Hunting behaviour in arvicoline rodents

In laboratory experiments, purposeful predatory inter-relations with moving insects have been revealed and described in three species of herbivorous voles: the East European vole, the narrow-headed vole, and the Tuva silver vole. The appearance of the full hunting stereotype in these species does not require preliminary experience, which indicates its innate nature. The hunting behaviour of the Tuva silver vole differed from that of the East European vole and narrow-headed vole, which probably reflects the phylogenetic relationships between these species.

Ectoparasite Complex of the East European Vole Microtus rossiaemeridionalis (Arvicolinae, Rodentia) on the Northern Border of the Range in Western Siberia

The purpose of the research is establishing the composition, infection rates, species and group ratio of ectoparasites of the East European vole on the northern border of the range in Western Siberia (Middle Ob Region). Materials and methods. In 2015–2018, in order to capture the provider of ectoparasites, the East European vole, we used methods of trap lines, trap trenches, and fence-traps; we recorded 173 animals from which we collected 881 specimens of gamasid mites, ixodic ticks, lice and fleas. To assess the quantitative indicators of ectoparasites, the indices generally accepted in parasitology were used. Results and discussion. In 2014, it was established for the first time that there is a sibling species of the common vole, the East European vole in the Middle Ob Region (middle taiga of the forest zone of Western Siberia). In the city of Surgut and its neighborhood, this animal is confined to the most transformed biotopes. The ectoparasite complex of the East European vole includes 26 species of parasitic arthropods. By the number of species (13) and individuals, gamasid mites predominate, and the proportion of ixodic ticks, lice and fleas put together is almost 3 times lower. In a climate of the Middle Ob Region, the list of ectoparasites will no doubt grow as the range of habitats expands and the contacts of the East European vole with other small mammals increase, and its role in maintaining pathogen circulation of natural focal infectious diseases will increase.

Intraspecific epigenetic polymorphism of the East European vole (Microtus levis Miller, 1908) in South-eastern Europe and Turkey

This study aims to represent the first report on population variation of 20 non-metric skull characters in East European vole (Microtus levis) from the Balkan (populations from Northern Dobruja; Southern Dobruja; East part of the Danube Plain; North-east Trace; Sofia field; South-east Trace) and Anatolian peninsulas (populations from North-west Anatolia region and Central Anatolia region), on the basis of which to determine its epigenetic variability and to analyse their mutual geographical epigenetic relations through comparison of the epigenetic divergence among them. Estimation of epigenetic variation of the studied populations of M. levis showed similar pattern of variation, but it is mostly higher than the other rodent species with a similar range of distribution, such as Microtus arvalis, Mus musculus, Apodemus sylvaticus, Apodemus flavicollis and Clethrionomys glareolus. Each one of the studied traits manifested some polymorphism. Moreover, all the calculated epigenetic distances (MMD) were statistically insignificant (P < 0.05) and epigenetic cranial uniqueness (MU) of any studied population was not found. These results reveal lack of expressed geographic relationship of population epigenetic variability in East European vole. The revealed populations epigenetic polymorphism of M. levis gives an opportunity for more complete assessment of variability and biological diversity of this species, but further research is necessary to elucidate its population epigenetics, especially as the data obtained in recent investigations of cranial morphology of the sibling species from the group the M. arvalis (sensu lato) added new locations to the distribution map of the East European vole in Eurasia.