''Microtus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

vole 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 (high-crowned with angular cusps instead of lo ...

s 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". Microtus skulls Bailey 1900

There is some disagreement on the definitive list of species in this genus, and which subgenera are recognized. The

American Society of Mammalogists The American Society of Mammalogists (ASM) was founded in 1919. Its primary purpose is to encourage the study of mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence ...

recognizes the following 60 species, with discrepancies as noted: Subgenus '' Blanfordimys'' *

Afghan vole The Afghan vole (''Microtus afghanus'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in south-central Asia. Characteristics The Afghan vole has a small, stocky body, a blunt, rounded muzzle and rounded ears. The colour varies a ...

(''Microtus afghanus'') * Bucharian vole (''Microtus bucharensis'') *

Juniper vole The juniper vole (''Microtus yuldaschi'') 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 ...

(''Microtus yuldaschi'') Subgenus '' Euarvicola'' *

Short-tailed field vole The short-tailed field vole, short-tailed vole, or simply field vole (''Microtus agrestis'') is a grey-brown vole, around 10 cm in length, with a short tail. It is one of the most common mammals in Europe, with a range extending from the At ...

(''Microtus agrestis'') *

Mediterranean field vole The short-tailed field vole, short-tailed vole, or simply field vole (''Microtus agrestis'') is a grey-brown vole, around 10 cm in length, with a short tail. It is one of the most common mammals in Europe, with a range extending from the At ...

(''Microtus lavernedii'') *

Portuguese field vole The short-tailed field vole, short-tailed vole, or simply field vole (''Microtus agrestis'') is a grey-brown vole, around 10 cm in length, with a short tail. It is one of the most common mammals in Europe, with a range extending from the At ...

(''Microtus rozianus'') Subgenus ''

Hyrcanicola Schelkovnikov's pine vole (''Microtus schelkovnikovi'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Azerbaijan and Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in W ...

'' (not recognized by the ASM, listed in subgenus ''Microtus'') *

Schelkovnikov's pine vole Schelkovnikov's pine vole (''Microtus schelkovnikovi'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Azerbaijan and Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in W ...

(''M. schelkovnikovi'') Subgenus '' Iberomys'' *

Cabrera's vole Cabrera's vole (''Microtus cabrerae'') 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 sub ...

(''Microtus cabrerae'') Subgenus ''

Microtus ''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 se ...

'' *

Anatolian vole The Anatolian vole (''Microtus anatolicus'') is a species of vole found in Turkey, specifically Konya Province. The population is unknown but it lives in small colonies. The species exists in an area that is a remnant zone of Tethys Ocean, and ...

(''Microtus anatolicus'') *

Common vole The common vole (''Microtus arvalis'') is a European rodent. Distribution and habitat The common vole is hardly restricted in means of distribution and habitat and inhabits large areas of Eurasia but, apart from the Orkney vole, not the Br ...

(''Microtus arvalis'') *

Doğramaci's vole Doğramaci's vole (''Microtus dogramacii'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Iran, and probably Iraq and Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levan ...

(''Microtus dogramacii'') * Günther's vole (''Microtus guentheri'') * Harting's vole (''Microtus hartingi'') *

Tien Shan vole The Tien Shan vole (''Microtus ilaeus'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by K ...

(''Microtus ilaeus'') * Persian vole (''Microtus irani'') * Kerman vole (''Microtus kermanensis'') * Cyrenaica vole (''Microtus mustersi'') * East European vole (''Microtus mystacinus'') * Altai vole (''Microtus obscurus'') * Paradox vole (''Microtus paradoxus'') * East European gray vole (''Microtus rossiaemeridionalis'') * Schidlovsky's vole (''Microtus schidlovskii'') * Social vole (''Microtus socialis'') * Transcaspian vole (''Microtus transcaspicus'') Subgenus '' Pedomys'' (not recognized by the ASM, listed in subgenus ''Pitymys'') *

Prairie vole The prairie vole (''Microtus ochrogaster'') is a small vole found in central North America. Description The vole has long, coarse grayish-brown fur on the upper portion of the body and yellowish fur on the lower portion of the body. It has sh ...

(''M. ochrogaster'') Subgenus '' Pitymys'' (includes the former subgenus '' Mynomes'') * Insular vole (''Microtus abbreviatus'') * California vole (''Microtus californicus'') * Gray-tailed vole (''Microtus canicaudus'') * Rock vole (''Microtus chrotorrhinus'') * Western meadow vole (''Microtus drummondi'') * Florida salt marsh vole (''Microtus dukecampbelli'') * Guatemalan vole (''Microtus guatemalensis'') * Long-tailed vole (''Microtus longicaudus'') * Mexican vole (''Microtus mexicanus'') * Mogollon vole (''Microtus mogollonensis'') *

Montane vole The montane vole (''Microtus montanus'') is a species of vole native to the western United States and Canada. Description Montane voles are medium-sized voles, with a total length of , including the tail. Adults typically weigh anything from , ...

(''Microtus montanus'') * Tarabundí vole (''Microtus oaxacensis'') * Creeping vole (''Microtus oregoni'') *

Eastern meadow vole The eastern meadow vole (''Microtus pennsylvanicus''), sometimes called the field mouse or meadow mouse, is a North American vole found in eastern Canada and the United States. Its range extends farther south along the Atlantic coast. The weste ...

(''Microtus pennsylvanicus'') * Woodland vole (''Microtus pinetorum'') * Jalapan pine vole (''Microtus quasiater'') * North American water vole (''Microtus richardsoni'') * Townsend's vole (''Microtus townsendii'') * Zempoaltépec vole (''Microtus umbrosus'') * Taiga vole (''Microtus xanthognathus'') Subgenus '' Terricola'' * Calabria pine vole (''Microtus brachycercus'') * Daghestan pine vole (''Microtus daghestanicus'') * Mediterranean pine vole (''Microtus duodecimcostatus'') * Felten's vole (''Microtus felteni'') * Anatolian pine vole ('' Microtus fingeri'') * Liechtenstein's pine vole (''Microtus liechtensteini'') * Lusitanian pine vole (''Microtus lusitanicus'') * Major's pine vole (''Microtus majori'') * Alpine pine vole (''Microtus multiplex'') * Sicilian pine vole (''Microtus nebrodensis'') * Gerbe's vole (''Microtus gerbii'' or ''Microtus pyrenaicus'') * Savi's pine vole (''Microtus savii'') * European pine vole (''Microtus subterraneus'') * Tatra pine vole (''Microtus tatricus'') * Thomas's pine vole (''Microtus thomasi'') The IUCN recognizes these additional species: * Bavarian pine vole (''Microtus bavaricus'') (included in ''M. multiplex'' by ASM) * Singing vole (''Microtus miurus'') (IUCN lists this as split from '' M. gregalis'', but the ASM lists ''M. miurus'' as a synonym of ''M. abbreviatus'') * Elbeyli vole (''Microtus elbeyli'') (IUCN list this as distinct from ''M. irani'') * Qazvin vole (''Microtus qazvinensis'') (IUCN list this as distinct from ''M. irani'') There is also at least one known subfossil species known:
Subgenus '' Tyrrhenicola'' * Sardinian vole (''M. henseli)'' extinct after 1300 BC

References

*
online database version
entry for Muroidea).

External links

Genus Microtus
{{Authority control Voles and lemmings Rodent genera Taxa named by Franz von Paula Schrank Extant Piacenzian first appearances