The tundra vole (''Microtus oeconomus'') or root vole is a medium-sized vole found in

Northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ra ...

and Central Europe, Asia, and northwestern

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, including Alaska and northwestern Canada. In the western part of the Netherlands, the tundra vole is a relict from the ice age and has developed into the

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

''Microtus oeconomus arenicola''.

Description

The tundra vole has short ears and a short tail. Its fur is yellowish brown with paler sides and white underparts. It is typically about long with a tail and a weight of about .

Habitat

The tundra vole is found in damp tundra or moist meadows, usually near water.

Behaviour and diet

This species makes runways through the surface growth in warm weather and tunnels through the snow in winter. It feeds on grasses, sedges and seeds. It is active year-round. It also digs burrows where it stores seeds and roots, especially licorice root, for the winter. The species epithet ''oeconomus'' refers to this "economical" behaviour.

Breeding

Female voles have three to six litters of three to nine young in a shallow burrow. The vole population in a given area can vary greatly from year to year.

Subspecies

Subspecies are as follows:Witte van den Bosch, R. and Bekker, D. (2009). Verdwijnt de oer-Hollandse lemming? Geschiedenis en toekomst van de noordse woelmuis. Zoogdier 20-4: p.p 3-7. (in Dutch) *''M. o. amakensis'' - Amak Island tundra vole - Alaska, United States *''M. o. arenicola'' - Dutch tundra vole - Netherlands *''M. o. elymocetes'' - Montague Island tundra vole - Alaska, United States *''M. o. finmarchicus'' - Norwegian tundra vole - Norway *''M. o. innuitus'' -

St. Lawrence Island St. Lawrence Island ( ess, Sivuqaq, russian: Остров Святого Лаврентия, Ostrov Svyatogo Lavrentiya) is located west of mainland Alaska in the Bering Sea, just south of the Bering Strait. The village of Gambell, located on t ...

tundra vole - Alaska, United States *''M. o. medius'' - Norwegian tundra vole - Norway *''M. o. mehelyi'' - Central European tundra vole - Austria, Hungary and Slovakia *''M. o. oeconomus'' - nominate subspecies - widespread *''M. o. popofensis'' - Shumagin Islands tundra vole - Alaska, United States *''M. o. punakensis'' - Punuk Islands tundra vole - Alaska, United States *''M. o. sitkensis'' - Alexander Archipelago tundra vole - Alaska, United States *''M. o. unalascensis'' - Unalaska Island tundra vole - Alaska, United States

References

*Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. pp. 894–1531 ''in'' Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. {{Authority control Tundra Arctic land animals Mammals of the Arctic Rodents of Europe Rodents of North America Mammals described in 1776 Least concern biota of North America Holarctic fauna