Vole               

Introduction

The Meadow Vole is a small, common rodent that lives in grassy fields, woodland, marshes, and along lakes and rivers. It is five to seven inches long, counting the tail, and usually weighs only and ounce or two. Meadow Voles' color can vary from yellowish-brown to reddish-brown to blackish-brown. They are normally gray on their underparts. They make nests in clumps of grass, using materials such as dry grass, sedges, and weeds. From their nests, they build "runways," like tunnels beneath the grass and plants. Unlike mice, they do not leave their droppings in the nest. They deposit them in crossroads in the tunnel network. Meadow Voles are most active at night during the Summer, and during the day if its Winter. They are less active when there's a full moon. They are good diggers, as well as good swimmers. Females are territorial.

If a vole feels threatened, it will stamp its hind feet, much like a rabbit. Meadow Voles normally only make noise in order to threaten another vole. Female voles are very territorial. Most Meadow Voles live a year to a year and a half.

Food Habits

Meadow Voles' diet includes many things, including grasses, sedges, seeds, flowers, leaves, roots of shrubs and small trees, bark, tubers, bulbs, and sometimes insects. Some of Meadow Voles' favorites, besides grasses, are clover and plantain. These animals can eat their weight daily.

Family Life

Adult voles are solitary except during mating. Mating and breeding can occur all year long. It is common for a vole to have 12 litters a year with 1-9 young in each litter. In general, voles are promiscuous. Before the young are born, the mother builds a nest of grass along a tunnel or in an underground chamber. The mother gives birth in the nest. At birth, the young are pink and hairless, with closed eyes and ears. At about 6 days, they have hair, and their eyes open in 9-12 days.

Winter Habits

Meadow Voles do not hibernate, and they do not usually store food. They eat constantly. Voles concentrate on green vegetation in the Summer, and switch to mostly grains and seeds in Fall.They make runway tunnels under the snow.

Threats

Meadow Voles are preyed upon by many creatures, including: hawks, owls, foxes, cats, snakes, crows, herons, shrews, skunks, bullfrogs, snapping turtles, largemouth bass, and raccoons. Voles are the primary winter food of Hawks and Owls.

Benefits

Problems and Solutions