Sicista armenica

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	RODENTIA	DIPODIDAE

Scientific Name:

Sicista armenica

Species Authority:

Sokolov & Baskevich, 1988

Common Name/s:

English

–

Armenian Birch Mouse

Taxonomic Notes:

Reviewed by Gromov and Erbajeva (1995) and Shenbrot et al. (1995).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Endangered B1ab(iii) ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s:

Baloyan, S., Shenbrot, G. & Bukhnikashvili, A.

Reviewer/s:

Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) & Tsytsulina, K. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification:
This species is classified as Endangered. It has a range size well under 5,000 km², and is known from a small number of locations (<5). There is a continued decline in quality of habitat outside of known protected areas.

History:

1996

–

Critically Endangered (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is known only from several locations close to terra typica in SW Armenia, namely Lesser Caucasus, Pambakskiy Range, Marmarik River (Razdan River basin). Localities are summarized by Baskevich for Biodiversity Center [in Russian]
Countries:	Native: Armenia
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	The species is known by single findings.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	The species occurs in subalpine meadows with tall grass on the higher forest border, conspecifics prefer clearings within forests.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Overgrazing due to clearing of tall grasses is a major threat. Loss of tall grass from grass cutting for agriculture is also a threat in some areas. Habitat outside protected areas is projected to continue declining.

Major Threat(s):

Overgrazing due to clearing of tall grasses is a major threat. Loss of tall grass from grass cutting for agriculture is also a threat in some areas. Habitat outside protected areas is projected to continue declining.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Listed as Vulnerable in the Red List of Armenia. It was recommended to protect the area where Sicista armenica was found, however, the project is still under revision by authorities.

Conservation Actions:

Listed as Vulnerable in the Red List of Armenia. It was recommended to protect the area where Sicista armenica was found, however, the project is still under revision by authorities.

Bibliography [top]

	Gromov, I. M. and Erbaeva, M. A. 1995. Mammal fauna of Russia and adjacent territories. Lagomorphs and Rodents. Shenbrot, G. I., Sokolov, V. E., Heptner, V. G. and Kovalskaya, Y. M. 1995. Mammals of Russia and adjacent regions. Jerboas and birchmice. Nauka Press, Moscow, Russia. Sokolov V. E. and Baskevich, M. I. 1988. New species of singlecoloured birch mice S. armenica sp. n. (Rodentia, Dipodidae, Sicista) from Lesser Caucasus. Zoologicheskii Zhurnal 67(2): 300-304. Sokolov V. E., Baskevich M. I., Kovalskaya Yu. M. 1981. Revision of singlecoloured birch mice of the Caucasus: cryptic species Sicista caucasica Vinogradov and S. kluchorica sp. n. (Rodentia, Dipodoidea). Zoologicheskii Zhurnal 65(6): 949-52.

Gromov, I. M. and Erbaeva, M. A. 1995. Mammal fauna of Russia and adjacent territories. Lagomorphs and Rodents.

Shenbrot, G. I., Sokolov, V. E., Heptner, V. G. and Kovalskaya, Y. M. 1995. Mammals of Russia and adjacent regions. Jerboas and birchmice. Nauka Press, Moscow, Russia.

Sokolov V. E. and Baskevich, M. I. 1988. New species of singlecoloured birch mice S. armenica sp. n. (Rodentia, Dipodidae, Sicista) from Lesser Caucasus. Zoologicheskii Zhurnal 67(2): 300-304.

Sokolov V. E., Baskevich M. I., Kovalskaya Yu. M. 1981. Revision of singlecoloured birch mice of the Caucasus: cryptic species Sicista caucasica Vinogradov and S. kluchorica sp. n. (Rodentia, Dipodoidea). Zoologicheskii Zhurnal 65(6): 949-52.

Citation:	Baloyan, S., Shenbrot, G. & Bukhnikashvili, A. 2008. Sicista armenica. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 10 February 2012.
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