Alternative Names (Synonyms)

• Red-backed vole
• Wood vole
• Red vole
• Campagnol roussâtre (French)
• Rötelmaus (German)

Alternative species names (the second part of the binomial species names): [Genus] alstoni; [Genus] bernisi; [Genus] bosniensis;  [Genus] britannicus; [Genus] caesarius; [Genus] cantueli; [Genus] curcio; [Genus] devius; [Genus] erica; [Genus] fulvus; [Genus] garganicus; [Genus] gorka; [Genus] hallucalis; [Genus] helveticus;  [Genus] hercynicus; [Genus] insullaebellae; [Genus] intermedius; [Genus] istericus; [Genus] italicus; [Genus] jurassicus; [Genus] makedonicus; [Genus] minor; [Genus] nageri; [Genus] norvegicus;  [Genus] ognevi; [Genus] petrovi; [Genus] pirinus; [Genus] ponticus; [Genus] pratensis; [Genus] reinwaldti; [Genus] riparia;  [Genus] rubidus; [Genus] rufescens; [Genus] ruttneri; [Genus] saianicus; [Genus] sibericus; [Genus] skomerensis; [Genus] sobrus;  [Genus] suecicus; [Genus] tomensis; [Genus] variscicus; [Genus] vasconiae; [Genus] vesanus; [Genus] wasjuganensis (B141).

Names for new-borns / juveniles

General Appearance

Similar Species

• Distinguished from mice by much blunter muzzle and shorter tail.
• Distinguished from Microtus agrestis - Field vole by reddish-brown colour (for juveniles, by longer tail and larger ears).
• Distinguished from Arvicola terrestris - Water vole by smaller size and by colour.

(B142, D30).

References

Species Author

Major References

• B51, B141, B142, B143, B144, B147, B221
• D30

Husbandry references:
B156.12.w12

• Wildlife and Countryside Directorate, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR)
• The Mammal Society
• Mammals Trust

• --

TAXA Group (where information has been collated for an entire group on a modular basis)

Parent Group

• Voles (Rodents)

Specific Needs Group referenced in Management Techniques

• Voles (Rodents)

Husbandry Information

Notes

• Accommodation of Casualty Mice & Voles
• Hand-rearing Mice & Voles
• Catching and Handling of Mice & Voles
• Feeding of Casualty Mice & Voles
• Release of Casualty Mice and Voles

Measurement & Weight

Head

Nose: Blunt muzzle (D30).

Ears: Not very large, but visible (D30).

Legs and Tracks

• Four toes on forefeet, five toes on hindfeet (B142). 
• Hind foot length: mean 16.8mm (B142).

Tail

• Dorsal dark, ventral pale. 
• About 50% of head-body length (D30).
• Length:1.4-2.8in./3.5-7cm (B144).

Coat / Pelage

• Dorsal: rich red-brown (chestnut), may grade into flanks grey.
• Ventral: creamy-grey (silver-grey to creamy-buff).

(B142, B144, D30)

• Dorsal bright in colour;
• Ventral cream (B142).

• 4-6 weeks old first post-juvenile moult. 
• Adult moult peaks spring and autumn but may occur any time. 
• Moult proceeds ventral to dorsal.

(B142)

Neonate (New-born) Characteristics

Detailed Anatomy Notes
(Summary information provided for pertinent species-specific data cross-referenced in Wildpro)

Natural Diet

• Fleshy fruits, seeds.
• Leaves of woody plants, but also leaves of herbs.
• In winter eat dead leaves.
• Also: fungi, moss, roots, flowers, grass, insects, worms.
• Lichens in winter and spring in Scandinavian taiga coniferous forests.

(B142, B144)

Detailed Physiology Notes
(Summary information provided for pertinent species-specific data cross-referenced in Wildpro)

Feeding Behaviour

• Store food, particularly in late autumn and winter.
• Seeds with relatively thin testa are most likely to be stored.
• Generally scatter-stored.

(B142, B147)

Parental Behaviour

Social Behaviour / Territoriality

• Females: exclusive home ranges.
• Males: home range larger, overlapping with several females' ranges.
• Immatures: smaller home ranges than adults.
• Sexually mature males fight one another.
• Males most aggressive in breeding season.
• Dispersion by both sexes in spring and early summer (time of sexual maturation).
• Greatest dispersal from natal site where good habitat.
• Territory size 0.1-1.2acres/0.05-0.5 hectares, (B144).

(B142)

Sexual Behaviour

Predation in Wild

• Tawny owl, sparrowhawk, barn owl, stoat, polecat, mink, marten, wildcat, cat, fox.
• Viperus berus - Adder important in eastern Europe.

(B142, B144)

Activity Patterns

• Walk and run - 'scurry'.
• Run for cover when in light.
• Good ability to orient back to home range.
• Make surface runways in low cover, also make burrows.

(B142, B147)

• Summer: active day and night, peaks dawn and dusk.
• Winter: reduced night-time activity.

(B142, B144, B147)

General Habitat Type

• Mature moist mixed deciduous woodland with thick shrub or field layer preferred - especially densely covered clearings and margins.
• Riverine forests and banks of brooks (found at high density).
• Moist but deforested regions: parks, gardens, hedgerows, grasslands.
• In Britain: woodlands as described above, also in grasslands, young deciduous tree plantations, conifer stands, hedgerows.
• In dense bracken and bluebells on Skoemer.
• In Europe: also taiga conifer forests, spruce plantations.
• Montane forests in south of range.

(B51, B142, B143, D30)

Nests / Burrows / Shelters

• Burrows with nest at 2-10cm deep in ground.
• Nest of leaves, moss, feather in woodland, made from grass and moss in grassland.
• Breeding nests found in tree trunks as well as below ground.

(B142)

Distribution and Movement (Migration etc.)

• Europe: Arctic circle southwards to northern Spain, Italian mountains, Balkans. Atlantic and Baltic islands, but not Mediterranean islands.
• In Britain: throughout mainland, also islands: Handa, Raasay, Mull, Bute, Anglesey, Ramsey, Skomer, Isle of Wight, Jersey.

Sea level to 2,400m.

(B51, B142, B143, B147)

In Ireland: in south-west (B142, B143)

Intraspecific variation

Britain and north-east Europe forms darker, while south-eastern populations paler. Marginal and mountain forms larger with relatively longer tails.

Include:

• Clethryonomys glareolus glareolus (e.g. British mainland)
• Clethryonomys glareolus caesarius (Jersey)
• Clethryonomys glareolus skomerensis (Skomer)
• Clethryonomys glareolus alstoni (Mull)
• Clethryonomys glareolus erica (Raasay)

(B142, B143)

Conservation Status

• Common, with both cyclic and non-cyclic density fluctuations depending on area (B142, B143, B144).

• In Britain: native, very common. Pre-breeding population estimate of about 23,000,000, with 17,750,000 in England, 3,500,000 in Scotland, 1,750,000 in Wales. Population estimate of this widely-distributed species was based on a limited amount of data and considered likely to be inaccurate by up to 50% in either direction (B221).