The Jalapan pine vole (''Microtus quasiater'') is a species of

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...

in the family

Cricetidae The Cricetidae are a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. It includes true hamsters, voles, lemmings, muskrats, and New World rats and mice. At almost 608 species, it is the second-largest family of mammals, and has m ...

, found only in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. The scientific name ''quasiater'' translates as "almost black", while the common name refers to the city of

Jalapa Xalapa or Jalapa (, ), officially Xalapa-Enríquez (), is the capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz and the name of the surrounding municipality. In the 2005 census the city reported a population of 387,879 and the municipality of which ...

, close to where the first specimen was collected.

Description

The Jalapan pine vole is the smallest species of vole found in Mexico, with an adult body length of and an average weight of . The fur is long, soft, and dark brown in color, becoming paler on the underparts. There is no significant difference in size between males and females.

Distribution and habitat

The Jalapan pine vole is known only from the

Sierra Madre Oriental The Sierra Madre Oriental () is a mountain range in northeastern Mexico. The Sierra Madre Oriental is part of the American Cordillera, a chain of mountain ranges (cordillera) that consists of an almost continuous sequence of mountain ranges that f ...

, ranging from southern San Luis Potosi to northern

Oaxaca Oaxaca ( , also , , from nci, Huāxyacac ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of Mexico. It is ...

. Within this region it inhabits mountainous

cloud forest A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF), is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, montane, moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud c ...

s between in elevation. It is most commonly found in grassy clearings, along river banks or in marshy wetlands or the boundaries of agricultural land, but occasionally inhabits denser woodland dominated by pine and oak, often with an undergrowth of heavy ferns.

Biology and behavior

Like other voles, the Jalapan species is herbivorous. It is known to feed on at least 36 different species of plant, with the bulk of the diet consisting of the leaves and stems of grasses, sedges, and herbs, with some roots, seeds, flowers, and fungi. Together, these constitute most of the available small plants in the areas it inhabits, suggesting that it is an adaptable generalist feeder. The species is nocturnal, spending the day under rocks or fallen logs. It breeds year-round, but more commonly during the rainy season, giving birth to litters of one to four young. They have been reported to grow quickly, reaching the full adult size about a month after birth.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1770348 Microtus Mammals described in 1874 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Endemic mammals of Mexico Fauna of the Sierra Madre Oriental Fauna of the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca