# Common Vole (*Microtus arvalis*) The Common Vole is a small, furry animal that loves to live in grassy fields and meadows. They are great at digging tunnels and can be found scurrying around looking for food. - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Common Vole](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426914/objects/2285.jpg) ## Appearance The Common Vole is a small, stocky rodent with brownish-grey fur on its back and lighter grey underneath. It has a blunt snout, small eyes, and short ears that are often hidden within its dense fur, making it look different from a long-eared mouse. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Rodentia - **Family:** Cricetidae - **Genus:** Microtus ## Interesting facts - A single female Common Vole can have up to 5 litters in one year! - Common Voles create 'vole runways' by eating paths through dense grass! - Even in winter, they stay active under the snow in cozy tunnels! - Their underground tunnels can be longer than two school buses combined! ## Special abilities - **Burrow Builder:** Common Voles can dig intricate tunnel systems because of their strong claws, which helps them create safe homes. - **Rapid Reproducer:** Common Voles have many babies quickly that helps their species survive, even with many predators around. - **Vegetation Chewer:** Common Voles can munch on tough grasses and roots because of their constantly growing teeth, which helps them find food. - **Hidden Hearing:** Common Voles have excellent hearing despite their small ears, which helps them detect predators from far away. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 8-13 cm - **Weight:** 0.018-0.05 kg - **Lifespan:** 1-2 years - **Speed:** 12 km/h - **Litter Size:** 3-8 - **Gestation:** 20-21 days ## Diet & Feeding A plant-eating expert, the Common Vole nibbles on fresh grass, seeds, and underground roots. - **Primary Foods:** grasses, seeds, roots, bulbs, leaves - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Barn Owl](https://www.snappit.app/explore/barn-owl) (*Tyto alba*) — main prey for many owl species - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — a significant food source for opportunistic foxes - **Eats:** [Wheat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/wheat) (*Triticum aestivum*) — consumes seeds and shoots of agricultural crops - **Eats:** Cocksfoot Grass (*Dactylis glomerata*) — major food source in its grassland habitat ## Traits - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Burrowing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/burrowing): Burrowing animals dig tunnels and chambers in the ground, using these subterranean structures for shelter, hunting, or breeding. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low If you see a vole, watch quietly from a distance and do not try to touch it. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common Vole? Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Common Vole? 8-13 cm ### How much does Common Vole weigh? 0.018-0.05 kg ### How long does Common Vole live? 1-2 years ### How fast can Common Vole move? 12 km/h ### What does Common Vole eat? A plant-eating expert, the Common Vole nibbles on fresh grass, seeds, and underground roots. ### Where is Common Vole usually found? Grasslands ### How does Common Vole hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Drusillas Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/drusillas-park) — England, GB · Zoo ## Watch - [Play video: Common Vole](https://www.snappit.app/videos/common-vole) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/watch?v=yLkzYCylDa8) ## More Mammals - [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*) - [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) - [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*) - [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*) --- Source: [Common Vole: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-vole)