Geographic Range
Long-tailed voles are found throughout the western United States and Canada up through
southeastern Alaska. Different regions are home to different population densities.
Habitat
Long-tailed voles occupy a variety of habitats. Some examples of theses habitats
include dry grassy areas, mountain slopes, forests, stream banks, sagebrush grasslands,
mountain meadows, and riparian zones. Within all of these different types of landscape,
long-tailed voles burrow and sometimes create runways underground. In Wyoming, the
elevation at which this species can be found is 900 to 3300 meters.
- Habitat Regions
- temperate
- terrestrial
- Terrestrial Biomes
- savanna or grassland
- forest
- mountains
- Other Habitat Features
- riparian
Physical Description
Long-tailed voles are small bodied with long, bicolored tails. Body mass ranges from
20 to 85 g and total length from 150 to 250 mm. The tail is about 30% of their total
length. The fur color of these animals varies with its location on the body. The
dorsal fur is usually grayish brown with black tips, while the ventral fur is usually
light gray color. The skull has a wide braincase, large bullae, a long rostrum, and
long incisive foramina. The cheektooth pattern of this type of vole looks prismatic.
- Other Physical Features
- endothermic
- homoiothermic
- bilateral symmetry
Reproduction
No information found.
Like many rodents, long-tailed voles have a breeding season that stretches from May to October. Individuals located farther north have a shorter breeding season. For example, those populations in Alaska have a season extending from mid-May to mid-September. After reaching sexual maturity, females have a maximum of two litters in their lifetime. Female voles may reach sexual maturity by 3 weeks of age.
Pregnant voles construct nests made of plant material and fibers in their burrows.
This is where the females give birth to their young. Litters typically contain from
3 to 6 young. The average gestation period is 20 to 23 days.
- Key Reproductive Features
- iteroparous
- seasonal breeding
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- fertilization
- viviparous
Although details on the development and parental care of this species are lacking,
voles are known to give birth to altricial young. These young typically reside in
the mother's nest and are nursed there until they are able to forage on their own.
Male parental care has not been reported in these animals.
- Parental Investment
- no parental involvement
- altricial
-
pre-fertilization
-
protecting
- female
-
protecting
-
pre-hatching/birth
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
-
pre-weaning/fledging
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
-
pre-independence
-
protecting
- female
-
protecting
Lifespan/Longevity
Most long-tailed voles live for from 2 to 16 months. The average lifespan is about
one year. Females usually live longer than males.
Behavior
These mammals are active all year long, which means that they do not hibernate. The
species is reported to be primarily nocturnal. Unlike other species of voles,
M. longicaudus
is not known to construct elaborate runways. Long-tailed voles are able to live
with other microtine species, but they are still very shy.
Home Range
Their average home ranges are smaller than 0.25 acres. In Alaska, males were reported
to have larger home ranges than females.
Communication and Perception
Information about communication in this species is scant. However, most microtines
are known to use some vocalizationsm and it is likely that
M. longicaudud
is similar in that repsect. The neonates of this species are known to make an
ultrasonic cry when disturbed, alerting the mother to their distress.
- Perception Channels
- visual
- tactile
- acoustic
- ultrasound
- chemical
Food Habits
Like many rodents, long-tailed voles are herbivores. They feast on green plants,
tree roots and bark, flowers, underground fungi, fruits, and seeds. Sometimes they
will eat insects. Foraging for these food items occurs on the ground and underneath
shrubs.
- Animal Foods
- insects
- Plant Foods
- leaves
- roots and tubers
- wood, bark, or stems
- seeds, grains, and nuts
- fruit
- Other Foods
- fungus
Predation
That long-tailed voles are frequent victims of predation is not doubted. However,
the quantity of long-tailed voles consumed by such predators is unknown-- paartly
because of similarities between the skull morphology of this species and that of
Microtus montanus
, another popular prey item. When such remains are found, it is difficult to distinguish
which species is present.
Ecosystem Roles
Long-tailed voles play an important role in local ecosystems. As short-lived, rapidly reproducing herbivores, they provide an important prey base for many carnivores. They are undoubtedly vital to local fod webs.
- Ecosystem Impact
- keystone species
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
It is unlikely that these animals provide any direct economic benefit to humans. However, because they are important prey animals, they do affect other species that humans find interesting an important. Many avian predators that people like to watch, such as falcons, hawks, and owls seem to rely on these animals for food.
