Prairie Vole - Microtus ochrogaster
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Global Rank:
G5
State Rank:
S4
Agency Status
USFWS:
none
USFS:
none
BLM:
none
CFWCS Tier:
3
General Description
The prairie vole adult measures nearly 6 inches, including its short 1 1/4-inch tail, and weighs about 1 1/2 ounces. Its back is grayish brown, with black or brownish-yellow-tipped hairs. The side fur is lighter gray, and the underside may be yellow ochre, light cinnamon, or whitish gray. It has a relatively large head in proportion to its small bright eyes and ears (Foresman 2001).
Distribution
Montana Range
Migration
Non-migratory.
Habitat
Dry grassland & sagebrush -- grass semi-desert, where grass is dense enough to provide adeq. cover for runway construction. Will occupy riparian habitat in absence of M. pennsylvanicus.
Food Habits
During spring and summer feeds on green vegetation: grasses, sedges & forbs. From late summer on: roots, tubers, fruits, seeds. May use insects.
Ecology
Populations fluctuate widely. More fossorial than Microtus pennsylvanicus. Highly social. Tolerant of conspecifics. Many predators, high mortality rate & high reproduction rate.
Reproductive Characteristics
May form monogamuos pair. Parents coop. in raising young. Bimodal rep. spr/fall in warmer areas. Variable. Possibly unimodal in N ranges. Induced ovulation. 3 wks gestation. Born in globular nest of dried grass, below/above ground.
Citations & Sources