Lagurus lagurus (Pallas 1773)

Wilison, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Rodentia - Family Cricetidae, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 2, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 955-1189 : 983

Lagurus lagurus (Pallas 1773)

[Mus] lagurus Pallas 1773 , Reise Prov. Russ. Reichs, Vol. 2: 704.

Type Locality: Kazakhstan, mouth of Ural River.

Vernacular Names: Steppe Vole.

Synonyms: Lagurus abacanicus Serebrennikov 1929 ; Lagurus agressus Serebrennikov 1929 ; Lagurus altorum Thomas 1912 ; Lagurus major Zazhigin, in Gromov and Polyakov 1977 ; Lagurus migratorius Gloger 1841 ; Lagurus occidentalis Migulin 1938 ; Lagurus saturatus Ognev 1950 .

Distribution: Steppes, mountains, and northern deserts from Ukraine through Kazakhstan to W Altai steppes of S Russia, adjacent W Mongolia, and NW China ( NW Xinjiang; Zhang et al., 1997).

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: Morphology, geographic range, and phylogenetic history described by Gromov and Polyakov (1977) and Pavlinov et al. (1995 a). Chromosomal data reviewed by Zima and Kral (1984 a). Using geometric morphometry, Courant et al. (1997) noted cranial shape convergence between L. lagurus and lemmings ( Lemmus and Dicrostonyx ) and discussed ecological parallels between these two groups. Although the present range of L. lagurus does not extend west of Ukraine, the species occurred in Europe and S England during the last interglacial and glacial cycle ( Kowalski, 1967; Sutcliffe and Kowalski, 1976).