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. About 62 species are placed in the genus. 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 Orkney vole is a population of the common vole found in the Orkney Islands, off the northern coast of Scotland, as well as in the Channel Island of Guernsey. Orkney voles are about 10% larger than voles from other populations of the common vole. The common vole is absent from the rest of the British Isles.
The Tatra pine vole, also called the Tatra vole or Tatra ground vole, is a species of vole endemic to the Carpathian mountain range in Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine and Romania. Two subspecies have been recognised. M. t. tatricus occupies the western part of the range in Slovakia and Poland, and M. t. zykovi is found in Ukraine and Romania.
The California vole is a type of vole which lives throughout much of California and part of southwestern Oregon. It is also known as the "California meadow mouse", a misnomer as this species is a vole, not a mouse. It averages 172 mm (6.8 in) in length although this length varies greatly between subspecies.
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.
Cabrera's vole is a species of vole native to Spain and Portugal. It is named for Ángel Cabrera, a mammalogist then working at the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales in Madrid. It is the only living member of the subgenus Iberomys, although two fossil species are also known, including M. brecciensis, the likely direct ancestor of the living species.
The narrow-headed vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. Ranging over northern and central Asia and also into Alaska, it is the only species in the subgenus Stenocranius.
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.
Middendorf's vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found only in Russia, most commonly north Siberia.
The creeping vole, sometimes known as the Oregon meadow mouse, is a small rodent in the family Cricetidae. Ranging across the Pacific Northwest of North America, it is found in forests, grasslands, woodlands, and chaparral environments. The small-tailed, furry, brownish-gray mammal was first described in the scientific literature in 1839, from a specimen collected near the mouth of the Columbia River. The smallest vole in its range, it weighs around 19 g (0.67 oz). At birth, they weigh 1.6 g (0.056 oz), are naked, pink, unable to open their eyes, and the ear flaps completely cover the ear openings. Although not always common throughout their range, there are no major concerns for their survival as a species.
Schelkovnikov's pine vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Azerbaijan and Iran. It has recently been considered the sole species in the subgenus Hyrcanicola.
The Zempoaltépec vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. The name Microtus is from the Greek word mikros meaning small and otus meaning ear. The name umbrosus could be from the Latin umbros meaning shady. It is rather large and has a long tail when compared with other voles. Its pelage is long and soft. In the upper parts, the hair is uniformly dusky with brown tips and the lower parts a dark grey thinly washed with a reddish yellow color. It is found only in Mexico, in a semi-isolated mountain range southeast of the Cajones River in Mixes district, in Oaxaca.
Arvicolini is a tribe of voles in the subfamily Arvicolinae.
The Qazvin vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Iran and is normally given as either part of the Microtus or Sumeriomys subgenus. It is a close relative of M. guentheri distinguished by different pelage coloration and a more complex occlusal pattern.
Alexandromys is a subgenus of voles in the genus Microtus. Species in this subgenus are:
Mynomes is a North American subgenus of voles in the genus Microtus. Species in this subgenus are:
Terricola is a subgenus of voles in the genus Microtus. The authority for this taxon is Fatio in 1867. Earlier use of the name by John Fleming has no formal taxonomic standing. Species in this subgenus are:
D.E. Wilson & D.M. Reeder, 2005: Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. Third Edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
