Fossil finds have helped document shifts in the geographic distribution of the Woodland Vole over the centuries. During the Pleistocene, when glaciers covered much of North America, this species ranged well into Texas and northern Mexico. As the climate warmed and the Southwest got drier, Woodland Voles, which prefer habitats with a thick leaf layer or dense grassy patches, became concentrated in the eastern United States. Other small mammals found in the same habitats as Woodland Voles include Jumping Mice, White-footed Mice, Deermice, Red-backed Voles, Prairie Voles, Meadow Voles, Smoky Shrews, and Short-tailed Shrews. Hairy-tailed Moles frequently share their burrow systems.
Also known as:
Pine Vole, Pine Mouse, Mole Mouse, Potato Mouse, Mole Pine Mouse, Bluegrass Pine Mouse
Sexual Dimorphism:
None
Length:
Average:
121 mm
Range:
111-139 mm
Weight:
Range:
14-37 g
References:
LeConte, J.L., 1830. Description of a new genus of the order rodentia, p. 133. Annals of Lyceum of Natural History of New York, 3:132-133.
Links:
Mammal Species of the World (opens in a new window).
Mammalian Species, American Society of Mammalogists' species account (opens in a new window).
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