Wildlifeof India
Kashmir Birch Mouse
Rats, Mice, Voles & Porcupines
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author · CC BY 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Sicista leathemi
Basic stats
Range
Himalaya: India (Jammu and Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh), Pakistan and China; type locality Krishnye Valley, Wardwan, Kashmir, about 3,050m
The Kashmir birch mouse, Sicista leathemi, was described by Oldfield Thomas in 1893 as a Sminthus from the Krishnye Valley in Wardwan, Kashmir, at about 3,050m. Its status is disputed: the Mammal Diversity Database lists it as a species from China, Pakistan and India, while a 2021 paper treats it as a subspecies of the Chinese birch mouse, Sicista concolor (Mammal Diversity Database; Journal of Threatened Taxa 2021, open access).
The 2021 note by Talmale, Sidhu and Saikia reported the first record in Himachal Pradesh, extending its range in the Indian Himalaya. No source opened describes its size, fur or habitat (Journal of Threatened Taxa 2021, open access).
Quick answers
- Where is the Kashmir Birch Mouse found?
- Himalaya: India (Jammu and Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh), Pakistan and China; type locality Krishnye Valley, Wardwan, Kashmir, about 3,050m