Ecological Preferences of the Anatolian Vole Microtus anatolicus (Rodentia: Cricetidae), an endemic species of the Anatolia

Abstract

In this study, from June to July 2007, habitat type and characteristics of Microtus anatolicus an endemic species of the Anatolia was investigated. Of the caught 79 samples, 63 (29 male male +34 female female) were dead individuals and 16 (7 males +9 females) were alive from four localities (Kozan, Bozdogan, Cevizli and Derekoy). Also Cevizli and Derekoy are first records for species. There were no differences between sexes for snaptrapping and livetrapping (chi(2)(snaptrapping)=0.20; p=0.66 ve chi(2)(livetrapping)=0.13; df=1; p=0.72). On the other hand, there were strong positive correlations between the capture frequencies in traps (snap and livetrap), also population density and the altitude of localities (rsnaptrapping=0.742; n=4; p=0.023, r(snaptrapping)=0.785; n= 4; p= 0.037 ve r(density)=0.933; n=6; p=0.009). M. anatolicus lives in dry and narrow nesting areas at small colonies. In the areas, observed that nesting in with slopes of 0-20 degrees at sunny south-facing areas. All of 63 dead and all of 16 alive individuals were caught on the south-facing (south, southeast, and southwest) exposures, but not north-facing areas. Also 98.94% of population density in South-facing areas.