Red mouse vole. Bank vole (Myodes glareolus)Bank vole (eng.)

The coloration of the top of the bank vole is rusty-brown, various shades. The tail is relatively long (40-60 mm), sharply bicolored, dark above and whitish below, covered with short hairs, between which a scaly surface of the skin can be seen. Skull length 21.7-26.0 mm. The length of the upper molars is usually less than 6 mm. The base of the alveolus of the upper incisor (visible when opening the bone) is at least half the length of the crown of this tooth from the anterior edge of the 1st molar. 3rd upper molar on the inside with 2, or more often, 3 reentrant angles.

Forest regions of the European part of the USSR and some regions Western Siberia; north to middle Kola Peninsula, the Solovetsky Islands, Arkhangelsk and the lower reaches of the Pechora, south to the island forests of Ukraine, Voronezh, Saratov, Kuibyshev regions, the environs of Uralsk; isolated locality is in the southwestern Transcaucasia. The eastern border of distribution is not sufficiently clarified: individual occurrences are known near Tyumen, in the vicinity of Tobolsk, in the Vasyugan district of the Tomsk region, in the Legostaevsky district Novosibirsk region; on the Salair Ridge, Altai and Sayans. Outside the USSR, it is distributed north to Scotland and Scandinavia, south to the Pyrenees, southern Italy, Yugoslavia and Turkey.

In the Pleistocene on the territory of the USSR, bank voles penetrated far to the south into the open landscape, apparently adhering to forested river valleys, and their remains, usually attributed to C. glareolus, together with the remains of the steppe fauna, were found outside their modern range on the lower Don and in the Crimea; in addition, they are known from the Kanev region on the Dnieper. The earliest finds are known from England in the Upper Pliocene; in the early Quaternary time, forms close to C. glareolus.

The red-backed vole lives in various types forests, from coniferous in the north to broadleaf in the south; along the forest islands penetrates far into steppe zone. In autumn and winter, it often settles in haystacks, omets and buildings. Burrows with several exits and 1-2 chambers; sometimes makes a nest on the surface of the soil. Climbs bushes and trees. Feeds on tree seeds herbaceous plants, bark, kidneys, lichens and, in part, also animal food (insects, worms). Reproduction 3-4 times a year, in each litter 2-8 cubs. Harmful in forests, nurseries, gardens and field-protective afforestations. Causes some damage in places winter time in barns, warehouses of vegetables and in residential buildings.

Vole subspecies: 1) Clethrionomys glareolus glareolus Schreber (1780) - the coloration is relatively bright with a significant admixture of reddish-rufous tones on the back; from Belarus and the Smolensk region to the Tatar ASSR.

2) C. g. suecicus Miller (1909) - the coloration is darker than that of the previous form, the dimensions are somewhat larger than those of other subspecies; from the Baltic along the northern regions of the USSR (Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Leningrad, Vologda) to the Ural Range and the flat part of Western Siberia, inclusive.

3) C. g. islericus Miller (1909) - rusty-yellow upperparts, lighter than previous forms; Moldova, Ukraine, Kursk, Voronezh, Saratov, Kuibyshev regions, Southern Urals and etc.

4) C. g. devius Stroganov (1948) - the color of the summer fur on the back is smoky gray with a fawn-rusty tint; found in the lower reaches of the river. Pechory.

5) C. g. saianicus Thomas (1911) - upperparts are relatively dark, similar to C. g. suecicus Mill.; slightly smaller than the last subspecies; Sayans, Altai, Salair Ridge.

6) C. g. ponticus Thomas (1906) - the color of the bank vole is intense, gray-brown, with a brownish-rusty tinge; found in the Guria-Adzhar Range south of the city of Kutaisi of the Georgian SSR; was previously known from several points in Turkey (Trapezund, etc.).

The bank vole (Latin name - Myodes glareolus) is a mouse-like rodent belonging to the Khomyakov family. The animal has other names: European bank vole, forest vole.

The animal is characterized by small size. In length, it grows up to 8-12 centimeters, of which 3-6 centimeters falls on the tail. Weighs 14-45 grams.

About 35 subspecies of the bank vole are known, of which only 5-6 are found in Russia. The most common subspecies are bank, red and red-gray voles.

The forest vole lives on the plains, in the mountains and foothills. You can see it in most of Europe, in the northern part of Asia and in the Siberian taiga. In mountainous regions (in Altai, in the Alps, the Ural and Carpathian mountains) it rises to the upper limits of forest plantations. Sometimes found at an altitude of 2400 meters above sea level. m.

The dense oval body of the animal is covered with short fur. On the back, it is painted in a rusty brown color, which gave the name to the species. White and silvery hairs are mixed on the abdomen. Ears are smoky. The tail is dark above and whitish below. For the winter, the vole “changes its coat” to a lighter one with a more pronounced red color.

The size and coloration depend on the habitat. Voles living in southern parts of the range are more yellow, and the inhabitants of the eastern parts and mountainous regions are more red. The largest individuals are found in the northeast, but in the mountains their size decreases.

There is no external difference between males and females.

The bank vole lives in deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests. He loves linden and oak plantations very much. In the taiga, it prefers spruce forests, in which berry bushes grow. The rodent avoids dense thickets, choosing light forests and well-lit forest edges.

In the southern regions of its range, it lives in insular forests, forest-steppe and shelterbelts, and floodplains. It can go out to the fields in search of food, but does not go further than 100-150 meters. In the Urals, it settles among the placers of stones.

