137.

Jalapan Vole

Microtus quasiater

French: Campagnol de Jalapa / German: Jalapa-WihIimaus / Spanish: Topillo de Jalapa

Other common names: Jalapan Pine Vole

Taxonomy. Arvicola (Pitymys) pinetorum, var. quasiater Coues, 1874, Jalapa, Vera Cruz, Mexico.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. E slopes of Sierra Madre Oriental, from SE San Luis Potosi S to N Oaxaca, Mexico.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 95-110 mm, tail 17-25 mm, ear 11-18 mm, hindfoot 17-19 mm; weight 26-30 g. Dorsum of the Jalapan Vole is brownish olive.

Tail is short. Females have four pairs of mammae.

Habitat. Oak ( Quercus sp., Fagaceae) forests and cloud forests of sweet gum ( Liquidambar sp., Altingiaceae) and pine ( Pinus sp., Pinaceae) ecotones with dense cover of perennial grasses and shrubs at elevations of 500-2150 m. Burrows of the Jalapan Vole are found in montane marshy meadows and grassy swales and also in agricultural settings such as orchards, cornfields, and pastures and along rock walls that border these fields.

Food and Feeding. Diets of the Jalapan Vole showed minimal seasonal and yearly differences, and leaves and stems were eaten preferentially. Thirty-six plant species were identified in diets, including monocots ( Muhlenbergia, Paspalum, Isachne, and Heteropogon, all Poaceae; Carex, Cyperaceae; and Sisyrinchium, Iridaceae), each representing c.2-4% of diets. Dicotyledonous species also were eaten, and Trifolium amabile ( Fabaceae) was ¢.b% of diets. Roots, sedge heads, seeds, dicotyledonous flowers, and fungi each were less than 10% ofdiets.

Breeding. Scrotal Jalapan Voles have been found in all seasons. Litters typically have four or fewer young.

Activity patterns. The Jalapan Vole is terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. Current distribution of the Jalapan Vole is probably less than 20,000 km?, and its populations are in decline due to increasing conversion of habitat due to agricultural development and urbanization. It occurs in several protected areas. It is classified as vulnerable under Mexican Law.

Bibliography. Alvarez-Castafeda etal. (2010), Bradley, Ammerman et al. (2014), Ceballos & Oliva (2006), Hall (1981), Lopez-Wilchis & Torres-Flores (2007), Musser & Carleton (2005).