Southern Red-backed Vole

Clethrionomys gapperi

The Southern Red-backed Vole is a small, furry animal with a reddish-brown back and a soft, gray belly. They love to scurry around in the grass and are often found in forests and wetlands.

Habitat: Forests and wetlands

Appearance

The Southern Red-backed Vole has a distinctive rusty-red stripe running down its back, contrasting with greyish-brown sides and a pale, whitish belly. It is a small rodent, with a short, bi-colored tail that is darker on top and lighter underneath, making it look stockier than a mouse.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassMammaliaOrderRodentiaFamilyCricetidaeGenusMyodes

Southern Red-backed Vole

Interesting facts

Southern Red-backed Voles sometimes drum their hind feet rapidly to communicate with other voles!

Their front teeth grow continuously throughout their entire lives, so they must gnaw constantly.

They are super important for spreading tree seeds and fungi spores in their forest homes!

Voles create complex tunnel systems under leaf litter, which helps them hide from hungry predators.

Special abilities

Southern Red-backed Voles can sniff out underground fungi like truffles, helping them find hidden food sources year-round.

Southern Red-backed Voles have thick fur and a compact body that helps them tunnel under snow, staying active in winter.

Southern Red-backed Voles have expandable cheek pouches that help them carry and store seeds for future meals.

Measurements & details

Length: 10-18 cm
Weight: 0.02-0.04 kg
Lifespan: 1-2 years
Top Speed: 8 km/h
Litter Size: 2-8
Gestation: 17-19 days

Diet & Feeding

These tiny omnivores munch on many things, from seeds and berries to insects and even mushrooms!

Primary Foods

Seeds
Berries
Fungi
Insects
Roots
Lichens

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

eaten by

Great Horned Owl

Bubo virginianus

hunts voles from above.

eaten by

Red Fox

Vulpes vulpes

preys on voles in forests.

eaten by

Short-tailed Weasel

Mustela erminea

small enough to chase voles.

depends on

White Spruce

Picea glauca

voles eat its seeds.

Traits

Furry

Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur.

Social

Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.

Omnivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter.

Herbivorous

This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.

Forest

Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.