The Balkan snow vole (''Dinaromys bogdanovi''), also known as Martino's snow vole, is the only member of the genus ''Dinaromys''. Eight

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of this

vole Voles are small rodents that are relatives of lemmings and hamsters, but with a stouter body; a longer, hairy tail; a slightly rounder head; smaller eyes and ears; and differently formed molars (high-crowned with angular cusps instead of low-c ...

have been recognized from southern parts of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. The genus name means "Dinaric mouse", referring to the

Dinaric Alps The Dinaric Alps (), also Dinarides, are a mountain range in Southern and Southcentral Europe, separating the continental Balkan Peninsula from the Adriatic Sea. They stretch from Italy in the northwest through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herz ...

. The Balkan snow vole is a

living fossil A living fossil is an extant taxon that cosmetically resembles related species known only from the fossil record. To be considered a living fossil, the fossil species must be old relative to the time of origin of the extant clade. Living fossi ...

, the only living species in the tribe Pliomyini, and might arguably better be placed in ''

Pliomys ''Pliomys'' is an extinct genus of forest voles, subfamily Arvicolinae, tribe Pliomyini (Musser and Carleton, 2005). One member is the extinct species '' Pliomys episcopalis''. The genus was described by Méhely in 1914, and is paraphyletic ...

'', a genus established for its

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

relatives even before the Balkan snow vole was scientifically described. A 2021 study found ''Dinaromys'' (and by extension, the rest of Pliomyini) to be the sister group to the tribe Ellobiusini, from which it diverged during the late

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

; however, this still remains uncertain.

References

* * Voles and lemmings Vole, Balkan snow Vulnerable animals Vulnerable biota of Europe Mammals described in 1922 Fossils of Serbia {{Arvicolinae-stub