Voles are small rodents that are relatives of lemmings and hamsters, but with a stouter body; a longer, hairy tail; a slightly rounder head; smaller eyes and ears; and differently formed molars. They are sometimes known as meadow mice or field mice in North America.
The Arvicolinae are a subfamily of rodents that includes the voles, lemmings, and muskrats. They are most closely related to the other subfamilies in the Cricetidae. Some authorities place the subfamily Arvicolinae in the family Muridae along with all other members of the superfamily Muroidea. Some refer to the subfamily as the Microtinae or rank the taxon as a full family, the Arvicolidae.
Microtus is a genus of voles found in North America, Europe and northern Asia. The genus name refers to the small ears of these animals. They are stout rodents with short ears, legs and tails. They eat green vegetation such as grasses and sedges in summer, and grains, seeds, root and bark at other times. The genus is also called "meadow voles".
The water voles are large voles in the genus Arvicola. They are found in both aquatic and dry habitat through Europe and much of northern Asia. A water vole found in Western North America was historically considered a member of this genus, but has been shown to be more closely related to members of the genus Microtus. Head and body lengths are 12–22 cm, tail lengths are 6.5–12.5 cm, and their weights are 70–250 g. The animals may exhibit indeterminate growth. They are thick-furred and have hairy fringes on their feet that improve their swimming ability.
Blanfordimys is a subgenus of voles in the family Microtus. It was formerly considered a distinct genus, but taxonomic studies group it within the Microtus radiation.
Chionomys is a genus of rodent in the family Cricetidae.
The juniper vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and Tajikistan. It was formerly classified in the genus Neodon, but genetic evidence indicates that it is classified within the subgenus Blanfordimys in Microtus.
Maximowicz's vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in northeastern China, Mongolia, and eastern Russia.
Middendorff's vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found only in Russia, most commonly north Siberia.
The Mongolian vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in China, Mongolia, and Russia.
The Duke of Bedford's vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. After the Liangshan vole was removed from this genus, the Duke of Bedford's vole became the only member of the genus Proedromys. It is found only in mountainous parts of central China. It is a rare species and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being "vulnerable".
Arvicolini is a tribe of voles in the subfamily Arvicolinae.
Alexandromys is a genus of voles in the subfamily Arvicolinae, formerly a subgenus of the genus Microtus. Species in this genus are:
Lagurini is a tribe of lemmings in the subfamily Arvicolinae. It contains three species in two genera. Species in this tribe are known as steppe lemmings.
The Nyalam mountain vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found only in China.
The Medog mountain vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found only in China.
