82.

Transcaucasian Mole Vole

Ellobius lutescens

French: Campagnol fauve / German: Transkaukasischer Mull-Lemming / Spanish: Topillo topo del Caucaso

Other common names: Mountain Mole Vole

Taxonomy. Ellobius lutescens Thomas, 1897, “ Van, [Turkey], alt. 5000 feet [= 1524 m].”

Ellobius lutescensis in the subgenus Afganomys. Monotypic.

Distribution. E Turkey (E Anatolia), SW Azerbaijan (Nakhchivan), Armenia, and NW Iran.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 100-140 mm, tail 7-19 mm; weight 58-84 g. The Transcaucasian Mole Vole is small, with rounded head and short, hairy tail with long terminal pencil. Nose pad is large, eyes are minute, and ears are reduced to skinfolds around ear canals. Whiskers are directed forward, stiff and up to 14-5 mm long. Feet are large and robust, and their lateral borders are edged by rows of stiff hairs. Claws are strong and short. Females have two pairs of pectoral and one pair of inguinal nipples (six nipples in total), but some sources report two inguinal pairs (eight nipples in total). Fur is short, soft, and dense, slate buffy throughout but lighter on belly. Pelt is darkest around eyes and on front and behind nose pad. Some individuals have white blotches in different parts, frequently on undersides. Young voles are lighter than adults. Skull is short, wide, and deep, with bowed dorsal surface. Interorbital region is wide and without sagittal crest. Diastema is long, and incisive foramina are small and shifted posteriorly. Mandible is heavy, with massive ramus and protruding alveolar process. Incisors are long and strongly proodont. Molars are rooted, with simple pattern of enamel loops and without cement. Dental fields are broadly confluent.

Habitat. Dry grasslands and arable land at elevations of 600-3000 m.

Food and Feeding. Diet of the Transcaucasian Mole Vole consists primarily of bulbs, tubers, and roots of cranesbill ( Geranium, Geraniaceae), earthnut ( Bunium, Apiaceae), and garlic ( Allium, Amaryllidaceae). Potatoes, carrots, and onions are consumed in cultivated areas, frequently at depths of 10-12 cm. Food is stored in expanded nest chambers. Daily consumption is 0-74 g per gram of body mass.

Breeding. Female Transcaucasian Mole Voles are sexually mature at 16-17 weeks old. Pregnant females and juveniles were collected in March—October, but reproduction evidently peaks in spring. Gestation is 21 days, and shortest interval between two births in captivity was 28 days. Females have 2—4 embryos, and litter sizes in captivity were 2-3 young (mean 2-6). Young are born naked, with closed eyes and average weight of 3-4 g. They have one pair each of upper and lower incisors that facilitate clinging onto nipples. These incisors are lost at 19-21 days old. Young start feeding on solid food at 23-24 days old, while they are still suckling, and they are weaned at 33-35 days old. Eyes open at 26-28 days old. After three months, adult size is reached, but incisors are still shorter and pelage is brighter than those of adults.

Activity patterns. Transcaucasian Mole Voles are active day and night, with peaks at dusk and dawn. Most activity is restricted to underground galleries. They dig with proodont incisors and push loosen soil beneath and out of tunnels. Mounds of excavated soil are 20-50 cm in diameter and 9-14 cm high. Tunnels with diameters of 6-9 cm are 16-48 cm below the ground’s surface. Emergency tunnels descend 54— 90 cm. Nest chamberis lined with dry grass and other soft material (e.g. plastic and textile), and it can be expanded to act as storing chamber.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. In eastern Turkey, home range of a family of Transcaucasian Mole Voles was 108 m®. In captivity, parents coexisted peacefully with up to three litters.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Overall distribution of the Transcaucasian Mole Vole is ¢.310,000 km?.

Bibliography. Coskun & Ulutlrk (2003), Gharkheloo & Kivang (2003), Kaya & Coskun (2015), Krystufek & Vohralik (2005), Shenbrot & Krasnov (2005).