Sicista kazbegica Sokolov, Baskevich, and Kovalskaya 1986

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Rodentia - Family Dipodidae, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 2, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 871-893 : 889

Sicista kazbegica Sokolov, Baskevich, and Kovalskaya 1986

Sicista kazbegica Sokolov, Baskevich, and Kovalskaya 1986 , Zool. Zh., 65 (6): 949.

Type Locality: Georgia, Kazbegi District, 14 km NW Kobi, Suatisi Gap, upper reaches Terek River, subalpine zone, 2200 m.

Vernacular Names: Kazbeg Birch Mouse.

Distribution: Greater Caucasus: southern flanks in N Ossetia region of Russia, and the Kazbegi District on the northern flanks in Georgia ( Shenbrot et al. 1995; Sokolov and Baskevich, 1992; Sokolov et al., 1986 b, 1987 a).

Conservation: IUCN – Data Deficient.

Discussion: Sokolov et al. (1986 b) gave karyological and spermatozoal characters that distinguished the Georgian population of this species from S. caucasica and S. kluchorica , and S. armenica ( Sokolov and Baskevich, 1988) . Sokolov and Baskevich (1992) reported chromosomal, morphological, and spermatozoal data for a population from the North Ossetia region, which shows some chromosomal differences that they interpreted as simply geographic variation within S. kazbegica . Recognized by Pavlinov and Rossolimo (1998) and reviewed by Gromov and Erbajeva (1995) and Shenbrot et al. (1995). See also comment under Sicista .