61.

Mongolian Mountain Vole

Alticola semicanus

French: Campagnol d’Allen / German: Mongolische Silberfell-Gebirgswiihimaus / Spanish: Topillo de montana de Mongolia

Other common names: Mongolian High Mountain Vole, Mongolian Silver Vole

Taxonomy. Microtus (Alticola) worthingtoni semicanus G. M. Allen, 1924, “Sain Noin Khan, Mongolia.”

Alticola semicanus was frequently synonymized with A. argentatus or A. roylei . Crossbreeding experiments failed to produce offspring between argentatus and semicanus . Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

A. s. semicanus G. M. Allen, 1924 — extreme S Tuva (Russia) and W & C Mongolia.

A. s. allen: Argyropulo, 1933 — E Mongolia and Inner Mongolia (= Nei Mongol), NE China.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 93-135 mm, tail 20-37 mm; weight 24-5-69 g. The Mongolian Mountain Vole has a short tail and colorful pelage. Tail accounts for 27-33% of head-body length and is densely covered with stiff hair and well-tufted. General color above is buffy gray, shaded with black hair tips, with a bufflateral line and buff postauricular tuft. Ears are frequently margined in buff. Underside is silvery white, washed buff and slate due to dark underfur. Tail is white, slightly darkened above, and paws are white. Females have four pairs of nipples. Whiskers are up to 50 mm long. Skull is heavily built, depressed in interorbital region and fairly shallow. Molars are hypsodont and remain rootless throughout life. M* has three inner salient angles.

Habitat. Rocks and boulders, frequently under rocky outcrops in steppe—even isolated outcrops. The Mongolian Mountain Vole was also reported on a canyon rim in a deciduous forest.

Food and Feeding. Mongolian Mountain Voles drag bits of grass and flowers under rocks.

Breeding. Females reportedly have 6-7 embryos. Young are abundant in the first onehalf ofJune.

Activity patterns. The Mongolian Mountain Vole is partly diurnal but chiefly nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Excrement of Mongolian Mountain Volesis deposited at certain spots near entrances to shelters under rocks.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Allen (1940), Rossolimo & Pavlinov (1992), Shenbrot & Krasnov (2005), Stubbe & Chotolchu (1968), Tinnin et al. (2002).