Beach vole

Beach vole
Conservation status
	; Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Suborder:	Myomorpha
Superfamily:	Muroidea
Family:	Cricetidae
Subfamily:	Arvicolinae
Tribe:	Arvicolini
Genus:	Microtus
Species:	M. breweri
Binomial name
	Microtus breweri; Baird, 1858
Synonyms
	Microtus pennsylvanicus breweri;

The beach vole or Muskeget vole (Microtus breweri) is a subspecies of the eastern meadow vole, a rodent in the family Cricetidae endemic to Muskeget Island, Massachusetts.

Taxonomy[]

M. breweri is currently recognized by the IUCN and ITIS^[2] as a distinct species, but genetic studies indicate that it may be a subspecies of M. pennsylvanicus^[3]^[4]

Distribution[]

M. breweri can only be found on Muskeget Island, off the west coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States. However, throughout the history of Muskeget Island, it might also have appeared on nearby South Point and Adams Islands, which are considered as a part of Muskeget Island in a rather broad point of view. Moreover, the island has moved about 1,000 feet eastwardly over the last about 200 years, along with its changing process of shape, size and position due erosion and tidal buildup.^[5]

Habitat and diet[]

These voles are mainly dominating a wide habitat of poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) and the beach grass (Ammophilia breviligulata). Areas of bare sand, saltwater marsh and some fresh water also are found on the island. They not only burrow in coarse, loose sand, but also on loose soil under or near any of their shelters.^[5] M. breweri feeds on beach grass stalks, leaves and seeds, and insect adults and larvae. Their predators include cats, short-eared owls, northern harriers and the common garter snakes. Their home range is usually less than one acre.^[5]^[6]

Reproduction and behavior[]

The young beach voles are born in the burrow nests or underneath fragments of wreckage or at the base of goldenrod (Solidago). They are larger voles compared to other subspecies of meadow voles. They show many of the attributes of a K-selected organism, such as large size, later age at maturation, sex ratio weighted towards the males, and low reproductive output.^[7] The adults can breed from the spring to the fall, and the gestation can last for about one month. Every year, an individual female beach vole can produce up to several litters of three to five young offspring, but most will live for less than one year.^[5] The beach voles have a habit of building their runways above or underground through the beach grass. The runways may contain some cut grass. During winter, tunnels become more common due to the cold weather.^[7]

References[]

^ Roach, N. (2020). "Microtus breweri ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2020: e.T13417A22349291. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T13417A22349291.en.
^ "Microtus breweri (Baird, 1857)". ITIS. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
^ Jackson, Donavan J; Cook, Joseph A (2020-02-21). "A precarious future for distinctive peripheral populations of meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus)". Journal of Mammalogy. 101 (1): 36–51. doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyz196. ISSN 0022-2372.
^ "Explore the Database". www.mammaldiversity.org. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d David Kenneth Wetherbee; Raymond Parke Coppinger; Richard E. Walsh (1972). Time Lapse Ecology, Muskeget Island, Nantucket, Massachusetts. MSS Educational Pub. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
^ Tamarin, Robert H. (1977). "demography of the Beach Vole (Microtus breweri) and the Meadow Vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) in Southeastern Massachusetts". Ecology. 58 (6): 1310–1321. doi:10.2307/1935083. JSTOR 1935083.
^ ^a ^b Tamarin, Robert H. (1977). "Reproduction in the Island Beach Vole, Microtus breweri, and the Mainland Meadow Vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus, in Southeastern Massachusetts". Journal of Mammalogy. 58 (American Society of Mammalogists): 536–548. doi:10.2307/1380002. JSTOR 1380002. PMID 336824.

External links[]

http://training.fws.gov/library/pubs5/necas/web_link/39_muskeget.htm

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[1] Roach, N. (2020). "Microtus breweri ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2020: e.T13417A22349291. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T13417A22349291.en.

[2] "Microtus breweri (Baird, 1857)". ITIS. Retrieved 2 February 2022.

[3] Jackson, Donavan J; Cook, Joseph A (2020-02-21). "A precarious future for distinctive peripheral populations of meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus)". Journal of Mammalogy. 101 (1): 36–51. doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyz196. ISSN 0022-2372.

[4] "Explore the Database". www.mammaldiversity.org. Retrieved 2021-07-09.

[Wetherbee-5] David Kenneth Wetherbee; Raymond Parke Coppinger; Richard E. Walsh (1972). Time Lapse Ecology, Muskeget Island, Nantucket, Massachusetts. MSS Educational Pub. Retrieved 28 December 2012.

[Tamarin-6] Tamarin, Robert H. (1977). "demography of the Beach Vole (Microtus breweri) and the Meadow Vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) in Southeastern Massachusetts". Ecology. 58 (6): 1310–1321. doi:10.2307/1935083. JSTOR 1935083.

[Robert_Tamarin-7] Tamarin, Robert H. (1977). "Reproduction in the Island Beach Vole, Microtus breweri, and the Mainland Meadow Vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus, in Southeastern Massachusetts". Journal of Mammalogy. 58 (American Society of Mammalogists): 536–548. doi:10.2307/1380002. JSTOR 1380002. PMID 336824.

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