Royal vole facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Royal vole
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Cricetidae
Subfamily:	Arvicolinae
Genus:	Craseomys
Species:	C. regulus
Binomial name
Craseomys regulus Thomas, 1907
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The royal vole (Craseomys regulus), also known as the Korean red-backed vole, is a small rodent that lives only in the Korean Peninsula. It makes its home underground in burrows. At night, it comes out to find food like grasses, seeds, and other plants. Experts at the International Union for Conservation of Nature say this vole is a "least concern" animal, meaning it's not currently in danger of disappearing.

About the Royal Vole

This section tells you more about the royal vole, including its scientific name and how it was discovered.

Naming the Royal Vole

A British animal expert named Oldfield Thomas first described the royal vole in 1907. He gave it the scientific name Craseomys regulus. It was found in a place called Mingyong in South Korea, about 170 kilometers (106 miles) southeast of Seoul. Over time, scientists moved it to different groups, but now it's back in the Craseomys group. Scientists have studied its teeth and DNA to confirm it's a unique species.

What Does It Look Like?

Here you can learn about the royal vole's size, fur, and other features.

This vole is about 110 millimeters (4.3 inches) long from its head to its body. Its tail adds another 42 to 51 millimeters (1.7 to 2.0 inches) to its length. An adult royal vole usually weighs between 23 and 39 grams (0.8 to 1.4 ounces). Its ears are quite big and have short fur. The fur on its body is very fine and soft.

The fur on its back is reddish-brown, while its sides are greyish-brown. Its belly is a buffy-brown color. The tail has two colors: dark on top and light underneath. You can tell it apart from other similar voles because its back is redder, its belly is more buffy, and its tail is longer. It also has special molar teeth that don't have roots.

Where Does It Live?

Find out where in the world you can find the royal vole.

The royal vole lives only on the Korean peninsula. You can find it in all the southern parts of Korea. Its home range goes as far north as the southern and western edges of the Kaema Plateau. In that area, another type of vole, the grey red-backed vole, starts to appear. The royal vole does not live in the very northeastern part of North Korea.

These voles can live in many different places. They are found in mountain forests, bamboo woodlands, and hillsides covered with bushes. They also live on rocky slopes, in rough grasslands, on farmed land, and along river banks.

Life and Habits

This section explains how the royal vole lives, what it eats, and how it raises its young.

Daily Life and Diet

The royal vole is mostly active at night. It is a herbivore, meaning it eats plants. It looks for food like grasses and seeds. This vole lives underground in a large and deep system of tunnels that it digs itself. Its burrow system includes special rooms for storing food, like a pantry. It also has a cozy nesting room lined with grasses for sleeping and raising young.

Social Life and Predators

Royal voles are social animals. They make alarm calls to warn each other if there's danger nearby. Many animals hunt royal voles. These include foxes, martens, weasels, raccoon dogs, owls, other birds of prey, and snakes.

Reproduction and Young

Female royal voles can have babies three to five times a year. After being pregnant for about 23 days, they usually give birth to three or four young voles.

Conservation Status

Learn about how well the royal vole population is doing.

The royal vole is not currently facing any major threats. It can adapt well to different environments. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed its conservation status as "least concern". This means scientists are not worried about it becoming endangered anytime soon.