Mexican vole

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Mexican vole
Microtus mexicanus.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Cricetidae
Subfamily: Arvicolinae
Genus: Microtus
Subgenus: Pitymys
Species:
M. mexicanus
Binomial name
Microtus mexicanus
(Saussure, 1861)
Synonyms
  • Microtus mogollonensis (Mearns, 1890)

The Mexican vole (Microtus mexicanus) is a species of vole.

The Hualapai Mexican vole (M. m. hualapaiensis) was formerly recognized as a subspecies and was a protected taxon under the United States Endangered Species Act until 2017. Several other populations of the vole were previously named subspecies but are no longer recognized as distinct.

This species has a disjunct distribution in the southwestern United States and Mexico. It can be found in grasslands and other habitat types and is generally adaptable to a range of climate types.

The Mexican vole mainly feeds on grasses and the roots of shrubs and trees.(Beacham, 2000) In several studies, the Mexican vole was baited using two plant products, barley and oatmeal. [2] It has also been noted to eat monarch butterflies. [3]

The earliest description of the species was in 1861 by Swiss entomologist Henri de Saussure, a Swiss entomologist. Separate populations which appeared to have different morphologies were sometimes named subspecies, such as Microtus mexicanus mogollonensis, M. m. hualpaiensis, and M. m. navaho. Research continues on the relationships of different clades within the species.[ citation needed ]

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References

  1. Álvarez-Castañeda, S.T.; Reid, F. (2017) [errata version of 2016 assessment]. "Microtus mexicanus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T13443A115113184. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T13443A22345679.en . Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  2. Hilton, Barry L. (1992). "Reproduction in the Mexican Vole, Microtus mexicanus". Journal of Mammalogy. 73 (3): 586–590. doi:10.2307/1382029. JSTOR   1382029.
  3. Brower, Lincoln P.; Horner, B. Elizabeth; Marty, Melanie A.; Moffitt, Christine M.; Villa-R, Bernardo (1985). "Mice (Peromyscus maniculatus, P. spicilegus, and Microtus mexicanus) as Predators of Overwintering Monarch Butterflies (Danaus plexippus) in Mexico". Biotropica. 17 (2): 89–99. Bibcode:1985Biotr..17...89B. doi:10.2307/2388500. JSTOR   2388500.

Further reading