| Abstrakt: |
Abstract: An extensive series of owl pellets collected in Bohemia between 1974-1981 revealed an isolated population of the pygmy field mouse, Apodemus microps Kratochvíl et Rosický, 1952 near the town of Žatec, NW Bohemia. The population’s distribution was confined to 25 localities, all within an area of ca. 25×20 km. The region is nearly without woods and strongly agricultural. Altitude ranges mostly between 220-300 m (375 m exceptionally) and the climate is relatively dry and moderately warm. This represents the westernmost population of A. microps known, being 190 km from the nearest known Polish population and 230 km from a neighbouring southern Moravian population. One skull and three molar measurements from this population were compared with those from a sample composed of specimens of the nominotypic subspecies from S. Moravia and S. and E. Slovakia. Univariate as well as PC and DF analyses revealed highly significant differences; these suggest a distinct systematic position for the Bohemian population, described here as Apodemus microps cimrmani ssp. n. |
