166.

Schelkovnikov’s Pine Vole

Microtus schelkovnikovi

French: Campagnol de Shelkovnikov / German: Schelkownikow-Kleinwihimaus / Spanish: Topillo de Schelkovnikov

Taxonomy. Microtus schelkovnikovi Satunin, 1907, Dzhi, Lenkoranskij Rayon, Talysk Mountains, SE Azerbaijan.

Microtus schelkovnikovi is in subgenus Hyrcanicola. Until very recently, it was classified in the genus Pitymys and afterward in subgenus 7Terricola. Molecular reconstructions confirmed isolated phylogenetic position of schelkovnikovi, which 1s classified here as the only member of subgenus Hyrcanicola. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

M.s.schelkovnikoviSatunin,1907—TalyshMtsinSEAzerbaijan.

M. s. dorothea Ellerman, 1948 — Alborz (= Elburz) Mts in NW Iran.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 88-111 mm,tail 18-25 mm; weight 17-5-31 g. Schelkovnikov’s Pine Vole is small, with thick and long pelage. Tail is relatively short, 19-27% of head-body length. Ears are concealed in fur, and eyes are small. Females have two pairs of pectoral and two pairs of inguinal nipples (eight teats in total). There are five plantar pads. Back is reddish gray or red-brown in summer, darker and grayer in winter, and tail is distinctly bicolored. Skull is deep, with expanded zygomatic arches and wide interorbital region. Upper incisors are orthodont. Molars are complex. M! and M* have additional postero-lingual loop; M? has four salient angles on each side.

Habitat. Humid Hyrcanian broadleaf forests at elevations of 150-1400 m.

Food and Feeding. Schelkovnikov’s Pine Vole feeds mainly on underground plant parts.

Breeding. Breeding season of Schelkovnikov’s Pine Vole starts in March, but captive individuals reproduce throughout the year. Breeding activity peaks in March—June and again in late August—-November. Ovulation is induced, and gestation lasts 21 days. Litters have 1-4, mainly 2-3, young (mean 2-8). Captive females had 3-1 litters/year that were 25-130 days apart. Postpartum pregnancy is rare. Young are born naked, blind, and with sealed ears. They weight 2-5 g, and gain 0-65 g/ day . Eyes open at 11-14 days old. Young start leaving nests at 15-17 days old. They suckle for 20 days, and both parents attend them. Females mature at 2-4 months old and males at 5-6 months.

Activity patterns. Daily activity is polyphasic. Schelkovnikov’s Pine Vole is semi-fossorial, digging its own burrows or taking over tunnels of moles (7alpa, Talpidae). Underground activity is more pronounced in dry season (May-September). Burrows are constructed underlitter in the forest floor 5-7 cm belowground and frequently under tree roots or other obstacles. Each burrow system has 2-6 exits that are connected with a complex network of corridors. Total lengths of tunnels are 2-10 m.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Schelkovnikov’s Pine Vole live in family groups consisting of breeding pair and young from the last litter. Male defends family territory, and females refuse to mate with unknown male. Active courtship lasts 5-30 minutes. Grooming behavior is rare.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List, although it was previously listed as Near Threatened. Based on current evidence,its extent of occurrence is greater (74,466 km?) and it is found across a wide elevational range. However, deforestation rates and the effects of this on the species are yet to be determined.

Bibliography. Gromov & Erbajeva (1995), Martinkova & Moravec (2012), Nadachowski (2007), Shenbrot & Krasnov (2005), Shenbrot & Krystufek (2008), Shidlovsky (1976), Steiner (1972), Zorenko (2016).