Alticola roylei (Gray, 1842)

Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, 2017, Cricetidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 204-535 : 305

56.

Royle’s Mountain Vole

Alticola roylei

French: Campagnol de Royle / German: Royle-Gebirgswiihimaus / Spanish: Topillo de montana de Royle

Other common names: Stolicaka's Mountain Vole

Taxonomy. Arvicola roylei Gray, 1842 , “ India (Cashmere [= Kashmir]).”

In the past, A. royleiwas believed to encompass taxa that are currently classified as six distinct species: A. argentatus , A. montosus, A. albicauda , A. semicanus , A. tuvinicus , and A. olchonensis . Monotypic.

Distribution. NW India (Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand) and W Nepal.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 91-117 mm, tail 29-48 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Royle’s Mountain Vole is dark and long-tailed, resembling the Kashmir Mountain Vole (A. montosus) in external appearance. Tail is 30-47% of head-body length, moderately hairy with distinct tuft. Back is dark brown, and belly is gray. Tail is bicolored. Skull has expanded zygomatic arches and small bullae. Molars are hypsodont and rootless, with squeezed dental fields and wide reentrant folds with little cement. M? has three inner salient angles.

Habitat. Accumulations of rocks and talus slopes at elevations of 2500-4300 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. Royle’s Mountain Vole is presumed to be in significant decline because of large-scale habitat loss and close to being qualified as Vulnerable. Distribution is highly fragmented and covers only ¢.15,290 km?.

Bibliography. Krystufek, Shenbrot et al. (2017), Rossolimo & Pavlinov (1992).

Figures

34. Nearctic Collared Lemming (Dicrostonyx groenlandicus), 35. Ungava Collared Lemming (Dicrostonyx hudsonius), 36. Nelson's Collared Lemming (Dicrostonyx nelsoni), 37. Ogilvie Mountains Collared Lemming (Dicrostonyx nunatakensis), 38. Richardson’s Collared Lemming (Ducrostonyx richardsoni), 39. Palearctic Collared Lemming (Dicrostonyx torquatus), 40. Unalaska Collared Lemming (Dicrostonyx unalascensis), 41. Gray Red-backed Vole (Craseomys rufocanus), 42. Hokkaido Red-backed Vole (Craseomys rex), 43. Korean Red-backed Vole (Craseomys regulus), 44. Shanxi Red-backed Vole (Craseomys shanseius), 45. Anderson’s Red-backed Vole (Craseomys andersoni), 46. Smith’s Red-backed Vole (Craseomys smith), 47. Western Red-backed Vole (Myodes californicus), 48. Southern Red-backed Vole (Myodes gapperi), 49. Bank Vole (Mpyodes glareolus), 50. Tian Shan Red-backed Vole (Myodes centralis), 51. Large-eared Vole (Myodes macrotis), 52. Northern Red-backed Vole (Myodes rutilus), 53. Silver Mountain Vole (Alticola argentatus), 54. White-tailed Mountain Vole (Alticola albicauda), 55. Kashmir Mountain Vole (Alticola montosus), 56. Royle’s Mountain Vole (Alticola roylei), 57. Strelzov’s Mountain Vole (Alticola strelzouvi), 58. Tuva Mountain Vole (Alticola tuvinicus), 59. Gobi Altai Mountain Vole (Alticola barakshin), 60. null (null), 60. null (null), 61. Mongolian Mountain Vole (Alticola semicanus), 61. Mongolian Mountain Vole (Alticola semicanus), 62. Stoliczka’s Mountain Vole (Alticola stoliczkanus), 62. Stoliczka’s Mountain Vole (Alticola stoliczkanus), 63. Lemming Mountain Vole (Aschizomys lemminus), 63. Lemming Mountain Vole (Aschizomys lemminus), 64. Gansu Red-backed Vole (Caryomys eva), 64. Gansu Red-backed Vole (Caryomys eva), 65. Kolan Red-backed Vole (Caryomys inez), 65. Kolan Red-backed Vole (Caryomys inez), 66. Pere David's Red-backed Vole (Eothenomys melanogaster), 66. Pere David’s Red-backed Vole (Eothenomys melanogaster), 67. Yunnan Red-backed Vole (Eothenomys miletus), 68. Sichuan Red-backed Vole (Eothenomys chinensis), 69. Southwest China Red-backed Vole (Eothenomys custos), 70. Black-eared Red-backed Vole (Eothenomys olitor), 71. Yulongxuen Red-backed Vole (FEothenomys proditor), 72. Ward’s Red-backed Vole (Eothenomys wardi), 73. Hinton’s Red-backed Vole (Eothenomys hintoni), 74. Tarquinius Red-backed Vole (Eothenomys tarquinius), 75. Burrowing Vole (Hyperacrius fertilis), 76. Murree Vole (Hyperacrius wynnei)

Distribution. NW India (Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand) and W Nepal.