Tatra pine vole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tatra pine 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: | Microtus |
| Subgenus: | Terricola |
| Species: |
M. tatricus
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| Binomial name | |
| Microtus tatricus (Kratochvíl, 1952)
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| Subspecies | |
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Microtus tatricus tatricus |
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The Tatra pine vole (Microtus tatricus) is a small rodent. It is also known as the Tatra vole or Tatra ground vole. This special vole lives only in the Carpathian Mountains. You can find it in parts of Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, and Romania. There are two main types, called subspecies. One lives in Slovakia and Poland. The other lives in Ukraine and Romania.
Contents
Where the Tatra Vole Lives
The Tatra vole makes its home high up in the mountains. It lives at heights from about 650 to 2350 meters above sea level. That's like living on top of a very tall building!
Favorite Homes of the Vole
These voles prefer two kinds of places. They like damp, rocky meadows found in the subalpine zone. This is the area just below the tree line in mountains. They also live in old, untouched forests higher up.
How They Spread Out
The places where Tatra voles live are like small islands. They are spread out and not connected. This is because of the mountains' different heights. Also, the land changes a lot, making some areas perfect and others not. Scientists think there are about 200,000 to 250,000 of these voles. Their numbers usually stay steady.
Tatra Vole's Family Tree
The Tatra pine vole is unique among its relatives. It has a special set of chromosomes. These are tiny parts inside cells that carry genetic information. The way its chromosomes are arranged is different from other voles.
Vole Relatives
This vole is most closely related to other mountain voles. These include the alpine voles like Microtus multiplex and Microtus liechtensteini. The Tatra pine vole split off from a common ancestor a long time ago. The oldest known fossil of this vole is from the Holocene period.
Protecting the Tatra Vole
The Tatra pine vole is important to protect. It is listed as "Lower Risk/Near Threatened" by the IUCN. This means it's not in immediate danger, but its population needs to be watched. It is also protected by the Bern Convention. This agreement helps protect wildlife in Europe.
 | Jewel Prestage |
 | Ella Baker |
 | Fannie Lou Hamer |
