The Balkan snow vole (''Dinaromys bogdanovi''), also known as Martino's snow vole, is the only living member of the

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 ...

''Dinaromys''. The genus name means "Dinaric mouse", referring to the

Dinaric Alps The Dinaric Alps (), also Dinarides, are a mountain range in Southern Europe, Southern and Southcentral Europe, separating the continental Balkan Peninsula from the Adriatic Sea. They stretch from Italy in the northwest through Slovenia, Croatia ...

, as the species is endemic to the western

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

of southeast Europe. Eight

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

of this

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 ...

have been recognized, although in 2022 this number was reduced to two subspecies. The Balkan snow vole is a

living fossil A living fossil is a Deprecation, deprecated term for an extant taxon that phenotypically resembles related species known only from the fossil record. To be considered a living fossil, the fossil species must be old relative to the time of or ...

, the only living species in the tribe

Pliomyini The Arvicolinae are a subfamily of rodents that includes the voles, lemmings, and muskrats. They are most closely related to the other subfamilies in the Cricetidae (comprising the hamsters and New World rats and mice). Some authorities place t ...

, and might arguably better be placed in ''

Pliomys ''Pliomys'' is an extinct genus of voles, subfamily Arvicolinae, tribe Pliomyini.Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. pp. 894–1531 ''in'' Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wi ...

'', a genus established for its

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...

relatives even before the Balkan snow vole was scientifically described. It was described by husband and wife mammalogists Vladimir Emmanuilovich Martino and Evgeniya Veniaminovna Martino. Others have argued that ''Pliomys'' (whose last representative, '' P. lenki'', only became extinct around 12,000 years ago) should be treated as entirely separate from ''Dinaromys'', with ''Dinaromys'' and ''P. lenki'' estimated to have genetically diverged around 4 million years ago based on

ancient DNA Ancient DNA (aDNA) is DNA isolated from ancient sources (typically Biological specimen, specimens, but also environmental DNA). Due to degradation processes (including Crosslinking of DNA, cross-linking, deamination and DNA fragmentation, fragme ...

sequences. The earliest representatives of ''Dinaromys'' like ''Dinaromys allegranzii'' date to the

Early Pleistocene The Early Pleistocene is an unofficial epoch (geology), sub-epoch in the international geologic timescale in chronostratigraphy, representing the earliest division of the Pleistocene Epoch within the ongoing Quaternary Period. It is currently esti ...

(around 2.5-2 million years ago), with ''Dinaromys'' also inhabiting the Italian Peninsula until the end of the

Late Pleistocene The Late Pleistocene is an unofficial Age (geology), age in the international geologic timescale in chronostratigraphy, also known as the Upper Pleistocene from a Stratigraphy, stratigraphic perspective. It is intended to be the fourth division ...

, when it contracted to its current distribution. A 2021 study found ''Dinaromys'' (and by extension, the rest of Pliomyini) to be the sister group to the tribe

Ellobiusini Ellobiusini is a tribe (taxonomy), tribe of voles containing two genera: ''Ellobius'' and ''Bramus''. All extant taxon, extant taxa in this tribe were formerly included in the genus ''Ellobius''. These species are distinguishable from most other ...

, from which it diverged during the late

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

; however, this still remains uncertain. The subspecies ''D. d. longipedis'' was recognized as a distinct species by the

American Society of Mammalogists The American Society of Mammalogists (ASM) was founded in 1919. Its primary purpose is to encourage the study of mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence ...

as ''Dinaromys longipedis''; it is found in the northwestern part of this species's range. The IUCN lists it as a vulnerable species due to its small and fragmented habitat, and competition with the

European Snow Vole The European snow vole or snow vole (''Chionomys nivalis'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It has dense, pale grey fur and a pale-coloured tail and can reach about long, with a tail which is long. The European snow vole is na ...

References

* * {{Taxonbar, from1=Q1193293, from2=Q12256248 Voles and lemmings Rodents of Europe Vulnerable animals Vulnerable biota of Europe Mammals described in 1922 Fossils of Serbia Habitats Directive species