| Royal vole | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific 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 | |
Theroyal vole (Craseomys regulus), also called theKorean red-backed vole,[2] is a species ofvoleendemic to theKorean Peninsula. It lives underground in a burrow, emerging at night to feed on grasses, seeds and other vegetation. TheInternational Union for Conservation of Nature has listed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
British zoologistOldfield Thomas first described the royal vole in 1907 asCraseomys regulus, with thetype locality bein in Mingyong inSouth Korea, 170 km (106 mi) southeast ofSeoul. It was later transferred to the genusMyodes, becomingMyodes regulus, but many authorities believed it was asubspecies ofMyodes rufocanus.Myodes was later deemed a junior synonym ofLemmus and the species was returned toCraseomys.[3] It has unrootedmolar teeth, a characteristic shared by the very similarCraseomys shanseius but notC. rufocanus, and molecular analysis shows that it is a distinct species.[4]
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 thegrey red-backed vole by having a redder back, a more buffy (rather than greyer) underparts and a longer tail.[2]
The royal vole isendemic to the Korean peninsula. Its range includes all the southern parts of the peninsula as far north as the southern and western edges of theKaema Plateau, where it gives way to the grey red-backed vole (Craseomys rufocanus). It is not present in the extreme northeasterly part ofNorth 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]
The species is mainlynocturnal, and isherbivorous, foraging for plant material including grasses and seeds. It lives underground in a large and deep tunnel system that it excavates. This includes larder chambers for storing food and a nesting chamber lined with grasses, but not latrine chambers. It is a social species, issuing alarm calls to alert others to danger. Predators includefoxes,martens,weasels,raccoon dogs,owls,birds of prey andsnakes. Breeding takes place three to five times a year, with three or four young being born after a gestation period of 23 days.[2]
C. regulus is not facing any particular threats and is adaptable, so theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature has listed its conservation status as being of "least concern".[1]
