125.

Bucharian Vole

Microtus bucharensis

French: Campagnol du Boukhara / German: Buchara-WihImaus / Spanish: Topillo de Bujara

Taxonomy. Microtus (Phaiomys) bucharensis Vinogradov, 1930, near village of Zivan, 8 km S Pendzhikent, Zeravshan Range, Sughd Region, Tajikistan.

Macrotus bucharensis 1S in subgenus Blanfordimys. The name Microtus (Phaiomys) bucharensis has priority over the still widely used name Microtus bucharicus by B. S. Vinogradov in 1931. Morphologically and genetically, it is sister species to M. af ghanus. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

M.b.bucharensisVinogradov,1930—EUzbekistan(Navoiy,Samarqand,Jizzax,andQashqgadaryoregions)andNWTajikistan(SughdRegion).

M. b. davydovi Golenishchev & Sablina, 1991 — SE Uzbekistan (Surxondaryo Region), extreme E Turkmenistan (Kugitang Mts in Lebap Region), and SW Tajikistan (Karategin and NW Khatlon regions).

Descriptive notes. Head-body up to 127 mm, tail up to 34 mm, ear up to 13 mm, hindfoot up to 19 mm; weight up to 53 g. Fur color of head and upperparts of the Bucharian Vole is pale grayish, underparts are whitish, and tail is light, indistinctly bicolored, and ¢.25% of head-body length. Sole of foot has six plantar pads. Auditory bullae are large and pronouncedly inflated. M? has three inner and three outer salient angles. M,is essentially as in the Afghan Vole ( M. afghanus), except that triangle T4 and T5 open into anterior cup. Baculum is long (3:6-3-7 mm), has wide base (1-4-1-7 mm), and has relatively short median (1-1-1 mm) and lateral (0-8-1 mm) processes. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 48 and FN = 54.

Habitat. Deserts, piedmont semi-deserts, and mountain steppes at elevations of 550— 1850 m. The Bucharian Vole prefers loess or clay substrate with dense grass and forb vegetation on slopes of ravines and in abandoned fields.

Food and Feeding. The Bucharian Vole feeds mainly on green plant parts and also seeds.

Breeding. Breeding of wild Bucharian Voles was recorded in January-May, with peak intensity in February-March.Litters have 3-6 young. Females can produce 2 litters/year.

Activity patterns. The Bucharian Vole is active round-the-clock.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Bucharian Voles live in large colonies (family groups). Each colony occupies a single complex burrow. Burrow has one nest chamber at depths 25-90 cm; tunnels run 25-45 cm deep in central part of a burrow and 3-10 cm below the ground’s surface on its periphery. At high densities, there can be 20,000 burrow entrances/ha.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List (as Blanfordimys bucharensus).

Bibliography. Bannikova et al. (2009), Davydov (1964, 1988), Golenishchev & Sablina (1991), Gromov & Erbajeva (1995), Vinogradov (1931).