VOLE

any of numerous mouselike rodents belonging to the family Cricetidae (order Rodentia), but especially the members of the genus Microtus. Voles are typically rather short tailed and have blunt snouts, small eyes and ears, and short limbs. They are generally plant eaters, sometimes pests that damage crops or trees, and important prey animals for many flesh-eating birds and mammals. There are about 45 species of voles in the genus Microtus. Commonly called meadow voles, field voles, or meadow mice, these are stocky rodents found in North and Central America and in northern Eurasia. Some inhabit wooded or desert areas, but most are found in fields and meadows. Meadow voles are 10 to 26 centimetres (about 4 to 10 inches) long including the 2- to 10-centimetre tail. They usually have long, shaggy fur and are generally grayish brown above, paler below. They live in burrows and establish distinctive, narrow runways in the grass. The female can produce a litter of as many as eight or nine young about every two months. Meadow vole populations, like those of certain other voles, tend to rise and fall cyclically, so that the animals may be extremely numerous one year, less abundant another. There are several other genera of voles, including Clethrionomys (red-backed voles), Arvicola (water voles), and Pitymys (pine voles). Some authorities consider Arvicola and Pitymys as part of the genus Microtus. Red-backed voles, or red-backed mice, constitute a number of species found in the colder regions of North America and Eurasia. These voles climb well and are generally forest dwellers. They are 7 to 11 cm long without the short tail and resemble meadow voles but are usually gray with reddish brown backs. They live in burrows and, like meadow voles, are subject to periodic fluctuations in population. The water voles, or water rats, are exclusively Old World forms found in Europe and Asia. They live along streams, ditches, and lakes or in gardens, fields, and marshes. The more terrestrial of the two species, A. terrestris, is sometimes found a considerable distance from water. Water voles dig burrows and often excavate in the banks of waterways, locating the entrance beneath the water surface. They have thick, brown fur and attain a maximum length, exclusive of the tail, of about 22 cm. Pine voles, or pine mice, constitute about 10 species of burrowing North American and Eurasian voles that, despite their name, are found in a variety of habitats, such as swamps, fields, cultivated land, and open hardwood forests. They are 8 to 12 cm long without the 2- to 4-centimetre tail, and they have velvety, reddish brown or grayish brown fur. The species P. pinetorum of the United States sometimes damages orchard trees by eating the bark.