64.

Gansu Red-backed Vole

Caryomys eva

French: Campagnol eva / German: Gansu-Rotelmaus / Spanish: Topillo rojo de Gansu

Other common names: Eva's Red-backed Vole, Eva's Vole, Gansu Vole, Taozhou Vole

Taxonomy. Microtus (Caryomys) eva Thomas, 1911, “Mts. S.E. of Tau-chow, Kan-su [= Gansu, China]. 10,000’ [= 3048 m].”

In the past, C. eva was frequently classified as Eothenomys . Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

C. e. eva Thomas, 1911 — S Gansu, extreme E Qinghai, S Ningxia, N Sichuan, S Shaanxi, NE Chongqing, and W Hubei (China).

C. e. alcinous Thomas, 1912 — NC Sichuan (China).

Descriptive notes. Head—body 83-105 mm, tail 46-60 mm; weight 16-27 g. The Gansu Red-backed Vole is small, with long tail, 55-58% of head-body length. Females have only two pairs of inguinal nipples. Fur is brown on back, and color varies between subspecies. It is reddish brown in subspecies eva, and blackish brown in alcinous. Belly is dark gray, and feet are white to dark brown. Tail is indistinctly bicolor, dark brown above and lighter below. Skull is delicate but well ridged, closely resembling the condition in Eothenomys . Molars are hypsodont and rootless, with thick enamel and not much of cement. Outer enamel prisms are quite sharply angular, and nearly all triangles are closed.

Habitat. Warm montane forests with 600-1200 mm of rainfall annually at elevations of 1000-3600 m.

Food and Feeding. The Gansu Red-backed Vole eats young leaves, buds, seeds, grass, and bark.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Gansu Red-backed Vole is fossorial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Gansu Red-backed Vole is endemic to central China, with an overall distribution of.250,000 km*.

Bibliography. Li Yongxiang & Xue Xiangxu (2009), Lunde (2008), Luo Zexun et al. (2000), Shenbrot & Krasnov (2005), Ye Xiaodi et al. (2002).