Mexican vole
The Mexican vole (Microtus mexicanus) is a species of vole.
| Mexican vole | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Subfamily: | Arvicolinae |
| Genus: | Microtus |
| Subgenus: | Pitymys |
| Species: | M. mexicanus |
| Binomial name | |
| Microtus mexicanus (Saussure, 1861) | |
| Synonyms | |
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The Hualapai Mexican vole (M. m. hualapaiensis) was formerly recognized as a subspecies and was a protected taxon under the United States Endangered Species Act until 2017. Several other populations of the vole were previously named subspecies but are no longer recognized as distinct.
This species has a disjunct distribution in the southwestern United States and Mexico. It can be found in grasslands and other habitat types and is generally adaptable to a range of climate types.
The Mexican vole mainly feeds on grasses and the roots of shrubs and trees.(Beacham, 2000) In several studies, the Mexican vole was baited using two plant products, barley and oatmeal.[2] It has also been noted to eat monarch butterflies.[3]
The earliest description of the species was in 1861 by Swiss entomologist Henri de Saussure, a Swiss entomologist. Separate populations which appeared to have different morphologies were sometimes named subspecies, such as Microtus mexicanus mogollonensis, M. m. hualpaiensis, and M. m. navaho. Research continues on the relationships of different clades within the species.
References
- Álvarez-Castañeda, S.T.; Reid, F. (2017) [errata version of 2016 assessment]. "Microtus mexicanus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T13443A115113184. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T13443A22345679.en. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
- Hilton, Barry L. (1992). "Reproduction in the Mexican Vole, Microtus mexicanus". Journal of Mammalogy. 73 (3): 586–590. doi:10.2307/1382029. JSTOR 1382029.
- Brower, Lincoln P.; Horner, B. Elizabeth; Marty, Melanie A.; Moffitt, Christine M.; Villa-R, Bernardo (1985). "Mice (Peromyscus maniculatus, P. spicilegus, and Microtus mexicanus) as Predators of Overwintering Monarch Butterflies (Danaus plexippus) in Mexico". Biotropica. 17 (2): 89–99. doi:10.2307/2388500. JSTOR 2388500.
Further reading
- Beacham, Walton; Castronova, Frank V; Sessine, Suzanne (2000). "Hualapai Mexican Vole". Beacham's guide to the endangered species of North America. Gale Group. pp. 206–208. ISBN 978-0-7876-5028-5. OCLC 1102196416.
- Davis, Russell; Callahan, J. (18 December 1992). "Post-pleistocene dispersal in the Mexican vole (Microtus mexicanus): an example of an apparent trend in the distribution of southwestern mammals". Great Basin Naturalist. 52 (3).
- "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removal of the Hualapai Mexican Vole From the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife". Federal Register. 23 June 2017.
- "Microtus mexicanus (Saussure, 1861)". Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
- "Microtus mogollonensis (Mearns, 1890)". Global Biodiversity Information Facility.