Voles are small, stout rodents that are often mistakenly identified as common mice, though they possess a shorter tail, a rounder body, and a blunt snout. These small mammals, sometimes called meadow mice, are found across the Northern Hemisphere. Voles are primarily defined by their herbivorous diet, which consists almost entirely of plant material. Their feeding habits are a constant, year-round activity, which is necessary for their survival. Understanding the specific components of their diet reveals how voles interact with their environment and why they sometimes cause damage to vegetation.
Primary Diet: Surface Vegetation
The bulk of a vole’s daily food intake consists of herbaceous plants found above ground. Grasses and forbs, which are broad-leaved herbaceous plants, form the foundation of their diet throughout the year when available. Voles are well-known for clipping grass blades and stems, often leaving small piles of discarded vegetation along their paths.
They create distinctive, well-worn surface runways, typically one to two inches wide, through dense vegetation as they forage. These runways provide cover from predators while the voles consume the most palatable parts of the plants, such as fresh, green shoots. Specific favorites include clover, dandelion, and various sedges, which supply necessary nutrients and fiber. This continuous feeding behavior demonstrates the vole’s adaptation to environments with abundant ground cover.
Underground Foraging and Winter Needs
When surface vegetation becomes senescent or is covered by snow, the vole diet shifts to subterranean food sources. Voles do not hibernate and remain active year-round, necessitating a reliable food supply even during harsh winter months. They navigate complex burrow systems to seek out roots, rhizomes, and tubers for sustenance.
This underground foraging activity is what often causes noticeable damage to cultivated areas. Voles feed on the underground storage organs of plants, including ornamental bulbs like tulips or crocus, as well as root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes. Certain vole species also engage in caching, storing large quantities of plant material, like seeds and roots, in specialized underground chambers to ensure survival when food is scarce. During periods when green forage is unavailable, such as deep snow cover or drought, voles feed on the bark and cambium layer at the base of young trees and shrubs. This girdling behavior removes the tissue that transports nutrients, which can kill the woody plant entirely.
Opportunistic Foods and Dietary Flexibility
While primarily herbivorous, voles exhibit a degree of dietary flexibility, consuming a variety of supplemental and opportunistic foods. Seeds and nuts are frequently eaten, especially in the autumn as they become readily available on the ground. Fallen fruits and berries also become part of the diet when they are accessible.
Although overwhelmingly plant-based, some species may occasionally consume small insects, snails, or fungi to supplement their diet. This occasional consumption of non-plant matter, including the remains of dead animals, demonstrates the vole’s ability to adapt its diet to environmental conditions and secure necessary protein.