California Vole

Microtus californicus

California voles are small, furry animals that live in grasslands and fields. They have tiny ears and long tails, and they love to dig tunnels in the ground.

Lebensraum: Grasslands

Aussehen

The California Vole is a stocky rodent with dull grayish-brown fur, a short tail, and small ears nearly hidden by its fur. It has small dark eyes. This makes it look more robust and less delicate than typical mice, with a broader head and a less prominent tail.

ReichAnimaliaStammChordataKlasseMammaliaOrdnungRodentiaFamilieCricetidaeGattungMicrotus

California Vole

Kategorie

Säugetiere

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

A female California Vole can have up to 10 litters in a single year!

Their front teeth grow constantly, so they must chew often to wear them down!

They communicate using tiny squeaks and scent marks to talk to each other.

Voles create vast underground networks of tunnels and surface runways.

Besondere Fähigkeiten

California Vole can create intricate tunnels and surface runways because of its strong claws that help it navigate safely.

California Vole has a very short gestation period of just 3 weeks that helps them quickly grow their population.

California Vole can chew tough plant stems and roots because of its continuously growing teeth that helps them access food.

Maße und Details

Länge: 10-18 cm
Gewicht: 0.02-0.08 kg
Lebenserwartung: 1-2 Jahre
Top Speed: 15 km/h
Wurfgröße: 3-7
Tragzeit: 20-23 Tage

Ernährung und Fütterung

Tiny plant-eaters munching on grasses and seeds, keeping the ecosystem balanced.

Hauptnahrung

Grasses
Sedges
Clover
Seeds
Roots
Bulbs

Nahrungssuche

Foraging

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eaten by

Great Horned Owl

Bubo virginianus

A key food source for these silent night hunters.

eaten by

Red-tailed Hawk

Buteo jamaicensis

Prey for this widespread raptor in open fields.

eaten by

Common Garter Snake

Thamnophis sirtalis

Snakes hunt voles in their grassy runways.

eaten by

Coyote

Canis latrans

Provides sustenance for omnivorous canids.

Merkmale

Pelzig

Pelzig beschreibt Tiere, die eine dichte Schicht aus weichen Haaren oder Fell besitzen.

Sozial

Soziale Tiere leben in organisierten Gruppen und kooperieren, um ihr Überleben zu sichern, beispielsweise bei der Nahrungssuche, Verteidigung und Aufzucht der Jungen.

Graben

Grabende Tiere heben Tunnel und Kammern im Erdboden aus und nutzen diese unterirdischen Strukturen als Unterschlupf, zur Jagd oder zur Fortpflanzung.

Grasland

Grasland-Lebensräume sind terrestrische Biome, die von Gräsern und krautigen Pflanzen dominiert werden und einer Vielzahl von Weidetieren als Lebensraum dienen.