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Eastern meadow voles dig shallow burrows, [9] and in burrows, nests are constructed in enlarged chambers. In winter, nests are often constructed on the ground surface under a covering of snow, usually against some natural formation such as a rock or log. [8] [9] Eastern meadow voles form runways or paths in dense grasses. [8] [9]
Townsend's vole lives in a burrow system and creates runways among the vegetation in its habitat. The runways are used all year round by successive generations of voles and may be 2.5 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in) deep. [5] In the summer the voles may take advantage of the denser cover available and also move about elsewhere.
Voles are seldom seen outside these runways, which enable a faster and safer locomotion and easier orientation. The climbing ability of the common vole is very poor. Underground nests are dug 30–40 cm (12–16 in) deep into the ground and are used for food storage, offspring raising, and as a place for rest and sleep.
The long-tailed vole are apprehensive of other voles. [12] They are found in areas inhabited by other microtines, but generally avoid contact. [13] The montane vole is a more aggressive animal and is known to displace them from their habitat. [4] The more long-tailed voles in a given area, the more aggressive the montane voles become. [4]
Every year, an individual female beach vole typically produces two litters of three to five offspring, but most will live for less than one year. [6] The beach voles have a habit of building runways above or in the ground under the beach grass, in order to better stay hidden from aerial predators. These runways may contain cut grass.
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 ...
Singing voles are at least semi-colonial animals, sharing burrows between family groups. They are active throughout the day, with no clear preference for sunlight or night time. They make runways through the surface growth, connecting feeding grounds to burrow entrances, although these are not as clear as those made by some other vole species.
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 ...