Voles

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Voles
Bank vole (Myodes glareolus)

Bank vole ( Myodes glareolus )

Systematics
Order : Rodents (Rodentia)
Subordination : Mouse relatives (Myomorpha)
Superfamily : Mice-like (Muroidea)
Eumuroida
Family : Burrowers (Cricetidae)
Subfamily : Voles
Scientific name
Arvicolinae
JE Gray , 1821

The voles (Arvicolinae) are a subfamily of the agitators is (Cricetidae) with over 150 species. Among the best known species include the field mouse , the bank vole , the muskrat , the voles and lemmings .

features

Depending on the genus, the voles which are active during the day and at night are between 7 and 23 centimeters long and weigh around 80–200 g, but also up to 2600 g like the muskrat. The head is blunt, the ears are mostly small due to the burrowing way of life and sometimes almost completely hidden in the fur. The different colors of the fur range from brown-gray to red-brown and occasionally to black. The medium-long to short tail is only thinly haired, which is why its ringing is easy to see. The voles have 4 or 5 toes on their front feet, depending on the species, and always 5 on their hind feet.

Occurrence

Voles are common in Europe , Asia and North America . The preferred habitat is light to medium-heavy soils, in which they can create their duct system without difficulty, with loess soils being particularly preferred. While many vole species create duct systems in the ground, some live in meadows or even on trees ( pine mice ). During their burrowing activity, they throw up oblong, flat heaps of earth that are often criss-crossed with grass or roots. Their mounds are therefore often confused with those of the mole . Its piles of earth, however, are rounder and larger and are thrown up by it at regular intervals, which is not the case with voles.

A distinction is also urgently necessary because moles are protected and may not be fought. Targeted control with the appropriate means is only possible if the pest has been correctly identified. To determine whether it is a mole or a rodent, you can put a carrot in the walkway. If this is eaten, it is very likely a vole.

Harmful effect

Eating damage and crop failure in potatoes due to vole infestation

Voles can cause severe damage to root vegetables, perennials, potatoes, fruit trees, and other crops. For the harmful effects of voles in agriculture using the example of a special species, see under Eastern water vole .

Combat

Voles are combated with fumigants , poison baits or mousetraps ( see also : 100 Trap Nights ). In addition, the promotion of the natural enemies of the vole - z. B. ermine , weasel and red fox are helpful.

Systematics

As an alternative to the name Arvicolinae, the name Microtinae is often found, but as a much younger name it is invalid. The voles are often raised to the rank of their own family. Above all in older systematics one finds various rodent taxa, which today are usually regarded as independent, as a tribe of voles, e.g. B. the New World mice , hamsters , blind mole rats , gerbils , mane rats and Madagascar rats . More recent DNA studies have confirmed voles' monophyly ; the results suggest that the hamsters are likely the voles' sister group.

The following system is based on McKenna & Bell and shows tribes and genera:

literature

Web links

Commons : Arvicolinae  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Willi Hennebrueder: Wiesel contrasting vole. In: Landwirtschaftliches Wochenblatt Westfalen-Lippe 10/2014, p. 95.