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Meadow Vole

Microtus pennsylvanicus

The meadow vole is a small, dark brown rodent that is common in grassy marshes throughout the Chesapeake Bay region.

Appearance:

• Rich, dark brown fur
• Grayish or pale brown underparts
• Long, furry tail that can be 2.5 inches
• Small ears
• Dark brown feet
• Grows to 6 inches long and usually weighs about 1.5 ounces

Habitat:

• Lives in fresh, brackish and salt marshes
• Active both at night and during the day

Range:

• Found throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed
• Stays within a home range that varies in size depending on sex: males’ home ranges are three times larger than females’
• Females’ home ranges do not overlap with other females’, but males’ home ranges can overlap

Feeding:

• An herbivore that feeds on the leaves, stems, roots and seeds of wetland grasses, sedges and rushes
• In winter, switches to eating tree bark and roots
• Known to be cannibalistic, especially on young voles
• Eats 60 percent of its body weight each day
• Creates narrow “runways” through the marsh grass as it eats its way along a path and runs back and forth along that path

Predators:

• Owls, hawks, snakes, weasels and red foxes feed on voles
• Hides from predators in its burrows and tunnels
• Can become aggressive when trapped

Voice:

• Uses vocalizations primarily when trying to defend itself against predators

Reproduction and Life Cycle:

• Breeds year-round
• Females begin mating within 25 days of birth. Males mate when they are 45 days old.
• Nests in a depression within marsh grasses or below ground in burrows
• Females have several litters each year. The typical litter size is 2-3 but can be as large as nine.
• Young are born blind, naked and helpless
• The female cares for her young for about two weeks until they are weaned.
• Usually lives no longer than one year

Other Facts:

• The most abundant rodent in the Bay’s marshes
• Also known as the field mouse or meadow mouse
• Able to swim well
• Has good senses of smell and hearing
• When alarmed, meadow voles stamp their hind feet, just like a rabbit
• Voles can be considered a pest because they can cause damage to farms, orchards and newly planted trees

Sources and Additional Information:

• Chesapeake Bay: Nature of the Estuary, A Field Guide by Christopher P. White
• Animal Diversity Web: Microtus pennsylvanicus – University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
• North American Mammals: Microtus pennsylvanicus – Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Places:

• North Point State Park – Edgemere, Maryland
• Parkers Creek Watershed Nature Preserve – Prince Frederick, Maryland
• Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge – Rock Hall, Maryland
• Pocomoke River State Forest and Park – Snow Hill, Maryland
• Janes Island State Park – Crisfield, Maryland
• Huntley Meadows Park – Alexandria, Virginia
• Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge – Lorton, Virginia
• Dutch Gap Conservation Area – Chesterfield, Virginia
• Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve – Portsmouth, Virginia
• Tangier History Museum and Interpretive Cultural Center – Tangier, Virginia