Calomyscus grands, Schiltter & Setzer, 1973

Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, 2017, Calomyscidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 144-155 : 155

6.

Noble Brush-tailed Mouse

Calomyscus grands

French: Calomysque géant / German: Edler Maushamster / Spanish: Raton de cola de cepillo noble

Other common names: Noble Calomyscus, Noble Mouse-tailed Hamster

Taxonomy. Calomyscus bailwardi grandis Schlitter & Setzer, 1973,

“ 11 km ENE Fasham , Teheran Prov., Iran.”

Calomyscus grandis was initially described and treated as a subspecies of C. bailward.. [. Ya. Pavlinov and colleagues in 1995 listed it as a separate species, and morphometric analyses conducted by V. S. Lebedev and colleagues in 1998 clearly demonstrated great phenetic differentiation with other forms of Calomyscus in northern Iran. Although two karyotypes have been reported for specimens from near the type locality both with a 2n = 44 and one with a FNa = 46 and the other with a FNa = 64, the latter is incorrect and only a karyotype with a FNa = 46 is known to occur. This karyotype is identical to the karyotype of C. mystax ; however, it differs from C. mystax in its generally larger body and cranial measurements. Molecular phylogenetic studies of mtDNA markers have placed C. grandis as the sister taxon of either C. elburzensis or a clade containing C. urartensis and C. mystax . Monotypic.

Distribution. Limits of distribution are unresolved but currently known to occur on Mt Damavand and in Central Alborz (= Elburz) Mts of Teheran and Mazandaran provinces, N Iran.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 75-94 mm, tail 88-99 mm, ear 19-20 mm, hindfoot 20-22 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Noble Brush-tailed Mouse is the largest, darkest, and longest tailed species of brush-tailed mice. It is grayish due to buffy brown dorsal pelage, mixed with black-tipped hairs. Occipital nasal lengths of skulls are 26-1-27-1 mm, and zygomatic breadth are 12:6-13-1 mm. M, is long and slender. Morphometric and geometric morphometric analyses have found that the Noble Brush-tailed Mouse is the most distinguishable species in the genus.

Habitat. Rocky hillsides, along rock walls of gardens, and on vegetated rocky outcroppings along crested hills along flanks of higher mountains.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. The Noble Brush-tailed Mouse is known from only a few localities on Mount Damavand and in the Central Alborz Mountains of northern Iran. No conservation threats have been identified.

Bibliography. Akbarirad, Darvish & Aliabadian (2016a), Akbarirad Darvish, Aliabadan & Kilpatrick (2015), Corbet (1978), Graphodatsky et al. (2000), Lebedev et al. (1998), Malikov et al. (1999), Musser & Carleton (2005), Nor ris et al. (2003), Pavlinov et al. (1995), Schlitter & Setzer (1973), Shahabi, Darvish et al. (2011), Shahabi, Zarei & Sahebjam (2010), Zarei et al. (2013).

Figures

1. Zagros Mountains Brush-tailed Mouse (Calomyscus bailwardi), 2. Hotson’s Brush-tailed Mouse (Calomyscus hotsoni), 3. Pakistan Brush-tailed Mouse (Calomyscus baluchi), 4. Great Balkhan Brush-tailed Mouse (Calomyscus mystax), 5. Goodwin's Brush-tailed Mouse (Calomyscus elburzensis), 6. Noble Brush-tailed Mouse (Calomyscus grands), 7. Urar Brush-tailed Mouse (Calomyscus urartensis), 8. Syrian Brush-tailed Mouse (Calomyscus tsolovi)

Distribution. Limits of distribution are unresolved but currently known to occur on Mt Damavand and in Central Alborz (= Elburz) Mts of Teheran and Mazandaran provinces, N Iran.