Abstract
The subgenus Craseomys of the genus Clethriono� mys is represented by two species, the widespread spe� cies of the Palearctic ecozone Clethrionomys rufocanus Sundevall, 1846 and the species Clethrionomys rex Imaizumi, 1971 inhabiting only Sakhalin Island, sev� eral Japanese and the South Kuril Islands [2, 8, 11]. Their taxonomical status has been proved relatively recent by molecular genetic methods [5]. Neverthe� less, the issue about their level of morphological differ� entiation is still open. The most obvious differences of these species are displayed in morphotypical charac� teristics of the third upper molar (M3), with other morphological features [1, 5–8], including the first lower molar (m1) [1, 4], being similar, which is suc� cessfully used in diagnosis of many modern and fossil species of voles. Comparison of the dental features of Cl. rufocanus and Cl. rex is connected with that the
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