Eothenomys wardi

72.

Ward’s Red-backed Vole

Eothenomys wardi

French: Campagnol de Ward / German: \Ward-Rotelmaus / Spanish: Topillo rojo de Ward

Other common names: \Ward’'s Chinese Vole, Ward's Oriental Vole

Taxonomy. Microtus (Anteliomys) ward: Thomas, 1912, “Chamutong [= Tra-mutang], Upper Salween drainage-area, W. of A-tun-tsi, [Yunnan, China]. 13,000’ [= 3962 m].”

Eothenomys wardi is in the subgenus Anteliomys. In the past, it was mainly regarded as a synonym of E. chinensis, but molecular evidence supported specific status of E. wardi. Monotypic.

Distribution. Known from less than ten localities in the Meili Snow (= Chamutong) Mts between Salween and Mekong river valleys, NW Yunnan (China).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 90-108 mm, tail 43-56 mm; weight 22-39 g. Ward's Red-backed Vole is moderately large, with tail longer than ¢.50% of head-body length. Ears protrude above pelage. Females have two pairs of inguinal nipples. Fur is ¢.8 mm long, soft, gray-brown above and light gray below. Skull shows no peculiarities, being moderately deep. M? is complex, with five inner salient angles and long posterior cup.

Habitat. Open and rocky mountain meadows and forests at elevations of 2400-4250 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Breeding season of Ward’s Red-backed Vole is from early summer to late autumn.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. Justification for the ranking is the small distribution of less than 10,000 km?. Ward’s Red-backed Vole is close to being classified as Vulnerable due to its limited distribution, but there is no information on habitat conditions and possible threats.

Bibliography. Kaneko (1996), Lunde (2008), Shenbrot & Krasnov (2005), Zeng Tao et al. (2013).