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The short-tailed field vole is a small, dark brown rodent with a short tail, distinguishable from the closely related common vole (Microtus arvalis) by its darker, longer and shaggier hair and by its more densely haired ears. The head and body length varies between 8 and 13 centimetres (3.1 and 5.1 in) and the tail between 3 and 4 centimetres ...
Microtus is a genus of voles found in North America, Europe and northern Asia. The genus name refers to the small ears of these animals. They are stout rodents with short ears, legs and tails.
Voles thrive on small plants yet, like shrews, they will eat dead animals and, like mice and rats, they can live on almost any nut or fruit. In addition, voles target plants more than most other small animals, making their presence evident. Voles readily girdle small trees and ground cover much like a porcupine. This girdling can easily kill ...
The gray-tailed vole is a small mammal in the middle of the size range for voles in general. [4] The fur on the back is yellowish-brown or yellowish-gray. [4] They have a short tail, black or brown above and grayish below. [4] The young have gray fur on the underside and a darker, "sooty" gray on the back. [8]
The American short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda) is a major predator; eastern meadow voles avoid areas frequented by short-tailed shrews. [5] Other major mammalian predators include the badger ( Taxidea taxus ), striped skunk ( Mephitis mephitis ), weasels ( Mustela spp.), marten ( Martes americana ), domestic dog ( Canis familiaris ...
The woodland vole has a head and body length ranging between 3.25–4.75 in (83–121 mm) with a 0.5–1.5 in (13–38 mm) short tail. Its weight ranges between 0.5–1.3 oz (14–37 g). It has a brown (light or dark) dorsal region with a whitish or silvery underside.
The most convenient distinguishing feature of the Arvicolinae is the nature of their molar teeth, which have prismatic cusps in the shape of alternating triangles. These molars are an adaptation to a herbivorous diet in which the major food plants include a large proportion of abrasive materials such as phytoliths; the teeth get worn down by abrasion throughout the adult life of the animal and ...
Adult singing voles range from 9 to 16 centimetres (3.5 to 6.3 in) in length, not counting the short, 1.5 to 4 centimetres (0.59 to 1.57 in), tail. They can weigh anything from 11 to 60 grams (0.39 to 2.12 oz), depending on their exact age and recent diet. There is no significant difference in size or coloration between the two sexes.