Proedromys liangshanensis

Liangshan Grooved Vole belongs to the subfamily Arvicoliniae. It is a new species published by Liu Shaoying et al. (2007). There was only one species in the genus Proedromys: Proedromys bedfordi, and it was rare. Except for the Sichuan Academy of Forestry, there are only three specimens in the world. Liu Shaoying et al. collected about 20 specimens in Jiuzhaigou County and Heishui County, Sichuan, enriching the collection of this species and laying the foundation for research. Liangshan Grooved Vole is the second species of the genus Proedromys, and its distribution area is narrow and its habitat is special. It is only distributed in the coniferous forests in the high-altitude areas of the Liangshan Mountains or the mixed areas of alpine meadows and coniferous forests.

Liangshan ditch-toothed voles feed on green parts of plants and seeds. It is a rare species in the province and does not cause much harm.

This species has been included in the "List of Terrestrial Wildlife with Important Economic and Scientific Research Value under State Protection" issued by the State Forestry Administration of China on August 1, 2000.

Listed in the 2016 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species ver3.1—Vulnerable (VU).

It is endemic to China. It is only distributed in the Liangshan Mountains in Sichuan. The locations where it has been found so far include Meigu, Mabian, Leibo, Jinyang and Yuexi.

Liangshan gully-toothed vole lives in the grasslands at the edge of coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests at an altitude of about 2,500 meters.

The Liangshan Valley tooth vole is very large, with an average of over 120mm. The tail is very long, averaging about 70mm, which is about 60% of the body length. This is very rare among voles. In our country, only three species of the subfamily Vole subfamily have such a large proportion of tail length. In addition to the Liangshan Valley tooth vole, there are only Eothenomys tarquinius and Neodon clarkei, but they all belong to different genera. The distinguishing feature of the Liangshan Valley tooth vole is its teeth: first, the incisors are wide, and each of the labial surfaces has an obvious longitudinal groove. Second, the molars are unique, consisting of a series of curved rings unlike any other vole.