136.

Woodland Vole

Microtus pinetorum

French: Campagnol sylvestre / German: Kiefernwiihimaus / Spanish: Topillo de bosque

Other common names: Mole Mouse, Pine Mouse, Pine Vole

Taxonomy. Psammomys pinetorum Le Conte, 1830, “pine forests of Georgia.” Interpreted by V. Bailey in 1900 as “probably the old LeConte plantation near Riceboro,” Georgia.

Seven subspecies are recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

M.p.pinetorumLeConte,1830—SVirgin-1a,extremeETennessee,NorthCarolina,SouthCarolina,SEMississippi,SAlabama,andmostofGeorgia,USA.

M.p.auricularisBailey,1898—SIndiana,SWOhio,extremeSEMissouri,mostofKentucky,E&SArkansas,mostofTennessee,ETexas,Louisiana,Mississippi,NAlabama,andNWGeorgia,USA.

M.p.carbonariusHandley,1952—extremeSEOhio,extremeWWestVirginia,EKentucky,andETennessee,USA.

M.p.nemoralisBailey,1898—extremeSEMinnesota,SWWisconsin,Iowa,SENebraska,EKansas,Missouri,EOklahoma,Arkansas,andNETexas,USA.

M.p.parvulusA.H.Howell,1916—SGeorgiaandNFlorida,USA.

M.p.scalopsoidesAudubon&Bachman,1841—extremeSOntarioandextremeSQuebec,Canada,andfromSWisconsinandIllinoisEtotheAtlanticcoastfromextremeSWMainetoSVirginia,USA.

M. p. schmidti H. H. T. Jackson, 1941 — WC Wisconsin, USA.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 63-110 mm, tail 17-25 mm, hindfoot 13-19 mm; weight 25-38 g. Dorsal pelage of the Woodland Vole is smooth, silky, and russet brown to brownish chestnut, with black-tipped hair on rump and back; venteris dull gray; and color variants have been noted, including albinos. Tail is short and indistinctly bicolored. Body shape is tubular, and ears and eyes are small—adaptations for semi-fossorial burrowing. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 62, FN = 62.

Habitat. Near deciduous forests (e.g. beech-maple-oak associations) and other wooded areas with evergreen shrubs, herbaceous understory, and logs and often where soils are moist and loose enough for burrowing. Apple orchards in eastern North America are reportedly excellent habitat for Woodland Voles.

Food and Feeding. Woodland Voles commonly eat tree roots, bulbs, seeds, fruits, and herbaceous plants. They sometimes damage agricultural crops, including commercial orchards by eating tree bark and saplings, sweet and white potatoes, peanuts, and lily bulbs.

Breeding. Woodland Voles breed in February-November, and breeding season is longer in southern parts of their distribution. Gestation is 20-24 days. Female have 1-4 litters/year, each with 1-5 young. Variation in litter size might be affected by light intensity, forage quality, and size of pregnant females. Lactation averages 20 days, and young are weaned at 17-21 days. Nests are constructed under downed logs, below leaf litter, or in burrows.

Activity patterns. Woodland Voles are active year-round and primarily during the day, although nocturnal activity has been noted.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Daily movements of Woodland Voles are confined to vicinities of their burrow systems; burrows may be occupied by multiple individuals. Home ranges are c.0-1 ha. Woodland Voles tend to be sparsely distributed in natural habitats; densities usually are highest in orchards during autumn. Average density is up to 2-4 ind/ha; densities can increase up to 15 ind/ha and are likely higher in orchards. Woodland Voles are not thought to be territorial and reportedly occur in loose social groups.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Bradley, Ammerman etal. (2014), Hall (1981), Linzey & NatureServe (Hammerson) (2008), Miller & Getz (1969), Musser & Carleton (2005), Smolen (1981), Whitaker & Hamilton (1998).