Liechtenstein's pine vole
The Illyrian vole or Liechtenstein - Kleinwühlmaus ( real name is actually Liechtenstein Kleinwühlmaus ) ( Microtus Liechtenstein ) is a mammal of the subfamily of voles ( Arvicolinae ). The small European range of the species extends from the eastern Alps to the north of Croatia and Serbia. The animals live mainly underground in areas of dense undergrowth. The Illyrian vole was formerly usually included as subspecies of the Alpine Kleinwühlmaus, but is now recognized as a separate species. It is considered safely.
Mark
The Illyrian vole is slightly larger than the similar vole. The head-body length is 84-115 mm, tail length 27-45 mm, the length of the hind foot 15-18 mm and the ear length 8-10 mm. The animals weighing 14-33 g The coat is on the top light yellowish and reddish brown, the bottom and back of the feet are hairy whitish. Ears are almost completely hidden in the fur. The skull should be slightly domed and the auditory capsules are relatively large. The Illyrian vole is of the extremely similar and closely related two species Bavarian vole ( Microtus bavaricus ) and Alpine Kleinwühlmaus (M. multiplex ) only molecular genetic or distinguishable by the comparative analysis of several dental and cranial dimensions.
Distribution and habitat
The relatively small area of distribution of the Illyrian vole ranges from the Italian Eastern Alps and the extreme southeast of Austria to Istria in the north-western Dinaric Alps in Croatia. To the south there are isolated occurrences in the Pannonian Croatia, in the middle Bosnia and western Serbia. In addition, the kind in Austria also of two isolated locations in the northern Alps is known. They mainly inhabited clearings and small meadows with dense ground vegetation in mountain forests, but also dry meadows and Heckensäume from sea level to 1700 m altitude.
System
Wettstein described the basis of a kind collected by him in 1926 in Croatia copy Liechtenstein as Pitymis. The former genus Pitymis is now placed as a subgenus of the genus Microtus Terri Cola. The specific epithet was chosen by Wettstein honor " His Serene Highness the Prince Johann of Liechtenstein to " meant was sure John II.
Way of life
The way of life apparently largely corresponds to that of the Alps - Kleinwühlmaus.
Inventory and risk
The Illyrian vole is locally common, evidence of population decline, there is not. The world stock shall, according to IUCN as uncritical ( " least concern ").