Spermophilus nilkaensis, Hou & Wang, 1989
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6840226 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6819016 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/064D0660-FFA7-ED5A-FA1C-F9A6F588FB48 |
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treatment provided by |
Diego |
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scientific name |
Spermophilus nilkaensis |
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Tian Shan Ground Squirrel
French: Spermophile de Rall / German: Ostliches Tienschan-Ziesel / Spanish: Ardila terrestre de Tien Shan
Taxonomy. Spermophilus nilkaensis Hou & Wang, 1989 ,
“5 km east of a village Zhaikou, altitude 1500 m,”
Nileke District, Xin-
Jiang, China.
Spermophilus nilkaensis was long considered
a subspecies of S. relictus, but recent ge-
netic evidence caused it to be elevated to the species level. Commonly referred to as S. ralli, named by B. A. Kuznetsov in 1948, but this name is preoccupied by Citellus pygmaeus ralli, named by V. G. Heptner in 1948, so the name nilkaensis has been proposed to replace ralli. Monotypic.
Distribution. E Tian Shan Mts of SE Kazakhstan, NE Kyrgyzstan, and W China (W Xinjiang). View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head—body 200-240 mm, tail 60-75 mm; weight 290-405 g. Dorsal pelage of the Tian Shan Ground Squirrel ranges from grayish brown to grayish yellow; sides are lighter, grading to straw gray on venter. Faint spots on dorsum can be hard to detect. Tail is yellow to light rust, with dark brown-to-black band and white-to-yellow tip.
Habitat. Meadows.
Food and Feeding. Diet of the Tian Shan Ground Squirrel consists of grasses, forbs, and insects.
Breeding. Mating occurs after emergence in late winter or spring. Litters of 3-7 young are born in burrows after gestation of 25-27 days.
Activity patterns. Tian Shan Ground Squirrels are diurnal. They hibernate in burrows from late summer (August-September) until late winter (February-March).
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Many burrow openings are clustered together, with a hibernation chamber 1-2 m belowground. Tian Shan Ground Squirrels can be seen calling at burrow entrances, and call is described as quiet squeak.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Current population trend of the Tian Shan Ground Squirrel is unknown. It is present in Xueling Yunshan Nature Reserve in China and might be present in other protected areas. Major threats have not been identified, but it is harvested for food. Additional studies are warranted to better understand its abundance and natural history.
Bibliography. Harrison et al. (2003), Heptner (1948), Hou & Wang (1989), Krystufek & Vohralik (2012), Kuznetsov (1948), Ognev (1963), Pavlinov & Rossolimo (1987), Smith & Yan Xie (2008), Thorington et al. (2012).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
