Asia Minor Ground Squirrel
Encyclopedia
The Asia Minor ground squirrel (Spermophilus xanthoprymnus), or Anatolian souslik, is a species of rodent
in the Sciuridae family. It is found in Armenia
, Iran
, and Turkey
. The scientific name roughly translates as "seed-lover with yellow underparts".
The fur is uniform in colour over most of the body, and does not have the darker markings found in neighbouring species such as the European souslik. Asia Minor ground squirrels are typically buff in colour, but may vary from greyish to dark brown. The underside and limbs are somewhat paler than the rest of the body, often being yellowish in colour. The only clear markings are narrow white rings around the eyes, and a white patch on the chin and throat. Females have eight or ten teats, and both sexes possess scent-producing anal glands.
in Turkey
, extending into Iran
and Armenia
at the very eastern edge of their range. Small, isolated populations have also been identified in the Antalya
and Çukurova
plain regions of southern Anatolia, but the species is otherwise absent from near-coastal regions and from European Turkey. They inhabit steppe
country and alpine meadows, between 800 and 2900 m (2,624.7 and 9,514.4 ft) elevation.
Although two subspecies of Asia Minor ground squirrel were formerly recognised, inhabiting the northwest highlands and the central lowlands of Anatolia, respectively, there seems to be little scientific evidence to support their distinct identities.
They feed primarily on seeds, leaves, and shoots of hardy plants such as cockleburr, star-thistle, shepherd's purse
, mustard
, wild onion
, speedwell
, and wild grains, in addition to domesticated crops. Although primarily herbivorous, they may also eat small invertebrates. Because of the relatively arid nature of the preferred habitat, they rarely, if ever, drink free-standing water, obtaining all they need from their diet. Natural predators include eagle owls, buzzard
s, falcon
s, and red fox
es.
lasting up to a couple of weeks, during which the body temperature drops by 10 degrees Celsius or more, separated by brief periods of arousal.
lasts around 25 days. The young are born blind and hairless, weighing 5 to 7 g (0.17636981052556 to 0.246917734735784 oz). The fur begins to appear at 15 days, and the eyes open at 22-25 days. By four weeks of age, they begin to leave the burrow, and they are fully weaned
by seven weeks.
, and include some specimens from as far west as Chios
, suggesting that the species formerly had a wider distribution than it does today.
Biochemical studies indicate that the species diverged from the common ancestor of the European souslik and the Taurus ground squirrel
, its closest living relatives, around five million years ago. This coincides with the formation of the Bosporus
, and the subsequent separation of Anatolia from Europe, during the late Miocene
. During the last Ice Age
, they may have survived in small mountain refugia in the Anatolian region.
" in the 2009 edition of the IUCN Red List
; the species previously having been considered as of Least Concern
. Asia Minor ground squirrels also have legal protection in the Republic of Turkey.
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
in the Sciuridae family. It is found in Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. The scientific name roughly translates as "seed-lover with yellow underparts".
Description
Like many other ground squirrels, the Asia Minor species has a rounded body and head, with short limbs and tail. Males, at 25 to 29 cm (9.8 to 11.4 in) in total length and 235 to 490 g (8.3 to 17.3 oz) in weight, are noticeably larger than females at 23 to 28 cm (9.1 to 11 in) and 170 to 410 g (6 to 14.5 oz). The tail is 3 to 6 cm (1.2 to 2.4 in) long.The fur is uniform in colour over most of the body, and does not have the darker markings found in neighbouring species such as the European souslik. Asia Minor ground squirrels are typically buff in colour, but may vary from greyish to dark brown. The underside and limbs are somewhat paler than the rest of the body, often being yellowish in colour. The only clear markings are narrow white rings around the eyes, and a white patch on the chin and throat. Females have eight or ten teats, and both sexes possess scent-producing anal glands.
Distribution, habitat, and diet
Asia Minor ground squirrels are found throughout central and eastern AnatoliaAnatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, extending into Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
at the very eastern edge of their range. Small, isolated populations have also been identified in the Antalya
Antalya
Antalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. With a population 1,001,318 as of 2010. It is the eighth most populous city in Turkey and country's biggest international sea resort.- History :...
and Çukurova
Çukurova
Çukurova , historically known as Cilicia, is a geographic, economic and cultural region in south-central Turkey, covering the provinces of Mersin, Adana, Osmaniye and Hatay...
plain regions of southern Anatolia, but the species is otherwise absent from near-coastal regions and from European Turkey. They inhabit steppe
Steppe
In physical geography, steppe is an ecoregion, in the montane grasslands and shrublands and temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biomes, characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes...
country and alpine meadows, between 800 and 2900 m (2,624.7 and 9,514.4 ft) elevation.
