Maximowicz's vole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Maximowicz's vole |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Subfamily: | Arvicolinae |
| Genus: | Alexandromys |
| Species: |
A. maximowiczii
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| Binomial name | |
| Alexandromys maximowiczii (Schrenck, 1859)
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| Synonyms | |
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The Maximowicz's vole (scientific name: Alexandromys maximowiczii) is a small rodent that belongs to the Cricetidae family, which includes hamsters and lemmings. You can find this furry creature in parts of northeastern China, Mongolia, and eastern Russia.
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Meet the Maximowicz's Vole: What It Looks Like
The Maximowicz's vole is one of the bigger voles in its group, called the genus Alexandromys. Adult voles measure about 11.6 to 15.5 centimeters (about 4.5 to 6 inches) from their head to their body. Their tail adds another 3.7 to 6 centimeters (about 1.5 to 2.3 inches) to their length.
Their fur on the back is a dark brownish-black color, with small specks of ochre (a yellowish-brown). The fur on their sides is a lighter brown. This color slowly fades into a grayish-white on their belly. Their paws are a whitish-brown.
The vole's tail can be all dark brown. Sometimes, it has two colors: dark brown on top and white underneath. This vole was named after a famous Russian botanist, Karl Maximovich. He was a plant expert when the vole was first described.
Where Maximowicz's Voles Live
Maximowicz's voles live in eastern Asia. Their home stretches from Lake Baikal in the west. It goes eastward into the mountains of northeastern Mongolia. You can also find them in the Amur River basin and northeastern China.
These voles like to live in forests and open grasslands called steppes. They prefer areas with lots of thick plants. You can often spot them in valleys and at the bottom of hills.
How Maximowicz's Voles Behave
Maximowicz's voles are most active twice a day. They come out early in the morning. They also appear shortly before nightfall. This is when they leave their burrows to find food. They mostly eat grasses and other plant parts.
The entrance to their burrow has a pile of dirt. This pile can be as wide as 100 centimeters (about 39 inches). It can be up to 20 centimeters (about 8 inches) high. The tunnel itself is quite short. It ends in a special nest chamber. This chamber is about 35 centimeters (about 14 inches) wide and 25 centimeters (about 10 inches) high.
They also dig other small rooms off the main tunnel. These rooms are used to store roots and bulbs. This food helps them get through the winter months.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
We don't know a lot about how Maximowicz's voles have babies. However, some female voles have been seen carrying embryos. Reports show they can carry seven or even nine embryos at a time. This suggests they can have several babies in one litter.
Conservation Status: Are They Safe?
The Maximowicz's vole lives across a very large area. It is quite common in most of these places. There are no big threats that worry scientists right now. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says its conservation status is "least concern". This means they are not currently at risk of disappearing.
 | Leon Lynch |
 | Milton P. Webster |
 | Ferdinand Smith |
