Long-tailed vole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Long-tailed vole |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Microtus
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| Species: |
longicaudus
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| Subspecies | |
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List
M. l. abditus
A. B. Howell, 1923 M. l. alticola Merriam, 1890 M. l. angusticeps Bailey, 1898 M. l. angustus Hall, 1931 M. l. baileyi Goldman, 1938 M. l. bernardinus Merriam, 1908 M. l. cautus J. A. Allen, 1899 M. l. coronarius Swarth, 1911 M. l. halli Hayman and Holt, 1941 M. l. incanus Lee and Durrant, 1960 M. l. latus Hall, 1931 M. l. leucophaeus J. A. Allen, 1894 M. l. littoralis Swarth, 1933 M. l. macrurus Merriam, 1898 M. l. mordax Merriam, 1891 M. l. sierrae Kellogg, 1922 M. l. vellerosus J. A. Allen, 1899 |
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| Distribution of the long-tailed vole | |
| Synonyms | |
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List
Arvicola (Mynomes) longicaudus
Merriam, 1888 Arvicola (Mynomes) alticolus Merriam, 1890 Arvicola (Mynomes) mordax Merriam, 1891 Arvicola leucophaeus Allen, 1894 Microtus angusticeps Bailey, 1898 Microtus macrurus Merriam, 1898 Microtus vellerosus Allen, 1899 Microtus cautus Allen 1899 |
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The long-tailed vole (Microtus longicaudus) is a small rodent found in western North America. Sometimes it is called the San Bernardino long-tailed vole. These voles have short ears and a tail that is quite long. Their fur is usually gray-brown, with lighter gray fur on their bellies. They grow to be about 18 cm (7.1 in) long, with a tail around 8 cm (3.1 in). They typically weigh about 50 g (1.8 oz).
Contents
Understanding the Long-Tailed Vole's Scientific Name
The scientific name for the long-tailed vole is Microtus longicaudus. This name helps scientists around the world know exactly which animal they are talking about. The first part, Microtus, comes from ancient Greek words meaning "small ear." The second part, longicaudus, comes from Latin words meaning "long tail." So, its name literally means "small-eared, long-tailed."
This vole was first described by a scientist named C. Hart Merriam in 1888. He noticed some special features of its teeth that made it different from other voles known at that time. One type of long-tailed vole, the Coronation Island vole, was once thought to be a separate species. However, scientists now believe it is a subspecies, meaning it is a specific type of long-tailed vole.
What Does the Long-Tailed Vole Look Like?
The long-tailed vole is a small mammal that lives on land. It has a thick body and a tail that is quite long compared to its body size. The tail has two colors and is more than one-third of the animal's total length.
This vole is similar in size to the meadow vole. However, the long-tailed vole has a longer tail, bigger ears, and a grayer coat. Its skull is also flatter, and its head is wider. The fur on its back is a yellowish-brown with some gray mixed in. Its belly fur is whitish but gray at the base. The fur on its belly blends smoothly with the fur on its sides. The underside of its tail is darker, and its feet are a leaden gray color.
Where Do Long-Tailed Voles Live?
Long-tailed voles live in many different places. You can find them in high mountain meadows and in areas with shrubs, often close to streams. They also live in thick conifer forests or in drier areas with sagebrush. These voles are common in places where the habitat has been changed, such as after a fire, deforestation, or mining. In Alaska, they do well in areas where trees have been cut down. In the Yukon, they live among spruce forests and where buffaloberry plants grow.
In places like the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, they live in marshes. These marshes have plants like hardstem bullrush, cattail, baltic rush, and sedges.
You can find long-tailed voles from sea level up to about 3,650 m (11,980 ft) high in the mountains. In the southern and eastern parts of their range, they tend to live at higher elevations. Their home range covers much of western North America. This includes parts of Alaska, and extends south through Canadian provinces like Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, and Yukon. In the United States, they are found in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
Long-Tailed Vole Behavior and Life Cycle
Long-tailed voles are active all year long, usually during the day. However, in Alaska, they have been seen active at night. They typically roam freely and do not make clear paths or "runways" like some other voles.
Reproduction and Family Life
The breeding season for long-tailed voles starts in May and lasts until September or October, depending on where they live. A female vole usually has two litters of babies each year. She might have as few as one litter or as many as four. In northern areas, they might only have two litters in their whole life. A typical litter has four or five babies, but sometimes there can be as many as eight.
When newborn voles are in distress, they make special high-pitched cries that their parents respond to. It is not common for long-tailed voles to live longer than one year. Female voles generally live longer than males.
Diet and Predators
Long-tailed voles eat green plants, different kinds of berries, seeds, and fungi. During the winter, they might eat the inner bark of shrubs and trees. In Nevada during winter, they have been seen eating the bark and leaves of sagebrush.
Many animals hunt long-tailed voles. These include different types of owls, such as barn owls, great horned owls, long-eared owls, and short-eared owls. Falcons like the Prairie falcon and peregrine falcon, and hawks like the red-tailed hawk and marsh hawk, also hunt them. Other predators include ermines, long-tailed weasels, and American pine martens.
Long-tailed voles are often cautious around other voles. While they live in areas with other small rodents, they generally try to avoid direct contact. For example, the montane vole is more aggressive and can push long-tailed voles out of their living areas. The more long-tailed voles there are in an area, the more aggressive the montane voles become.
The number of long-tailed voles in an area can change a lot over time. Usually, there are not many of them, with about 5 to 16 voles per hectare (about 2.5 acres). However, this number can sometimes increase to more than 40 voles per hectare.
Conservation Status
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has listed the long-tailed vole as a species of "least concern". This means that they are not currently considered to be at risk of extinction. Long-tailed voles are common and live in a very large area. Many protected areas are within their range, which helps keep their populations safe. They are also able to adjust to changes in their environment, which helps them survive.
See also
In Spanish: Microtus longicaudus para niños
