The meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) is a common, widespread North American rodent known for its high metabolism and nearly constant need to feed. Since this small mammal is active year-round and does not hibernate, it requires a steady, energy-rich diet to survive, especially in colder climates. As a primary consumer, its feeding habits influence local plant life and serve as a crucial link in the food chain. Understanding the meadow vole’s diet requires looking closely at the seasonal shifts in available vegetation.
Primary Foraging: Green Vegetation and Grasses
The bulk of the meadow vole’s diet consists of fresh, green plant matter, particularly during the spring and summer months. They are herbivores, focusing on the most succulent parts of grasses, sedges, and herbaceous plants (forbs). Meadow voles are voracious eaters, capable of consuming 50 to 60 percent of their own body weight in plant material daily to fuel their high energy demands.
When feeding on tall vegetation, the vole clips the plant stems into small, match-length sections to access the most nutritious leaves and seed heads. Preferred food sources include common pasture and field plants such as clover, quackgrass, and various bluegrasses. This surface-level foraging creates a recognizable network of narrow, well-worn “runways” through the dense vegetation, which the voles use for safe travel and repeated access to food sources.
Winter and Subsurface Consumption
As green vegetation becomes scarce, the meadow vole shifts its diet to less palatable, non-surface plant parts. During autumn and winter, voles rely heavily on subsurface foraging, accessing roots, bulbs, and tubers via their shallow tunnel systems. This change in diet provides the necessary calories to sustain their activity during the cold months.
A damaging feeding habit occurs under the cover of snow, where voles may strip the bark from woody plants, shrubs, and small trees near the ground line. This behavior, known as girdling, involves gnawing away the cambium layer (the inner bark) and can severely damage or kill young orchard trees and ornamental plantings. The damage is identifiable by small, irregular gnaw marks that are distinct from those left by larger herbivores.
Opportunistic Foods and Dietary Variety
While vegetation forms the dietary foundation, the meadow vole is an opportunistic feeder that supplements its intake with high-energy sources. Seeds and grains become important dietary components in the late fall and throughout the winter. Voles often cache seeds, bulbs, and tubers in their underground nests and burrows to provide a reliable food reserve when foraging conditions are poor.
The vole’s diet occasionally includes non-vegetative items, though they are not a significant part of the overall intake. They sometimes consume fungi found underground. Furthermore, while primarily herbivorous, meadow voles will occasionally eat small quantities of animal matter, including insects, snails, and scavenged remains, which provides a necessary protein boost, especially during reproductive activity.