Voles are small, mouse-like rodents often mistaken for mice, shrews, or moles. They possess a stouter body, a shorter, hairier tail, a slightly rounder head, and smaller eyes and ears compared to mice. Their fur varies in color, appearing gray, brown, chestnut, or reddish, often with paler undersides. Depending on the species, voles range from 8 to 23 centimeters (3 to 9 inches) in length, including their short tails, which are usually shorter than their bodies.
Global Presence and Preferred Environments
Voles are widely distributed across the Northern Hemisphere, making them some of the most common mammals in North America, Europe, and Asia. In North America, their range extends from Alaska southward into the mountains of Mexico and Guatemala. Within Eurasia, they are found throughout the British Isles, across Europe, and eastward to southern China, Taiwan, and Japan. An isolated population also exists in coastal Libya.
These adaptable rodents inhabit diverse environments, from sea level to high mountainous elevations. They prefer areas with dense ground cover, such as grasslands, meadows, prairies, and open fields. Voles also thrive in wooded areas, including deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests, as well as tundras, steppes, and semi-deserts. They can even adapt to human-modified landscapes like orchards, cultivated fields, and gardens.
Underground Dwellings and Daily Lives
Voles are primarily burrowing animals, spending much of their time underground in complex tunnel systems. These intricate networks include shallow burrows just beneath the surface, as well as deeper tunnels that can extend up to 1.2 meters (4 feet) below ground, particularly for species like pine voles. Their burrow systems provide shelter, protection from predators, and thermal regulation. Within these underground dwellings, voles construct nesting chambers, often lined with dried plants, and designated areas for food storage where they keep seeds, tubers, and bulbs.
Their daily lives center on these burrows and the surface runways they create. These runways are visible as narrow, worn paths through vegetation, connecting burrow entrances to feeding areas. While some voles are active throughout the day and night, others may be more nocturnal or diurnal, remaining active year-round as they do not hibernate. A single burrow system can house a social group of several adults and young, and some species, like common voles, live in synchronized groups, emerging above ground together to forage.
Key Elements of Vole Habitats
A vole’s choice of habitat is primarily influenced by the availability of dense vegetation, suitable soil, and proximity to water sources. Dense ground cover, such as grasses, forbs, and leaf litter, provides food and protection from predators. This dense cover also enables them to move relatively unseen through a network of pathways.
Soil type is also a factor, as voles need soil that is easy to burrow through; for instance, pine voles prefer loose, sandy, or loam soils and avoid heavy, wet clay. Moist environments are often favored because damp soil is easier to dig and supports a wider variety of plant life, ensuring a consistent food supply. Access to food and cover dictates their presence in specific areas.