Royal vole

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Royal vole

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Cricetidae
Subfamily: Arvicolinae
Genus: Craseomys
Species:
C. regulus
Binomial name
Craseomys regulus
Thomas, 1907

The royal vole (Craseomys regulus), also called the Korean red-backed vole,

Korean Peninsula. It lives underground in a burrow, emerging at night to feed on grasses, seeds and other vegetation. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed its conservation status as being of "least concern
".

Taxonomy

British zoologist

Craseomys shanseius but not C. rufocanus, and molecular analysis shows that it is a distinct species.[4]

Description

This vole has a head-and-body length of about 110 mm (4.3 in) with a tail of 42 to 51 mm (1.7 to 2.0 in). An adult royal vole weighs 23 to 39 g (0.8 to 1.4 oz). The ears are large and are covered in short fur, and the body hair is fine and soft. The dorsal pelage is reddish-brown, the flanks greyish-brown and the underparts buffy-brown. The tail is bicoloured, dark above and pale beneath. Apart from the unrooted molar teeth, it can be distinguished from the grey red-backed vole by having a redder back, a more buffy (rather than greyer) underparts and a longer tail.[2]

Distribution

The royal vole is endemic to the Korean peninsula. Its range includes all the southern parts of the peninsula as far north as the southern and western edges of the Kaema Plateau, where it gives way to the grey red-backed vole (Craseomys rufocanus). It is not present in the extreme northeasterly part of North Korea. It occupies a range of habitats including mountain forests, bamboo woodland, scrub-covered hillsides, rocky slopes, rough grassland, cultivated land and river banks.[2]

Ecology

The species is mainly

raccoon dogs, owls, birds of prey and snakes. Breeding takes place three to five times a year, with three or four young being born after a gestation period of 23 days.[2]

Status

C. regulus is not facing any particular threats and is adaptable, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed its conservation status as being of "least concern".[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Stuart, S.N. (2008). "Myodes regulus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008. Retrieved 30 June 2009. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern.
  2. ^
    ISBN 978-89-6811-369-7
    .
  3. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7830771
    .
  4. ^ Wilson & Reeder. "Myodes regulus". Mammal Species of the World. Retrieved 27 March 2019.

Bibliography

  • Won, Byeong-o (원병오) (2004). 한국의 포유동물 (Hangugui poyudongmul, Mammals of Korea). Seoul: Dongbang Media.
    ISBN 89-8457-310-8
    .
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