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Long-tailed voles are a nuisance for many people. They burrow, which causes destruction
to the orchards and forests above. Also, they eat many crops (such as grains, potatoes,
alfalfa, etc.) and other plant material resulting in more damage. Similar to other
wild rodents and larger wild mammals, these voles can carry disease organisms, which
can be transmitted to humans through contact. It is advised to be cautious when handling
these animals.
- Negative Impacts
-
injures humans
- carries human disease
- crop pest
- causes or carries domestic animal disease
Conservation Status
Long-tailed voles are considered non-game mammals but are protected by many state
governments. If one of these voles causes a major problem, it may be captured or
killed.
Other Comments
The best way to prevent damage by long-tailed voles is to get rid of ground cover
such as weeds and overgrown grasses. This limits their habitat. This method works
because long-tailed voles will tend to avoid open areas.
Additional Links
Contributors
Nancy Shefferly (editor), Animal Diversity Web.
Lindsay Cosens (author), Michigan State University, Barbara Lundrigan (editor), Michigan State University.
- Nearctic
-
living in the Nearctic biogeographic province, the northern part of the New World. This includes Greenland, the Canadian Arctic islands, and all of the North American as far south as the highlands of central Mexico.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- temperate
-
that region of the Earth between 23.5 degrees North and 60 degrees North (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle) and between 23.5 degrees South and 60 degrees South (between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle).
- terrestrial
-
Living on the ground.
- tropical savanna and grassland
-
A terrestrial biome. Savannas are grasslands with scattered individual trees that do not form a closed canopy. Extensive savannas are found in parts of subtropical and tropical Africa and South America, and in Australia.
- savanna
-
A grassland with scattered trees or scattered clumps of trees, a type of community intermediate between grassland and forest. See also Tropical savanna and grassland biome.
- temperate grassland
-
A terrestrial biome found in temperate latitudes (>23.5° N or S latitude). Vegetation is made up mostly of grasses, the height and species diversity of which depend largely on the amount of moisture available. Fire and grazing are important in the long-term maintenance of grasslands.
- forest
-
forest biomes are dominated by trees, otherwise forest biomes can vary widely in amount of precipitation and seasonality.
- mountains
-
This terrestrial biome includes summits of high mountains, either without vegetation or covered by low, tundra-like vegetation.
- riparian
-
Referring to something living or located adjacent to a waterbody (usually, but not always, a river or stream).
- endothermic
-
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
- iteroparous
-
offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
- seasonal breeding
-
breeding is confined to a particular season
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- fertilization
-
union of egg and spermatozoan
- viviparous
-
reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female.
- altricial
-
young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state; they are unable to feed or care for themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth/hatching. In birds, naked and helpless after hatching.
- fossorial
-
Referring to a burrowing life-style or behavior, specialized for digging or burrowing.
- nocturnal
-
active during the night
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- sedentary
-
remains in the same area
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- ultrasound
-
uses sound above the range of human hearing for either navigation or communication or both
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- keystone species
-
a species whose presence or absence strongly affects populations of other species in that area such that the extirpation of the keystone species in an area will result in the ultimate extirpation of many more species in that area (Example: sea otter).
- causes or carries domestic animal disease
-
either directly causes, or indirectly transmits, a disease to a domestic animal
- herbivore
-
An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants.
- folivore
-
an animal that mainly eats leaves.
- granivore
-
an animal that mainly eats seeds
References
Cahalane, V. 1947. Mammals of North America . New York: MacMillan Co..
Smolen, M., B. Keller. 1987. Microtus longicaudus. Mammalian Species , 271: 1-7.
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. 2003. "Long-Tailed Vole" (On-line ). Accessed 04/11/03 at http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/mammalogy/mamwash/milo.html .
Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center. 2002. "Long-Tailed Vole" (On-line ). Accessed 04/11/03 at http://www.sdvc.uwyo.edu/wbn/atlas/info/amaff11060.html .
National Wildlife Federation. 2003. "Long-Tailed Vole" (On-line ). ENature.com. Accessed 04/11/03 at http://www.enature.com/guides/show_species_fg.asp?beautyID=8776&recsFound=18&curPos=3&curGroup=Mammals&screenType=normal&guideID=ng&recNum=MA0419&searchType=&color=&size=&shape=624&leafShape=&fruit=&habitat=&range=&useFreeText=&freeText= .
Colorado State University. 2003. "Managing voles in Colorado" (On-line ). Colorado State University Cooperative Extension. Accessed 04/11/03 at http://www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBS/NATRES/06507.html .
Pensacola, Inc. 2003. "Voles" (On-line ). Do-It-Yourself Pest Products. Accessed 04/11/03 at http://www.pestproducts.com/voles_meadow_mice.htm#Long-tailed%20Vole .