Smith's vole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Smith'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: | Craseomys |
| Species: |
C. smithii
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| Binomial name | |
| Craseomys smithii (Thomas, 1905)
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| Synonyms | |
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Smith's vole (Craseomys smithii) is a small rodent that belongs to the family Cricetidae. It is also known as Smith's red-backed vole. This furry creature lives only in Japan.
It was named after Richard Gordon Smith. He was an explorer who traveled the world hunting animals. He wrote down all his adventures and discoveries in eight big diaries. While in Japan, he collected many animals for the British Museum, including the first Smith's vole ever studied by scientists.
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How Scientists Classify Smith's Vole
Scientists study how different animals are related. This is called phylogeny or taxonomy. For a while, there was a lot of talk about where Smith's vole fit in the animal family tree.
One special thing about this vole is that its teeth, called molars, keep growing throughout its life. Because of this, some scientists first thought it belonged to a different group called Phaulomys.
However, newer studies looked at the vole's DNA. These studies showed that Smith's vole is actually very closely related to other Japanese and Asian voles, like Craseomys rufocanus and Craseomys regulus from Korea.
So, scientists now believe that Smith's vole is part of the Craseomys group. Its continuously growing teeth are just a unique feature it developed over time.
Where Smith's Vole Lives
Smith's vole can be found on several Japanese islands. These include Dogo, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku.
On the large island of Honshu, you can find them in the central and southern parts. However, they do not live in the northern areas of Honshu.
What Smith's Vole Looks Like
Smith's vole has fur that can be brownish-yellow or a medium brown color. Its belly is usually a lighter shade of brown.
These voles are about 115 millimeters (about 4.5 inches) long, not including their tail. Their tail adds another 60 millimeters (about 2.4 inches) to their length. They usually weigh between 20 and 35 grams (about 0.7 to 1.2 ounces).
Their fur is thick and short. They have a blunt snout and round ears. As mentioned, their molars grow continuously throughout their lives.
Smith's Vole's Life and Habitat
Smith's vole lives in forests, tree plantations, and farmland. They prefer mountainous areas that are higher than about 400 meters (about 1,300 feet). You won't find them in flat, watery plains.
They like damp places and dig burrows in piles of fallen leaves. While they are common in their chosen homes, some groups of voles are separated from each other. This can happen because of new roads, land being used for building, dams, or forests being cut down.
What Smith's Vole Eats
Smith's voles are vegetarians. This means they only eat plants. Their diet includes the stems and leaves of green plants, as well as seeds.
Reproduction and Young
The time when Smith's voles have their babies can be different depending on where they live. They might have one or two litters of young each year.
Each litter usually has between one and six babies, but most often, there are two or three young voles born at a time.
 | Mary Eliza Mahoney |
 | Susie King Taylor |
 | Ida Gray |
 | Eliza Ann Grier |
