516.

Yellow-necked Field Mouse

Apodemus flavicollis

French: Mulot a collier / German: Gelbhalsmaus / Spanish: Raton de campo de cuello amarillo

Taxonomy. Mus flavicollis Melchior, 1834,

Sieland Island, Denmark.

According to the 1996 study by G. G. Musser and colleagues, A. flavicollis belongs to the Sylvaemus group, and this was corroborated in 2012 from molecular studies by Liu Qi and coworkers that found a clade consisting of A. sylvaticus, A. flavicollis, A. uralensis, and A. alpicola . A. flavicollis coexists in sympatry with one or two other Apodemus species, and many morphometric studies on skulls and molars have been carried out to facilitate its identification. Monotypic.

Distribution. Widely distributed in Europe, from Britain and N Spain E to the Ural Mts (Russia), Turkey, W Syria, Lebanon, N Israel, NW Jordan, Armenia, and W Iran (Zagros Mts).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 81-130 mm, tail 86-135 mm, ear 15-20 mm, hindfoot 21-28 mm; weight 22-56 g. The Yellow-necked Field Mouse is middle-sized compared with other Apodemus, but is larger than Long-tailed Field Mouse ( A. sylvaticus). It has a rich bright brown dorsal pelage and a white to gray belly, with a more or less developed yellow to orange pectoral collar. This collar may be either complete (joining shoulders on both sides of neck) or reduced to a small chest spot; in some cases, especially when in sympatry with acongener, the collar may totally disappear, making specific identification difficult. Significantsize variation has been observed throughout the extended range of the species. Karyotype 2n = 48, NFa = 46.

Habitat. Forests or edges of forest. In Serbia, a microhabitat study showed that habitat patches preferred by the Yellow-necked Field Mouse were those with dense and closed tree canopy dominated by Quercus petraea (Fagaceae) . It sometimes enters houses in autumn. It occurs from sea level to 2500 m.

Food and Feeding. The Yellow-necked Field Mouse is more of a seed specialist, supplementing its diet with up to 20% invertebrate food, whereas the Striped Field Mouse ( A. agrarius) has more varied diet with up to 40% invertebrates. It forages in trees or in the ground.

Breeding. Nests are in trees or in burrows, or in natural subterranean shelters. Pregnant females in France had 3-8 embryos (average 5-7). In central Europe, average varied from five to seven.

Activity patterns. The Yellow-necked Field Mouse is nocturnal, and arboreal and fossorial. It is a good climber and jumper.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Population densities varied seasonally in Serbia and peaked twice, once in June of 1997 (85 ind/ha) and once in June of 1998 (47 ind/ha). Lowest density was registered in January 1999 (3 ind/ha). Multiannual cycles of abundance have been recorded in different countries. Size of observed movement in different trapping sessions varied from 10 m to 134 m, with average of 42 m for males and females. Home range varied from 100 m* to 2300 m*; median value was 625 m? for males and 551 m? for females.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Aulagnier et al. (2009), Holisovéa (1967), Liu Qi et al. (2012), Michaux et al. (2004), Musser et al. (1996), Obrtel & Holisova (1974), Quéré & Le Louarn (2011), Vukicevi¢-Radi¢ et al. (2006).