A vole (Meadow Mice) is a small rodent resembling a mouse but with a stouter body, a shorter hairy tail, a slightly rounder head, and smaller ears and eyes. There are approximately 70 species of voles; they are sometimes known as meadow mice or field mice in America. The voles, together with the lemmings and the muskrats, form the subfamily Arvicolinae.
Woodland Vole
This one is a small vole found in eastern North America. It is also known as the Pine Vole.
These animals have short, soft reddish-brown fur on the upperparts and greyish brown underparts. They have short ears and a short tail, somewhat darker on top. They are 12 cm long with a 2 cm tail and weigh about 29 g.
Woodland Vole (Microtus pinetorum) |
They are found in deciduous woods with leaf litter and soft soils in the eastern United States to central Texas and as far north as southern Ontario and Quebec. These animals make shallow underground burrows, also sometimes using burrows built by other small mammals. They are often found in small loose colonies.
Voles are poor climbers and do not usually enter homes or other buildings. Instead, they inhabit wild lands or croplands adjacent to buildings, or gardens and landscaped sites with protective ground cover. Most problems around homes and gardens occur during times of large meadow mouse populations.
Voles usually live between 2 and 16 months. Their home ranges usually are less than 1/4 acre and vary with season, food supply and population density. Population densities of voles vary from species to species. Large population fluctuations that range from 14 to 500 voles per acre are common. Their numbers generally peak every 3 to 5 years. Factors that influence population levels include dispersal rates, food quality, climate, predation, physiological stress, and genetics
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