Microtus kikuchii
Taxonomy [top]
| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANIMALIA | CHORDATA | MAMMALIA | RODENTIA | CRICETIDAE |
| Scientific Name: | Microtus kikuchii | |||
| Species Authority: | Kuroda, 1920 | |||
Common Name/s:
|
||||
| Synonym/s: |
Volemys kikuchii (Kuroda, 1920)
|
|||
| Taxonomic Notes: | This species is sometimes placed in the genus Volemys (Smith and Xie 2008). | |||
Assessment Information [top]
| Red List Category & Criteria: | Near Threatened ver 3.1 | |||
| Year Assessed: | 2008 | |||
| Assessor/s: | Smith, A.T. & Johnston, C.H. | |||
| Reviewer/s: | Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) & Chanson, J. (Global Mammal Assessment Team) | |||
|
Justification: Listed as Near Threatened as the species' extent of occurrence is less than 5,000 km², and it is restricted to high elevations in the mountains of Taiwan. There are no threats to the species habitat at present, but if this were to change in the future it would be considered an Endangered species under criterion B1. |
||||
| History: |
|
|||
Geographic Range [top]
| Range Description: | This species is endemic to Taiwan, Province of China (Smith and Xie 2008). Its distribution is restricted to high mountain tops at elevations approximately between 3,000-3,670 m asl (Yu 1995). |
| Countries: |
Native:
Taiwan, Province of China (Taiwan, Province of China (main island))
|
| Range Map: | Click here to open the map viewer and explore range. |
Population [top]
| Population: | There are currently no data regarding the population status of this species. |
| Population Trend: |
Unknown
|
Habitat and Ecology [top]
| Habitat and Ecology: | It occurs in highland forests (Smith and Xie 2008), with bushy bamboo understory (Yu 1993). |
| Systems: | Terrestrial |
Threats [top]
| Major Threat(s): | In the past there was some deforestation in the highlands of Taiwan, however, that has now mostly ceased and there are no longer any known threats to this species. |
Conservation Actions [top]
| Conservation Actions: | This species occurs in Yushan National Park (Yu 1994), and is presumed to occur in Taroko National Park. Further studies are needed into the abundance, natural history and threats to this species. In China, this species has been regionally Red Listed as Least Concern (Wang and Xie 2004). |
Bibliography [top]
|
Kaneko, Y. 1987. Skull and dental characters, and skull measurements of Microtus kikuchii Kuroda, 1920 from Taiwan. Journal of the Mammalogical Society of Japan 12: 31-39. Lawrence, M. A. 1982. Western Chinese arvicolines (Rodentia) collected by the Sage Expedition. American Museum Novitates 2745: 1-19. Smith, A. and Xie, Y. 2008. The Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. Wang, S. and Xie, Y. 2004. China Species Red List. Vol. 1 Red List. Higher Education Press, Beijing, China. Yu, H. T. 1993. Natural history of small mammals of subtropical montane areas in central Taiwan. Journal of Zoology (London) 231: 403-422. Yu, H. T. 1994. Distribution and abundance of small mammals along a subtropical elevational gradient in central Taiwan. Journal of Zoology (London) 234: 577-600. Yu, H. T. 1995. Patterns of diversification and genetic population structure of small mammals in Taiwan. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 55(1): 69-89. |
| Citation: | Smith, A.T. & Johnston, C.H. 2008. Microtus kikuchii. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 10 February 2012. |
| Disclaimer: | To make use of this information, please check the <Terms of Use>. |
| Feedback: | If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please fill in the feedback form so that we can correct or extend the information provided |