59.

Gobi Altai Mountain Vole

Alticola barakshin

French: Campagnol de Bannikov / German: Gobi-Altai-Gebirgswiihimaus / Spanish: Topillo de montana de Altai

Other common names: Gobi Altai High Mountain Vole, Gobi Altai's Vole

Taxonomy. Alticola barakshin Bannikov, 1947, Dzun Saykhan, Gurvan Saykhan Ridge, Govi Altai Mountains, S Mongolia.

In the past, A. barakshin was synonymized with A. stoliczkanus, A. royler, and A. argentatus . Monotypic.

Distribution. Altai Mts in Russia (Tuva), Mongolia, and China (Barkol County and marginally adjacent areas in extreme E Xinjiang).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 95-129 mm, tail 15-30 mm; weight 28-3-62-8 g. With its short tail (14-25% of headbody length), the Gobi Altai Mountain Vole resembles Stoliczka’s Mountain Vole (A. stoliczkanus). Back is brownish gray; belly is dirty white. Tail is densely covered with hairs, light sandy above and white below. Skull is robust, with shallow and long braincase, large bullae, and robust interparietal bone. Molars are hypsodont and rootless, with elongated appearance of grinding surfaces. The Gobi Altai Mountain Vole and Stoliczka’s Mountain Vole are the only mountain voles ( Alticola) with two inner salient angles on M?; all remaining species have 3-4 salient angles.

Habitat. Shrubby habitats, often with junipers ( Juniperus, Cupressaceae), in semi-deserts and high-elevation steppe up to the highest recorded elevation of 2500 m. The Gobi Altai Mountain Vole is less dependent on rocky substrate than other species of Alticola .

Food and Feeding. Steams of crested white grass ( Agropyron cristatum, Poaceae) were found around burrows of Gobi Altai Mountain Voles. Plants are dried and stored in winter caches.

Breeding. A captured female had six placental scars.

Activity patterns. The Gobi Altai Mountain Vole is mainly nocturnal. It seeks shelter among rocks and also digs burrows with numerous entrances.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Most of the distribution of ¢.226,000 km? is in south-western Mongolia. In the Mongolian Red List, the Gobi Altai Mountain Vole is classified as data deficient because of lack of information on distribution, populations size and trends, and threats.

Bibliography. Bannikov (1954), Clark et al. (2006), Flint et al. (1965), Hou Lanxin et al. (1995), Ognev (1950), Rossolimo (1989).