Chinese scrub vole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chinese scrub vole |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Neodon
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| Species: |
irene
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The Chinese scrub vole, also called Irene's mountain vole, is a small furry animal. It belongs to the rodent family, just like mice and hamsters. This special vole lives only in the high mountains of southern China. It looks a lot like another vole called the Sikkim mountain vole. Experts say it is a "least concern" animal, meaning it's not currently in danger.
What Does It Look Like?
The Chinese scrub vole is a small creature. Its body, from head to tail base, is about 80 to 108 mm (3.15 to 4.25 in) long. Its tail adds another 22 to 40 mm (0.87 to 1.57 in).
Its fur is greyish-brown on its back. Its belly is a darker grey. There's a strip of brownish-yellow fur where these two colors meet. Its front and back feet are brownish-white on top. The tail has two colors: brown on the top and white underneath.
This vole looks very much like the Sikkim mountain vole. However, the Chinese scrub vole is a bit smaller. Scientists can tell them apart by looking closely at their teeth.
Where Does It Live?
The Chinese scrub vole lives only in China. You can find it in the high mountains. These areas include eastern Qinghai and southern Gansu. It also lives in western Sichuan and northeastern Tibet Autonomous Region. You might also find it in northwestern Yunnan.
It usually lives in high mountain meadows. It also likes hillsides that have lots of shrubs.
How Does It Behave?
Like other voles, the Chinese scrub vole mostly eats plants. Scientists don't know much about how it has babies. However, one female was found in August with three baby voles growing inside her.
Is It in Danger?
The Chinese scrub vole lives in many places. Scientists believe there are many of them in total. It lives in several special nature reserves. We don't know if its numbers are going up or down. But no big threats have been found for this animal. Because of this, experts say it is a "least concern" species. This means it's not currently at risk of disappearing.
