Dryomys niethammeri Holden 1996
Creators: name: Don E. Wilson
name: Thomas E. Lacher, Jr
name: Russell A. Mittermeier
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Rodentia
Gliridae
Dryomys
Dryomys niethammeri

description: 26.
Niethammer’s Forest Dormouse
Dryomys niethammeri
French: Lérotin de Niethammer / German: Belutschistan-Baumschlafer / Spanish: Liron de Niethammer
Other common names: Balochistan Forest Dormouse, Baluchistan Forest Dormouse
Taxonomy. Dryomys niethammer: Holden, 1996,
one mile east of Ziarat, [30-25 N, 67-49 E, above 2591 m,] Balochistan Province, Pakistan.
This species is currently known only from three positively identified specimens from Balochistan, Pakistan, although an additional five specimens of the type series may exist in collections of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council as discussed by M. E. Holden in 1996. Additional specimens mentioned by T. |]. Roberts in 1977 and 1997 from Wam, near Quetta, and near Harboi may also represent D. niethammeri, but Holden in 1996 was unable to locate these specimens. Dryomys nitedula has historically only been documented in north-western Pakistan, as mapped by Holden in 1996, and not documented in close proximity to the distribution of D. niethammeri; however, recently specimens were identified as D. nitedula by M. Z. Khan and S. Siddiqui in 2011 from south-west of Quetta. These specimens would provide the first confirmed records of D. nitedula in Balochistan, although J. D. Hassinger in 1973 recorded it in adjacent southern Afghanistan. Supposed specimen records of D. nitedula from Balochistan, Pakistan, shown in distribution maps by T. J. Roberts in 1977 and 1997 and N. Batsaikhan and colleagues in 2008 represent D. niethammeri as discussed in Holden 1996 and 2005. Two photographs of dormice included in Roberts’s 2005 field guide likely depict both species of forest dormouse that occur in Pakistan. The top photograph closely resembles the type specimen of D. niethammeri, as noted by Holden in 1996, Roberts and colleagues captured seven dormice at and near the type locality, including the holotype. The lower photograph is clearly an example of D. nitedula. A locality identified by a question mark in Roberts’s 1977 and 1997 publications was apparently an error, possibly a plotting error of the Harboi locality; presumably following Roberts, Batsaikhan and colleagues in 2008 indicated that D. nitedula are “probably extant” at the locality in question. Roberts did not plot the uncertain locality in 2005. Monotypic.
Distribution. SW Pakistan, only know from Balochistan Province (NE of Quetta, Urak Valley, and from one mile E of Ziarat).
Descriptive notes. Head-body 99-103 mm, tail 93 mm, ear 18-20 mm, hindfoot 21 mm; weight 33-38 g. No sexual dimorphism reported. Niethammer’s Forest Dormouse is similar in size to the Eurasian Forest Dormouse (D. nitedula) but has highly inflated auditory bullae and relatively longer incisive foramina. Dorsal pelage color of Niethammer’s Forest Dormouse is tawny ash-gray, with no conspicuous darkening toward midline. Dorsal pelage texture is soft and somewhat long (rump hairs 11-13 mm, guard hairs up to 15-16 mm). Ventral pelage is uniformly cream colored, and dorsal pelage is clearly delineated from ventral pelage. Head color matches that of dorsal pelage; face is paler. Conspicuous brownish black eye mask extends from bases of ears to vibrissae; eye mask is conspicuous but not as broad as that of Eurasian Forest Dormouse. Ears of Niethammer’s Forest Dormouse are brown, somewhat long, and rounded; post-auricular patches are not present. Hindfeet are white and long, ¢.21% of head-body length. Tail is long, ¢.94% of head-body length, based only on measurement of the type specimen, because the other two specimens’ tails are damaged. Dorsal tail color generally matches that of dorsal pelage, and ventral tail color is paler; white hairs are scattered throughout tail fur, and tail is conspicuously tipped in white. Tail hairs are shorter at base oftail and longer toward tip. Skull is moderately large, comparable in size to Eurasian Forest Dormouse, but more gracile and with greatly inflated auditory bullae. Condylobasal length is 24-9-25-4 mm, zygomatic breadth is 15-9 mm, and upper tooth row length is 3-6-3-8 mm. External and cranial measurements listed are from holotype plus two additional specimens from Balochistan, Pakistan. Chromosome number is not known. Females have four pairs of nipples (I pectoral + 1 abdominal + 2 inguinal = 8).
Habitat. Dry steppe-forest or sparse woodland, recorded at elevations of 1981 m to above 2591 m. At the type locality near Ziarat above 2591 m, Niethammer’s Forest Dormouse was collected in dry steppe-juniper forest of scattered juniper (Juniperus excelsa, Cupressaceae), with shrubs of legume (Sophora griffithii, Fabaceae) and wormwood (Artemisia maritima, Asteraceae), mixed with scattered stone fruit (Prunus eburnea, Rosaceae) and barberry (Berberis baluchistanica, Berberidaceae). A single specimen collected in the Urak Valley at 1981 m was captured in an area characterized as having fewer juniper trees but scattered stunted bushes and small trees with an understory similar to that at Ziarat.
Food and Feeding. Niethammer’s Forest Dormouse is probably omnivorous. Five individuals in snap traps baited with fresh fruit have been captured.
Breeding. There is no information available for this species.
Activity patterns. Niethammer’s Forest Dormouse is probably nocturnal and a hibernator, butits specific activity patterns are virtually unknown.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no specific information available for this species, but Niethammer’s Forest Dormouse is probably solitary, and arboreal and terrestrial.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. Niethammer’s Forest Dormouse has a limited and fragmented distribution ofless than 20,000 km? and severe fragmentation and decline in quality of suitable forest and woodland habitat has occurred in this area. Niethammer’s Forest Dormouse is endemic to Pakistan; however, limits of its distribution have yet to be determined. Threats include fragmentation and degradation of habitat due to overgrazing and removal of wood and expanding agriculture and human settlements. An influx of refugees during recent years has intensified human population pressures and accelerated degradation and fragmentation of habitat. There are protected areas in and near distribution ofthis species such as Hazarganji-Chiltan National Park, near Quetta.
Bibliography. Batsaikhan et al. (2008), Beg (1975), Champion et al. (1965), Gippoliti (2008), Hassinger (1973), Holden (1996a, 2005), Khan & Siddiqui (2011), Roberts (1977 1997 2005), Srinivasulu & Srinivasulu (2012), WWF (2015).
description: Published as part of Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2016, Gliridae, pp. 838-889 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on pages 859-860, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6604339