genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of small, slender
vole
Voles are small rodents that are relatives of lemmings and hamsters, but with a stouter body; a longer, hairy tail; a slightly rounder head; smaller eyes and ears; and differently formed molars (high-crowned with angular cusps instead of lo ...
s. In recent years the genus name was changed to ''Myodes'', however a 2019 paper found that ''Myodes'' was actually a
junior synonym
In taxonomy, the scientific classification of living organisms, a synonym is an alternative scientific name for the accepted scientific name of a taxon. The botanical and zoological codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently.
...
for '' Lemmus'', thus making it unusable. As such, ''Clethrionomys'' is re-established as the proper genus name. At the same time, several species were moved to the genus ''
Craseomys
''Craseomys'' is a genus of small, slender voles.
The complete list of species is:
* Anderson's red-backed vole, ''C. andersoni''
*Imaizumi's red-backed vole, ''C. imaizumii''
* Korean red-backed vole, ''C. regulus''
* Hokkaido red-backed vole, ...
'', so members of both genera are referred to as red-backed voles. This genus was described by
Johannes von Nepomuk Franz Xaver Gistel
Johannes von Nepomuk Franz Xaver Gistel istl(11 August 1809 – 9 March 1873) was a German naturalist. He worked at the Museum of Natural History in Regensburg, and wrote on a range of topics under the pseudonyms Garduus and G. Tilesius (an ...
under the
pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...
"G. Tilesius". Some authors cite the
taxonomic authority
In biology, taxonomy () is the scientific study of naming, defining ( circumscribing) and classifying groups of biological organisms based on shared characteristics. Organisms are grouped into taxa (singular: taxon), and these groups are given ...
as "Gistel, 1850", whereas others still use "Tilesius, 1850".
The complete list of species is:
* Western red-backed vole, ''Clethrionomys californicus''
*
Tien Shan red-backed vole
The Tien Shan red-backed vole (''Clethrionomys centralis'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in the Tian Shan Mountains of northwestern China, southeastern Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
References
*Musser, G. G. an ...
Bank vole
The bank vole (''Clethrionomys glareolus'') is a small vole with red-brown fur and some grey patches, with a tail about half as long as its body. A rodent, it lives in woodland areas and is around in length. The bank vole is found in much of Eu ...