Tundra Vole

Tundra Vole
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Cricetidae
Genus:	Microtus
Subgenus:	Alexandromys
Species:	M. oeconomus
Binomial name
Microtus oeconomus (Pallas, 1776)

The Tundra Vole or Root Vole, Microtus oeconomus, is a medium-sized vole found in Northern and Central Europe, Asia, and northwestern North America, including Alaska and northwestern Canada. In the western part of the Netherlands the Tundra vole is a relict from the ice age and has developed to the subspecies Microtus oeconomus arenicola.

They have short ears and a short tail. Their fur is yellowish brown with paler sides and white underparts. They are 18 cm long with a 4 cm tail and weigh about 50 g.

These animals are found in damp tundra or moist meadows, usually near water. They make runways through the surface growth in warm weather and tunnel through the snow in winter. They feed on grasses, sedges and seeds.

Female voles have three to six litters of three to nine young in a shallow burrow. The vole population in a given area can vary greatly from year to year.

They are active year-round. They also dig underground burrows where they store seeds and roots, especially licorice root, for the winter. The species epithet "oeconomus" refers to this "economical" behaviour.

Subspecies

There are several subspecies of Tundra Vole^[1][2].

• Microtus oeconomus amakensis - Amak Island Tundra Vole - Alaska, United States
• Microtus oeconomus arenicola - Dutch Tundra Vole - Netherlands
• Microtus oeconomus elymocetes - Montague Island Tundra Vole - Alaska, United States
• Microtus oeconomus finmarchicus - Norwegian Tundra Vole - Norway
• Microtus oeconomus innuitus - St. Lawrence Island Tundra Vole - Alaska, United States
• Microtus oeconomus medius - Norwegian Tundra Vole - Norway
• Microtus oeconomus mehelyi - Central European Tundra Vole - Austria, Hungary and Slovakia
• Microtus oeconomus oeconomus
• Microtus oeconomus popofensis - Shumagin Islands Tundra Vole - Alaska, United States
• Microtus oeconomus punakensis - Punuk Islands Tundra Vole - Alaska, United States
• Microtus oeconomus sitkensis - Alexander Archipelago Tundra Vole - Alaska, United States
• Microtus oeconomus unalascensis - Unalaska Tundra Vole - Alaska, United States

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Linzey, A.V., Shar, S., Lkhagvasuren, D., Juškaitis, R., Sheftel, B., Meinig, H., Amori, G. & Henttonen, H. (2008). "Microtus oeconomus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/13451. Retrieved 04 February 2010. 
2. ^ Witte van den Bosch, R. and Bekker, D. (2009). Verdwijnt de oer-Hollandse lemming? Geschiedenis en toekomst van de noordse woelmuis. Zoogdier 20-4: p.p 3-7. (in Dutch)

• Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. Pp. 894-1531 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.