Tundra vole
Tundra vole | |
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Tundra vole in Alaska | |
Conservation status
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Cricetidae |
Subfamily: | Arvicolinae |
Genus: | Microtus |
Subgenus: | Alexandromys |
Species: | M. oeconomus
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Binomial name | |
Microtus oeconomus (Pallas, 1776)
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The tundra vole (Microtus oeconomus) or root vole is a medium-sized vole found in Northern and Central Europe, Asia, and northwestern North America, including Alaska and northwestern Canada. In the western part of the Netherlands, the tundra vole is a relict from the ice age and has developed to the subspecies Microtus oeconomus arenicola.
Description[]
It has short ears and a short tail. Its fur is yellowish brown with paler sides and white underparts. They are about 18 cm (7.1 in) long with a 4 cm (1.6 in) tail and weigh about 50 grams (1.8 oz).
Habitat[]
is found in damp tundra or moist meadows, usually near water.
Behaviour and diet[]
It makes runways through the surface growth in warm weather and tunnels through the snow in winter. It feeds on grasses, sedges and seeds. It is active year-round. It also digs burrows where it stores seeds and roots, especially licorice root, for the winter. The species epithet oeconomus refers to this "economical" behaviour.
Breeding[]
Female voles have three to six litters of three to 9 young in a shallow burrow. The vole population in a given area can vary greatly from year to year.
Subspecies[]
There are several subspecies of tundra vole.[1][2]
- M. o. amakensis - Amak Island tundra vole - Alaska, United States
- M. o. arenicola - Dutch tundra vole - Netherlands
- M. o. elymocetes - Montague Island tundra vole - Alaska, United States
- M. o. finmarchicus - Norwegian tundra vole - Norway
- M. o. innuitus - St. Lawrence Island tundra vole - Alaska, United States
- M. o. medius - Norwegian tundra vole - Norway
- M. o. mehelyi - Central European tundra vole - Austria, Hungary and Slovakia
- M. o. oeconomus
- M. o. popofensis - Shumagin Islands tundra vole - Alaska, United States
- M. o. punakensis - Punuk Islands tundra vole - Alaska, United States
- M. o. sitkensis - Alexander Archipelago tundra vole - Alaska, United States
- M. o. unalascensis - Unalaska tundra vole - Alaska, United States
References[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Microtus oeconomus. |
- ^ Jump up to: a b Linzey, A.V.; Shar, S.; Lkhagvasuren, D.; Juškaitis, R.; Sheftel, B.; Meinig, H.; Amori, G. & Henttonen, H. (2008). "Microtus oeconomus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
- ^ Witte van den Bosch, R. and Bekker, D. (2009). Verdwijnt de oer-Hollandse lemming? Geschiedenis en toekomst van de noordse woelmuis. Zoogdier 20-4: p.p 3-7. (in Dutch)
- Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. pp. 894–1531 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
- IUCN Red List least concern species
- Microtus
- Arctic land animals
- Mammals of the Arctic
- Rodents of Europe
- Rodents of North America
- Mammals described in 1776
- Least concern biota of North America