Eothenomys custos Thomas 1912

Eothenomys custos Thomas 1912, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 8, 9: 517.

Type Locality: China, Yunnan, A-tun-tsi (= Dequen Xian; see Kaneko, 1996 b for additional information), 11,500 -12,500 ft (3505-3810 m) .

Vernacular Names: Southwest China Red-backed Vole.

Synonyms: Eothenomys cangshanensis Wang and Li 2000; Eothenomys hintoni Osgood 1932; Eothenomys ninglangensis Wang and Li 2000; Eothenomys rubelius Hinton 1932; Eothenomys rubellus (G. M. Allen 1924) .

Distribution: Recorded only "from the extreme north-west of Yunnan, the Likiang Range, the loop of the Jinsha Jiang River, and from central Sichuan," 2500-4800 m (Kaneko, 1996 b:108).

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: E. chinensis species group. Listed as a species of Anteliomys by Hinton (1926 a). Whether in Eothenomys or Anteliomys, this distinct Chinese endemic has always been recognized as a species in faunal reports and checklists. Kaneko (1996 b) explained why the holotypes of hintoni and rubelius represent examples of E. custos; inclusion of cangshanensis and ninglangensis follows Ye et al. (2002).