154.

Caucasian Pine Vole

Microtus daghestanicus

French: Campagnol du Daghestan / German: Dagestan-Kleinwhimaus / Spanish: Topillo del Caucaso

Other common names: Caucasus Pine Vole, Dagestan Pine Vole

Taxonomy. Microtus (Arbusticola) rubelianus daghestanicus Shidlovsky, 1919, near Khiso, Dagestan, Caucasus Mountains, Russia.

Microtus daghestanicus 1s in subgenus Terricola and species group subterraneus . Molecular reconstructions suggest sister relationships between daghestanicus and subterraneus . Taxonomic status of daghestanicus as a separate species was retrieved from chromosomal evidence in early 1970s. Earlier, daghestanicus was synonymized with majori or subterraneus . Microtus daghestanicus also contains nasarovi (from Azerbaijan) as a synonym. It is chromosomally polymorphic, with diploid numbers between 38 and 54. No discrete subspecies are recognized. Monotypic.

Distribution. Caucasus from Krasnodar Krai and Adygea E to Dagestan (SW European Russia), Georgia, NE Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and extreme NW Iran.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 91-105 mm, tail 33-42 mm; weight 15-25 g. Tail of the Caucasian Pine Vole averages ¢.37% of head-body length. Females have six nipples: one pectoral pair and two inguinal pairs. Dorsal fur is dark brown; belly is silver. Skull is shallow, with concave dorsal profile, relatively long rostrum, and moderately expanded zygomatic arches. Upper incisors are more proodont than in the Common Pine Vole ( M. subterraneus) and Major’s Pine Vole (M. major). M, is long and complex, with six salient angles on the lingual side. M? is also complex, with four inner salient angles.

Habitat. Alpine meadows, usually above elevations of 2000 m up to 2600 m.

Food and Feeding. The Caucasian Pine Vole is herbivorous.

Breeding. Gravid female Caucasian Pine Voles weight 18-24 g and carry 4-5 embryos.

Activity patterns. The Caucasian Pine Vole is predominantly nocturnal. It is more fossorial than the sympatric Common Pine Vole and Major’s Pine Vole.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Microtus nasarovi, treated here as a synonym of the Caucasian Pine Vole, was assessed separately as Data Deficient. Overall distribution is ¢.195,000 km?.

Bibliography. Achverdjan et al. (1992), Baskevich (1997), Baskevich et al. (2015), Gromov & Erbajeva (1995), Krystufek & Vohralik (2005), Shenbrot & Krasnov (2005).