M e a d o w V o l e
| Class: Mammalia: Mammals | Diet: Grass |
| Order: Rodentia: Rodents | |
| Size: body: 9 - 12.5 cm (3 1/2 - 5 in), tail: 3.5 - 6.5 cm (1 1/4 - 2 12/ in) | |
| Family: Microtinae: Voles and Lemmings | Conservation Status: Non-threatened |
| Scientific Name: Microtus pennsylvanicus | Habitat: grassland, woodland, often near water |
| Range: Canada, N. U.S.A. | |
| The meadow vole is a highly adaptable species, found in a wide range of habitats. It is a social animal, but each adult has its own territory. The voles clear runways in the grass, which they keep trimmed, and feed on plant material such as grass, seeds, roots and bark. A nest of grass is made in the ground or in a shallow burrow under the runways. The female is a prolific breeder, producing at least three and often as many as twelve or thirteen litters a year of up to 10 young each. The gestation period is 3 weeks, and females start to breed at only 3 weeks old. |
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