus. Head and body lengths are 12–22 cm, tail lengths are 6.5–12.5 cm, and their weights are 70–250 g. The animals may exhibit indeterminate growth. They are thick-furred and have hairy fringes on their feet that improve their swimming ability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reed vole</span> Species of rodent

The reed vole is a species of vole. It is found in northern and central Eurasia, including northern China and the Korean Peninsula. This species is somewhat larger and longer-tailed than most other voles.

Blanfordimys is a subgenus of voles in the family Microtus. It was formerly considered a distinct genus, but taxonomic studies group it within the Microtus radiation.

<i>Chionomys</i> Genus of rodents

Chionomys is a genus of rodent in the family Cricetidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey dwarf hamster</span> Species of rodent

The grey dwarf hamster, grey hamster or migratory hamster is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. Its range extends from Eastern Europe through the Middle East, Russia and Central Asia to Mongolia and western China. The grey dwarf hamster has grey fur and a head-body length ranging from 85 to 120 mm. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".

The Ganzu vole, Eva's red-backed vole, Eva's vole, Gansu vole, or Taozhou vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in mountain forests in China. The IUCN has assessed it as being of "least concern".

The Kolan vole, Inez's red-backed vole or Inez's vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found only in China. Two subspecies have been recognized, Caryomys inez inez from the northern part of its range and Caryomys inez nux from the southern part.

The Shansei vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found only in north-central China where its habitat is forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narrow-headed vole</span> Species of rodent

The narrow-headed vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It was previously placed in the genus Microtus, but modern listings either lump this into genus Lasiopodomys or split it out into Stenocranius. It ranges over northern and central Asia.

The Chinese scrub vole, or Irene's mountain vole, is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is endemic to mountainous parts of southern China and is very similar to the Sikkim mountain vole in appearance. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blyth's vole</span> Species of rodent

Blyth's vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It was previously the only species in the genus Phaiomys, but was moved to Neodon in 2016. It is found in mountainous regions in northern India, Nepal and China. It is a burrowing rodent and lives in small colonies. It has a wide distribution and faces no particular threats so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".

Maximowicz's vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in northeastern China, Mongolia, and eastern Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Creeping vole</span> Species of rodent

The creeping vole, sometimes known as the Oregon meadow mouse, is a small rodent in the family Cricetidae. Ranging across the Pacific Northwest of North America, it is found in forests, grasslands, woodlands, and chaparral environments. The small-tailed, furry, brownish-gray mammal was first described in the scientific literature in 1839, from a specimen collected near the mouth of the Columbia River. The smallest vole in its range, it weighs around 19 g (0.67 oz). At birth, they weigh 1.6 g (0.056 oz), are naked, pink, unable to open their eyes, and the ear flaps completely cover the ear openings. Although not always common throughout their range, there are no major concerns for their survival as a species.

The Sikkim mountain vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Bhutan, India, Nepal and China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Townsend's vole</span> Species of rodent

Townsend's vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae, the sister species of M. canicaudus. It is found in temperate grasslands of British Columbia in Canada and in the states of Washington and Oregon in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Himalayan field rat</span> Species of rodent

The Himalayan field rat, sometimes known as the white-footed Indo-Chinese rat, is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It has a wide range, being found in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, with introduced populations in Indonesia (widely), Palau, and the Philippines. A common species, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".

The Liangshan vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It used to be placed in Proedromys, but has been moved to Mictomicrotus, where it is the sole member of its genus. It is found only in mountainous parts of central China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microtini</span> Tribe of rodents

Microtini is a tribe of voles in the subfamily Arvicolinae.

References

  1. 1 2 Johnston, C.; Smith, A.T. (2016). "Proedromys bedfordi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T18305A22379426. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T18305A22379426.en .
  2. "Proedromys bedfordi". ASM Mammal Diversity Database. American Society of Mammalogists.
  3. "Mictomicrotus liangshanensis". ASM Mammal Diversity Database. American Society of Mammalogists.
  4. 1 2 Smith, Andrew T.; Xie, Yan; Hoffmann, Robert S.; Lunde, Darrin; MacKinnon, John; Wilson, Don E.; Wozencraft, W. Chris (2010). A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press. p. 238. ISBN   978-1-4008-3411-2.