Red-backed vole
Encyclopedia
The red-backed voles are the members of the genus Myodes, a group of small slender vole
s found in North America
, Europe
and Asia
. The genus name comes from the Greek
"keyhole mouse". In the past, the genus has been called Evotomys or Clethrionomys, but Myodes takes precedence.
They inhabit northern forests, tundra
and bog
s. These animals feed on shrubs, berries and roots. Most species have reddish brown fur on their back. They have small eyes and ears. Unlike other voles, the molar teeth are rooted in adults.
The complete list of species is:
Vole
A vole is a small rodent resembling a mouse but with a stouter body, a shorter hairy tail, a slightly rounder head, smaller ears and eyes, and differently formed molars . There are approximately 155 species of voles. They are sometimes known as meadow mice or field mice in North America...
s found in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. The genus name comes from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
"keyhole mouse". In the past, the genus has been called Evotomys or Clethrionomys, but Myodes takes precedence.
They inhabit northern forests, tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
and bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s. These animals feed on shrubs, berries and roots. Most species have reddish brown fur on their back. They have small eyes and ears. Unlike other voles, the molar teeth are rooted in adults.
The complete list of species is:
- Anderson's Red-backed Vole (Myodes andersoni)
- Western Red-backed VoleWestern Red-Backed VoleThe Western Red-Backed Vole is a species of vole in the family Cricetidae. It is found in California and Oregon in the United States and lives mainly in coniferous forest...
(Myodes californicus) - Tien Shan Red-backed VoleTien Shan Red-Backed VoleThe Tien Shan Red-backed Vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae.It is found in China and Kyrgyzstan.-References:...
(Myodes centralis) - Southern Red-backed VoleSouthern Red-backed VoleThe Southern Red-backed Vole or Gapper's Red-backed Vole is a small slender vole found in Canada and the northern United States...
(Myodes gapperi) - Bank VoleBank VoleThe bank vole is a small vole with red-brown fur and some grey patches, with a tail about half as long as its body. A rodent, it lives in woodland areas and is around in length. The bank vole is found in western Europe and northern Asia...
(Myodes glareolus) - Imaizumi's Red-backed VoleImaizumi's Red-backed VoleImaizumi's Red-backed Vole Myodes imaizumii is a species of vole in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Japan and was initially designated as a subspecies of the Japanese Red-Backed Vole, with studies of cranial and molar patterns supporting this. However, genetic tests in the late 1990s provide...
(Myodes imaizumii) - Korean Red-backed Vole (Myodes regulus)
- Hokkaido Red-backed VoleHokkaido Red-backed VoleThe Hokkaido Red-backed Vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae.It is found only in Japan.Its natural habitat is temperate forests.-References:...
(Myodes rex) - Grey Red-backed VoleGrey Red-Backed VoleThe Grey Red-backed Vole is a species of vole. An adult Grey Red-backed Vole weighs 20-50 grams, and has a body length of 110-142 millimeters, with a tail of 39–55 mm in length. This species ranges across northern Eurasia, including northern China, the northern Korean Peninsula, and...
(Myodes rufocanus) - Northern Red-backed VoleNorthern Red-backed VoleThe northern red-backed vole, Myodes rutilus, is a small slender vole found in Alaska, northern Canada, Scandinavia and northern Russia.-Description:...
(Myodes rutilus) - Shanxi Red-backed VoleShansei VoleThe Shansei Vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae.It is found only in China.-References:*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...
(Myodes shanseius) - Smith's Red-backed VoleSmith's VoleSmith's vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is also known as Smith's red-backed vole and is found only in Japan....
(Myodes smithii)