Vole

Seven species found in Alaska.

Member of the rodent family. One of the smallest mammals.

Mouse like appearance; 4-24 inches long from its head to the tip of the tail. Color of fur can be brown, gray, reddish brown or a combination.

Habitat: North America & Eurasia. Voles can be found throughout Alaska, living in all habitats with the exception of glaciers & rocks.

Prey: Grass, seeds, berries, insects, roots, flowers. If a vole gets caught in a trap, other voles will feed on the trapped vole.

Predators: Weasels, Foxes, Coyotes, Wolves, Owls, Eagles, Seagulls, Hawks, Great Blue Heron, Martens, Wolverines, Domestic Cats, Dogs, Black Bears, Voles. According to Ian Van Tets, assistant professor of biology at UAA, “Anything predatory will take them opportunistically.” “Voles are that fundamental step between plant energy and nutrition and carnivore energy and nutrition.” said Van Tets.

Voles carry many parasites including fleas, mites, ticks, round worms and tape worms. Voles also carry Giardia, which can infect humans.

The two main types of voles are red-backed voles ( Myodes Rutilus) and meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus). Red-backed voles live in the forest and can be solitary or live in a small group. The red-backed vole is one of the most common species of voles in Alaska. Meadow voles live in large colonies and like open spaces such as meadows and tundra. Voles are rarely seen but many recognize their burrows, which is where they store food and make nests. Voles are active year round and do not hibernate. In the winter months the will make runways under the snow and feed on grass. Climate change does not affect them.

Voles live for one year. Breeding begins late in the winter and can continue through August. Voles have as many as six litters per year. The gestation period is about 21 days. 4-8 young are born bind with no fur; they are weaned at two weeks. At 3-6 weeks voles are mature and ready to start breeding.

Voles are listed as unclassified game in Alaska. There is no hunting season or limit for them. The majority of people consider voles to be pest that should be exterminated. They are a very important part of our ecosystem. One of the benefits to Alaskans is that the vole is prey to a large number of animals which Alaskans and tourist enjoy watching.

Resources:

Voles in Alaska Small but Mighty Important
By Elizabeth Manning

http://www.wc.adfg.state.ak.us/index.cfm?adfg=wildlife_news.view_article&articles_id=406

Alaska Department of Fish & Game

http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/pubs/notebook/smgame/voles.php

The Nature of Alaska By James Kavanagh

animalplanet.com mammal guide
http://animal.discovery.com/guides/mammals/habitat/northforest/northvole.html