A stocky short-tailed rodent of grassy habitats — the most prolific small mammal in North America. Their tunnels and runways through grass are clearly visible after spring snowmelt.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The eastern meadow vole, sometimes called the field mouse or meadow mouse, is a North American vole found in eastern Canada and the United States. Its range extends farther south along the Atlantic coast.
Source: Wikipedia — Eastern meadow vole Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Stocky vole with brown back; pale gray belly; short tail.
Similar species. Other Microtus species. Bog Lemming (different appearance).
Voice. Squeaks.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Grasses, sedges, roots, occasional invertebrates.
Behavior. Among the most prolific rodents. Single female can produce 5–10 litters per year. Major prey for hawks, owls, foxes, snakes.
§ Range
Across most of North America (less common in southwest)
§ Habitat
Grassy meadows, marshes, fields with dense ground cover
§ Threats
Habitat loss to mowed lawns and row crops, rodenticide poisoning of their predators, fragmentation.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the meadow vole is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Maintain unmowed grass corners. Skip rodenticides. Tolerate winter "vole trails" in lawns — they fill in.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Eastern meadow vole
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Microtus pennsylvanicus
- IUCN Red List · taxon 13452
- iNaturalist · taxon 42953
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Microtus pennsylvanicus
§ Sources cited
- American Society of Mammalogists
- IUCN Red List 2016
