Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Distribution of the Sibling Vole (Microtus Rossiaemeridionalis Ognev, 1924) (Rodentia, Cricetidae) in Lithuania

1999; Institute of Ecology of Vilnius University; Volume: 9; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/13921657.1999.10512256

1648-6919

Reda Mažeikytė, Kazimieras Baranauskas, Vaidotas Morkūnas, Eduardas Mickevičius,

Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies

While applying complex methods, there was investigated the distribution of the sibling vole (M. rossiaemeridionalis Ognev, 1924) in Lithuania. For this purpose the collection of sculls (n = 2266), which was accumulated during the investigations of small mammals in 1953-1954 and 1969-1996, and the material from objective expeditions (n = 248) collected in 1995-1998 were applied. There were determined karyotypes (of 3 males and of 3 females) of 6 M. rossiaemeridionalis (2n = 54, NF = 56) and of 3 males of M. arvalis (sensu stricto) (2n = 46, NF = 83). The form and size of voles spermatozoa were described (5 and 1 respectively) and a comparative analysis of morphological features of 131 sibling voles was carried out. While having analyzed the data, which was collected in 35 districts of Lithuania (79.5% of all the Lithuanian number of districts), there were determined 40 localities of M. rossiaemeridionalis in 21 districts of Lithuania (Alytus, Anykščiai, Joniškis, Kaunas, Kelmė, Kaišiadorys, Kėdainiai, Klaipėda, Molėtai, Pakruojis, Pasvalys, Panevėžys, Prienai, Radviliškis, Širvintos, Švenčionys, Utena, Varėna, Vilkaviškis, Vilnius and Zarasai districts). Taking into consideration references in literature, the sibling vole was found in 23 districts of Lithuania. The distribution of its localities shows that this species is common on the whole territory of Lithuania. Besides, it was established that the western boundary of the M. rossiaemeridionalis distribution in Lithuania stretches along the coast of the Baltic Sea, then it descends to the southeast towards Vilkaviškis, goes through Žuvintas strict nature reserve, Lake Obelija (Alytus district), towards Kriviliai settlement (Varėna district) at the Byelorussian border. It was determined that the sibling species of the common vole mostly live close to each other in natural habitats, but M. rossiaemeridionalis more prefers to dwell on the edges of rivers, streams, lakes, and ravines overgrown with bushes and fragments of large-stalk grass bordering pastures, meadows, or fields of crops not far from settlements or farmsteads and in vegetable gardens or orchards. A part of M. rossiaemeridionalis population dwells in old straw stacks or their remnants on the edges of pastures, clover fields, woods, ditches and ravines with trees, bushes, and fragments of large-stalk grass. The studies were subsided by the Lithuanian State Research and Higher Education Fund.