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Microtus canicaudus

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Gray-tailed Vole
(Microtus canicaudus)
Range
Taxonomic classification
Order:Rodentia
Suborder:Supramyomorpha
Infraorder:Myomorphi
Superfamily:Muroidea
Family:Cricetidae
Subfamily:Arvicolinae
Tribe:Microtini
Genus:Microtus
Subgenus:Pitymys
Binomial details
Microtus canicaudus G. S. Miller, 1897

Description

From Verts & Carraway (1987): "In summer, the dorsal pelage of adult M. canicaudus is yellowish brown or yellowish gray; in winter, black-tipped hairs darken the dorsum. The venter is grayish white, the feet gray, and the tail gray with a brownish dorsal stripe (Maser and Storm, 1970). Juveniles are gray to grayish brown both dorsally and ventrally, the feet are gray, and the tail is gray with a black dorsal stripe (Maser and Storm, 1970)."

Microtus canicaudus observed in Oregon by David C.

External measurements

Length measurements are in millimeters (mm) and weight measurements are in grams (g), unless stated otherwise. If available, the sample size (n=) is provided. If a range is not provided and n= is not given, then the listed measurement represents an average.

Part of range Reference Total length Tail length Hindfoot length Ear length Mass
Oregon (central part of Willamette Valley) Anderson (1959); compiled by Verts & Carraway (1987) 140–160 (23) 30–42 (n=23) 15–22 (n=23)
Oregon (northern part of Willamette Valley) Anderson (1959); compiled by Verts & Carraway (1987) 140–168 (n=38) 32–45 (n=38) 18–21 (n=38)


Skull

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Similar species

From Verts & Carraway (1987): "Microtus canicaudus can be distinguished from sympatric M. townsendii by a shorter tail (both relatively and absolutely) that is light gray beneath and brownish or blackish above, a V-shaped rather than squarish or U-shaped posterior margin of the palate, and a lighter yellowish-brown or yellowish-gray dorsal pelage (Hall, 1981; Maser and Storm, 1970). It is more robust than sympatric M. oregoni and is distinguishable from that species by relatively large eyes (>4 mm in diameter), six plantar tubercles, and M3 with four loops of enamel on the lingual side (Hall, 1981), and it may be distinguished from M. montanus (of which it formerly was considered a geographic race; Hall and Kelson, 1951 ) by incisive foramina that are not markedly constricted posteriorly (Maser and Storm, 1970). M. canicaudus and M. montanus are allopatric but not parapatric, have distinctive karyotypes (Hsu and Johnson, 1970 ), and different globulin and hemoglobin banding patterns (Johnson, 1968)."

References

Bailey V. 1900. Revision of American voles of the genus Microtus. North American Fauna 17:1-88.

Bailey V. 1936. The mammals and life zones of Oregon. North American Fauna 55:1-416.

Hall ER. 1981. The mammals of North America. Second ed. John Wiley and Sons, New York, 2:601-1181 + 90.

Hall ER, Kelson KR. 1951. A new subspecies of Microtus montanus from Montana and comments on Microtus canicaudus Miller. University of Kansas publications, Museum of Natural History 5: 73-79.

Hsu TC, Johnson ML. 1970. Cytological distinction between Microtus montanus and Microtus canicaudus. Journal of Mammalogy 51:824-826.

Johnson ML. 1968. Application of blood protein electrophoretic studies to problems in mammalian taxonomy. Systematic Zoology 17:23-30.

Maser C, Storm RM. 1970. A key to the Microtinae of the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington, Idaho). O.S.U. Book Stores, Inc., Corvallis, Oregon, 162 pp.

Miller Jr GS. 1897. Description of a new vole from Oregon. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 11:67-68.

Verts BJ, Carraway LN. 1987. Microtus canicaudus. Mammalian Species (267): 1-4.

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