# Red-backed Voles (*Clethrionomys*) Red-backed voles are small, furry animals with a reddish-brown stripe down their backs. They love to scurry around in the grass and are great at hiding from predators! - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Red-backed Voles](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/SouthernRedbackedVole23.jpg&width=800) Photo: Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SouthernRedbackedVole23.jpg) ## Appearance The Red-backed Vole has a distinctive reddish-brown stripe running down its back, contrasting with grayish-brown sides and a pale belly. It features small, rounded ears partially hidden by fur and a relatively short, hairy tail. This striking back color makes it visually different from many other voles. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Rodentia - **Family:** Cricetidae - **Genus:** Myodes ## Interesting facts - Red-backed voles "bark" tiny warnings to alert family to danger. - Their teeth never stop growing, worn down by chewing tough plants. - These busy rodents stay active and forage even under deep snow. - They sometimes use old mole tunnels as ready-made highways! ## Special abilities - **Tunnel Architect:** Red-backed Voles can dig intricate tunnel systems because they have strong claws and an instinct that helps them create safe homes and food caches. - **Fungus Finder:** Red-backed Voles has a super-sensitive nose that helps them sniff out tasty mushrooms hidden under leaves, even underground! - **Winter Storekeeper:** Red-backed Voles can gather and store food in underground pantries because they need supplies that help them survive the cold winter months. - **Agile Climber:** Red-backed Voles can climb trees and shrubs with surprising agility that helps them find berries and escape ground predators. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 11-19 cm - **Weight:** 0.02-0.05 kg - **Lifespan:** 1-2 years - **Speed:** 15 km/h - **Litter Size:** 3-8 - **Gestation:** 18-22 days ## Diet & Feeding These small omnivores enjoy a varied diet of plants, seeds, fruits, fungi, and occasionally insects. - **Primary Foods:** Seeds, Berries, Mushrooms, Leaves, Roots, Insects - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Great Horned Owl](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-horned-owl) (*Bubo virginianus*) — A common nocturnal predator of small rodents. - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — A primary predator, hunting voles by scent. - **Eaten by:** Least Weasel (*Mustela nivalis*) — Can enter vole tunnels to hunt them. - **Eats:** [White Spruce](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-spruce) (*Picea glauca*) — Feeds on fallen seeds, especially in winter. - **Eats:** Porcini Mushroom (*Boletus edulis*) — Forages for various fungi, including specific boletes. ## 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. - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment. - [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. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low If you see a vole, watch quietly and don't try to touch it. They are wild animals and need their space. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Red-backed Voles? 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 Red-backed Voles? 11-19 cm ### How much does Red-backed Voles weigh? 0.02-0.05 kg ### How long does Red-backed Voles live? 1-2 years ### How fast can Red-backed Voles move? 15 km/h ### What does Red-backed Voles eat? These small omnivores enjoy a varied diet of plants, seeds, fruits, fungi, and occasionally insects. ### Where is Red-backed Voles usually found? Grasslands ### How does Red-backed Voles hunt? Foraging ## 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: [Red-backed Voles: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-backed-voles)