Although two subspecies of Asia Minor ground squirrel were formerly recognised, inhabiting the northwest highlands and the central lowlands of Anatolia, respectively, there seems to be little scientific evidence to support their distinct identities.
They feed primarily on seeds, leaves, and shoots of hardy plants such as cockleburr, star-thistle, shepherd's purse
Shepherd's Purse
Capsella bursa-pastoris, known by its common name shepherd's-purse because of its triangular, purse-like pods, is a small annual and ruderal species, and a member of the Brassicaceae or mustard family...
, mustard
Mustard plant
Mustards are several plant species in the genera Brassica and Sinapis whose small mustard seeds are used as a spice and, by grinding and mixing them with water, vinegar or other liquids, are turned into the condiment known as mustard or prepared mustard...
, wild onion
Allium
Allium is a monocot genus of flowering plants, informally referred to as the onion genus. The generic name Allium is the Latin word for garlic....
, speedwell
Veronica (plant)
Veronica is the largest genus in the flowering plant family Plantaginaceae, with about 500 species; it was formerly classified in the family Scrophulariaceae...
, and wild grains, in addition to domesticated crops. Although primarily herbivorous, they may also eat small invertebrates. Because of the relatively arid nature of the preferred habitat, they rarely, if ever, drink free-standing water, obtaining all they need from their diet. Natural predators include eagle owls, buzzard
Buzzard
A buzzard is one of several large birds, but there are a number of meanings as detailed below.-Old World:In the Old World Buzzard can mean:* One of several medium-sized, wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings....
s, falcon
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
s, and red fox
Red Fox
The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
es.
Behaviour
Asia Minor ground squirrels are diurnal, burrowing, animals, that hibernate through the winter. Their regular burrows are simple tunnels about 21 to 57 cm (8.3 to 22.4 in) deep. However, burrows used for nesting or hibernation may be as deep as 219 centimetres (86.2 in), and may have additional entrances and deep nesting and food storage chambers. They generally hibernate from September to March, although the exact timing depends on the local climate. Hibernation in the Asia Minor ground squirrel consists of bouts of torporTorpor
Torpor, sometimes called temporary hibernation is a state of decreased physiological activity in an animal, usually characterized by a reduced body temperature and rate of metabolism. Animals that go through torpor include birds and some mammals such as mice and bats...
lasting up to a couple of weeks, during which the body temperature drops by 10 degrees Celsius or more, separated by brief periods of arousal.
Reproduction
Asia Minor ground squirrels mate underground shortly after emerging from hibernation in March or April. During the mating season, males travel between several females, and may fight with each other for access to mates. The females produce a single litter of three to nine (although most commonly four or five) young each year, and gestationGestation
Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. Mammals during pregnancy can have one or more gestations at the same time ....
lasts around 25 days. The young are born blind and hairless, weighing 5 to 7 g (0.17636981052556 to 0.246917734735784 oz). The fur begins to appear at 15 days, and the eyes open at 22-25 days. By four weeks of age, they begin to leave the burrow, and they are fully weaned
Weaning
Weaning is the process of gradually introducing a mammal infant, either human or animal, to what will be its adult diet and withdrawing the supply of its mother's milk.The process takes place only in mammals, as only mammals produce milk...
by seven weeks.
Evolution
Fossils of Asia Minor ground squirrels are known from the early PleistocenePleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
, and include some specimens from as far west as Chios
Chios
Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, seven kilometres off the Asia Minor coast. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. The island is noted for its strong merchant shipping community, its unique mastic gum and its medieval villages...
, suggesting that the species formerly had a wider distribution than it does today.
Biochemical studies indicate that the species diverged from the common ancestor of the European souslik and the Taurus ground squirrel
Taurus ground squirrel
The Taurus ground squirrel is a species of rodent in the Sciuridae family. It is endemic to the Taurus Mountains of Turkey. It was first identified as a distinct species to the Asia Minor ground squirrel in 2007....
, its closest living relatives, around five million years ago. This coincides with the formation of the Bosporus
Bosporus
The Bosphorus or Bosporus , also known as the Istanbul Strait , is a strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with the Dardanelles...
, and the subsequent separation of Anatolia from Europe, during the late Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
. During the last Ice Age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
, they may have survived in small mountain refugia in the Anatolian region.
Conservation
Because Asia Minor ground squirrels will consume agricultural grains when they are available, they are considered a pest in many areas, and may be poisoned. In consequence, the increase of agriculture in central Anatolia led to declines of as much as 20-25% in ground squirrel populations over the first decade of the twenty-first century. In view of this decline the International Union for Conservation of Nature re-classified the Asia Minor ground squirrel as "Near ThreatenedNear Threatened
Near Threatened is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status...
" in the 2009 edition of the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
; the species previously having been considered as of Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
. Asia Minor ground squirrels also have legal protection in the Republic of Turkey.