Southern Birch Mouse
Encyclopedia
The Southern Birch Mouse (Sicista subtilis) is a species of birch mouse
in the family Dipodidae
.
The most prominent characteristic of the Southern Birch Mouse is the dark stripe down the center of the back, which is bordered by two narrow bright stripes on both sides. From head to rump it measures from 56 to 72 mm, with a tail from 110 to 130% of the main body length. The background fur color is gray-brown.
The Southern Birch Mouse is found on the Balkan Peninsula, Ukraine
, Romania
and southern Russia
The Southern Birch Mouse is pronouncedly a steppe
dweller. It makes a subterranean burrow in the summer and hibernates
.
Birch mouse
Birch mice are small jumping desert rodents that resemble mice with a long tufted tail and very long hind legs, allowing for remarkable leaps. All variants possess a long tail of of length and weigh about . The head length lies between...
in the family Dipodidae
Dipodidae
The Dipodidae, or dipodids, are a family of rodents found across the northern hemisphere. This family includes over 50 species among the 16 genera....
.
The most prominent characteristic of the Southern Birch Mouse is the dark stripe down the center of the back, which is bordered by two narrow bright stripes on both sides. From head to rump it measures from 56 to 72 mm, with a tail from 110 to 130% of the main body length. The background fur color is gray-brown.
The Southern Birch Mouse is found on the Balkan Peninsula, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and southern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
The Southern Birch Mouse is pronouncedly a 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...
dweller. It makes a subterranean burrow in the summer and hibernates
Hibernation
Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate. Hibernating animals conserve food, especially during winter when food supplies are limited, tapping energy reserves, body fat, at a slow rate...
.