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Sminthidae
Sminthidae is a family of mouse-like jumping rodents. They are represented by only one extant genus, ''Sicista'', represented by 19 species found throughout most of Eurasia, from central Europe east to Siberia, and south to southern China. However, they were much more diverse and had a much wider range in prehistoric times, having multiple genera and being found not only in Eurasia but also throughout North America, where they existed up to the early Pleistocene. They have a well-attested fossil record which dates as far back as the early Oligocene. They were formerly classified as the subfamily Sicistinae in the family Dipodidae alongside the jerboas and jumping mice, but phylogenetic evidence supports all three of these belonging to distinct families, thus leaving only the jerboas in Dipodidae. Extant species * Genus ''Sicista'' ** Armenian birch mouse ''Sicista armenica'' ** Northern birch mouse, ''Sicista betulina'' ** Caucasian birch mouse, ''Sicista caucasica'' ** Long-ta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Southern Birch Mouse
The southern birch mouse (''Sicista subtilis'') is a species of birch mouse in the family Sminthidae. It is native to southern Russia, Kazakhstan, and potentially northern Mongolia and China. Taxonomy The Hungarian birch mouse (''S. trizona'') and Nordmann's birch mouse (''S. loriger'') were previously thought to be subspecies representing isolated western populations of ''S. subtilis'', but phylogenetic and anatomical evidence supports them being distinct species. A 2018 study detected a distinct, previously unknown genetic lineage of ''S. subtilis'' in the North Caucasus. Description The most prominent characteristic of the southern birch mouse is the dark stripe down the center of the back, which is bordered by two narrow bright stripes on both sides. From head to rump it measures from 56 to 72 mm, with a tail from 110 to 130% of the main body length. The background fur color is gray-brown. Ecology The southern birch mouse is pronouncedly a steppe dweller. It mak ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sicista
Birch mice (genus ''Sicista'') are small jumping rodents that resemble mice with long, tufted tails and very long hind legs, allowing for remarkable leaps. They are the only extant members of the family Sminthidae. They are native to Eurasian forests and steppes. All variants possess a long tail of of length and weigh about . Head and body length of and hind foot length of . The animal's skin color is light brown or dark-brown to brownish yellow on the upper side and paler on the underside, but generally brownish. Birch mice have a vast geographic distribution in that they inhabit a wide variety of habitats, from semiarid areas to subalpine meadows. Species Nineteen species are listed by the American Society of Mammalogists as of 2021: * Armenian birch mouse, ''Sicista armenica'' * Northern birch mouse, ''Sicista betulina'' * Caucasian birch mouse, ''Sicista caucasica'' * Long-tailed birch mouse, ''Sicista caudata'' * Tsimlyansk birch mouse, ''Sicista cimlanica'' * Chinese bi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Birch Mouse
Birch mice (genus ''Sicista'') are small jumping rodents that resemble mice with long, tufted tails and very long hind legs, allowing for remarkable leaps. They are the only extant members of the family Sminthidae. They are native to Eurasian forests and steppes. All variants possess a long tail of of length and weigh about . Head and body length of and hind foot length of . The animal's skin color is light brown or dark-brown to brownish yellow on the upper side and paler on the underside, but generally brownish. Birch mice have a vast geographic distribution in that they inhabit a wide variety of habitats, from semiarid areas to subalpine meadows. Species Nineteen species are listed by the American Society of Mammalogists as of 2021: * Armenian birch mouse, '' Sicista armenica'' * Northern birch mouse, '' Sicista betulina'' * Caucasian birch mouse, '' Sicista caucasica'' * Long-tailed birch mouse, '' Sicista caudata'' * Tsimlyansk birch mouse, '' Sicista cimlanica'' * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nordmann's Birch Mouse
Nordmann's birch mouse (''Sicista loriger'') is a species of birch mouse in the family Sminthidae. It is named after Finnish biologist Alexander von Nordmann. It is native to eastern and southeastern Europe. Taxonomy It was long thought to be a subspecies of the southern birch mouse (''S. subtilis''), but a 2016 study found sufficient genetic and anatomical divergence for it to be considered its own species. Distribution It is restricted to the western portion of the Pontic–Caspian steppe, where it is known only from a few isolated populations in southern Ukraine, west Belgorod in Russia, and eastern Romania. In addition, it may potentially be found in Bulgaria and Moldova. Status This species has a fragmented distribution due to its reliance on the largely developed steppe habitat. Populations in these fragmented regions also face ongoing threats from development and agriculture. Due to this, this species is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List The Int ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Altai Birch Mouse
The Altai birch mouse (''Sicista napaea'') is a species of rodent in the family Sminthidae. It is native to Russia and Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki .... A baby Altai birch mouse is called a 'pinkie, kitten or pup'. The females are called 'doe' and males 'buck'. A Altai birch mouse group is called a 'nest, colony, harvest, horde or mischief'. References Further reading *Holden, M. E. and G. G. Musser. 2005. Family Dipodidae. pp. 871–893 ''in'' ''Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference''. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder, eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. *https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286722260_An_integrative_systematic_revision_of_the_European_southern_birch_mice_Rodentia_Sminthidae_Sicista_subt ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jerboa
Jerboas (from ar, جربوع ') are hopping desert rodents found throughout North Africa and Asia, and are members of the family Dipodidae. They tend to live in hot deserts. When chased, jerboas can run at up to . Some species are preyed on by little owls (''Athene noctua'') in central Asia. Most species of jerboas have excellent hearing that they use to avoid becoming the prey of nocturnal predators. The typical lifespan of a jerboa is around 6 years. Taxonomy Jerboas, as previously defined, were thought to be paraphyletic, with the jumping mice (Zapodidae) and birch mice (Sminthidae) also classified in the family Dipodidae. However, phylogenetic analysis split all three as distinct families, leaving just the jerboas in Dipodidae and revealing them to be a monophyletic group. Anatomy and body features Jerboas look somewhat like miniature kangaroos, and have some external similarities. Both have long hind legs, short forelegs, and long tails. Jerboas move around in a similar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Strand's Birch Mouse
Strand's birch mouse (''Sicista strandi'') is a species of rodent in the family Sminthidae. It is endemic to Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the .... References * Sicista Mammals of Russia Endemic fauna of Russia Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Mammals described in 1931 {{rodent-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Severtzov's Birch Mouse
The Severtzov's birch mouse, or dark birch mouse (''Sicista severtzovi'') is a species of rodent in the family Sminthidae. It is endemic to East-European steppes (E Ukraine and S-W Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...). References * Sicista Mammals of Russia Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Mammals described in 1935 {{rodent-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gray Birch Mouse
The gray birch mouse (''Sicista pseudonapaea'') is a species of rodent in the family Sminthidae. It is endemic to Kazakhstan, but possibly ranges into China. Its natural habitat is temperate forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...s. References * Mammals of Central Asia Sicista Endemic fauna of Kazakhstan Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Mammals described in 1949 {{rodent-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kluchor Birch Mouse
The Kluchor birch mouse (''Sicista kluchorica'') is a species of rodent in the family Sminthidae. It is endemic to Russia. Its natural habitat is temperate forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...s. References * Sicista Mammals of Russia Endemic fauna of Russia Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Mammals described in 1980 {{rodent-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kazbeg Birch Mouse
The Kazbeg birch mouse (''Sicista kazbegica'') is a species of rodent in the family Sminthidae. It is found in Georgia and Russia and has a natural habitat of temperate forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...s. References External links * Sicista Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Mammals described in 1986 {{rodent-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chinese Birch Mouse
''Sicista concolor'', the Chinese birch mouse, is a species of rodent in the family Sminthidae Sminthidae is a family of mouse-like jumping rodents. They are represented by only one extant genus, ''Sicista'', represented by 19 species found throughout most of Eurasia, from central Europe east to Siberia, and south to southern China. However, .... It is native to China, India and Pakistan. References Sicista {{Rodent-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