In the northern regions of Europe, for the winter, it moves to houses, cellars, barns, granaries, stacks of straw and haystacks. Easily adapts to anthropogenic changes.

Rodents lead a solitary lifestyle, but usually gather in groups for the winter. Females occupy areas of 500-1000 square meters, on which no one is allowed during the breeding season. The plots of males range from a thousand to 8 thousand square meters and include the plots of females.

Although voles belong to sedentary animals, in the absence of food they can migrate, but no further than 50-100 meters.

Wood vole does not hibernate. It is active all year round and at any time of the day. It is characterized by alternating periods of activity and rest. Usually the animal is in an active state for about an hour, devoting most of the time to searching for food, after which it rests for an hour and a half. But still the most active rodent in the morning and evening.

The bank vole usually lives in natural voids formed under stones or tree roots, under heaps of dry branches, in fallen trunks and rotten stumps, in burrows dug by other animals. It digs holes on its own in extremely rare cases. Voles are excellent tree climbers and climb up to twelve meters without any problems. Therefore, they often equip nests in hollows or birdhouses.

In the dwelling, the animal from dried leaves and grass (sometimes it can add feathers and wool to them) builds a spherical nest with a diameter of 10-15 centimeters. The leaves are also used as “doors”, closing the entrance with them. Several paths depart from the nest (usually 3-5), leading to feeding areas. In winter, snow tunnels are laid on the site of the trails.

Food

Voles mainly eat:

• green fodder (they make up 75-95% of the diet);
• seeds of herbs, shrubs and trees;
• forest berries (blueberries, lingonberries).

Especially love acorns and linden seeds. In the eastern regions of the range, seeds of cedar pines are preferred.

In summer, they can use the stems and leaves of various plants (over a hundred), fir cones, insects and their larvae, worms, and in winter - buds, bark and shoots of shrubs (most of all they like aspen bark).

Usually alternate feeds, providing a variety of diets. If the main food is missing due to crop failure, then they easily pass to the roots of plants, lichens, mosses and fungi. They can eat carrion. For a day, one individual eats 5-7 grams of feed.

Rodents make small food reserves (no more than 100 grams), which often remain unused and contribute to the formation of new plantations.

To provide the body with moisture, they drink rainwater and dew, eat snow.

The bank vole starts breeding in early spring, before the snow melts. The breeding season ends in early autumn. Sometimes they can breed offspring even in snowy winters unless there are significant temperature fluctuations.

During the season, females bring 3-4 (and sometimes 5) broods. There can be from 3 to 13 babies in a litter, but most often - 5-6.

The duration of pregnancy is 17-24 days. Cubs are born naked and blind. They weigh from 1 to 10 grams. They are covered with wool on the ninth or tenth day, the eyes open on the tenth or twelfth (at the same time they begin to eat green food on their own), and on the fourteenth or fifteenth day they already leave the dwelling.

Usually the female becomes pregnant during lactation. Before the onset of childbirth, she abandons the previous brood and moves to another hole. Abandoned cubs are divided into groups, and by the age of one month they become independent. Already in a month and a half females are capable of reproduction. Males become sexually mature at one and a half to two months.

Enemies

Voles have many enemies. These rodents serve as food for stoats, minks, weasels,.

In the wild, the bank vole lives from half a year to one and a half years. The maximum life span was recorded in the laboratory (3 years 1 month), a little less in the reserve (2 years 1 month).

This species is quite numerous. In Europe, it is the leader among all rodents inhabiting forests. In the most favorable years the population density is 200 individuals per hectare.

Ixodid ticks often settle on the animal.

It is a carrier of more than ten diseases, which include:

1. tick-borne encephalitis;
2. tularemia;
3. hemorrhagic fever;
4. salmonellosis;
5. toxoplasmosis;
6. lymphocytic choriomeningitis;
7. leptospirosis;
8. pseudotuberculosis;
9. pig face.

With excessive reproduction, the vole damages gardens and forest nurseries, damages food stocks.

They can surprise not only novice tourists, but also those who have seen quite a few of the most diverse and interesting places on the planet.

In this post there will be scary, nasty, cute, kind, beautiful, incomprehensible animals.
Plus a short comment about each. They all really exist.
Watch and be amazed

SCHELEZUB- a mammal from the order of insectivores, divided into two main species: the Cuban flint tooth and the Haitian. Relatively large, relative to other types of insectivores, the beast: its length is 32 centimeters, and the tail, on average, 25 cm, the weight of the animal is about 1 kilogram, the physique is dense.


MANED WOLF. Dwells in South America. The long legs of the wolf are the result of evolution in matters of adaptation to the habitat, they help the animal overcome obstacles in the form of tall grass growing on the plains.


AFRICAN CIVETA- the only representative of the same genus. These animals live in Africa in open spaces with high grass from Senegal to Somalia, southern Namibia and eastern regions South Africa. The dimensions of the animal can visually increase quite strongly when the civet raises its hair when excited. And her fur is thick and long, especially on the back closer to the tail. The paws, muzzle and end of the tail are completely black, most of the body is spotty-striped.


MUSKRAT. The animal is quite famous, thanks to its sonorous name. It's just a good photo.


PROEKHIDNA. This miracle of nature usually weighs up to 10 kg, although larger specimens have also been noted. By the way, the length of the body of the prochidna reaches 77 cm, and this is not counting their cute five to seven centimeter tail. Any description of this animal is based on comparison with the echidna: the paws of the echidna are higher, the claws are more powerful. Another feature of the appearance of the prochidna is the spurs on the hind legs of males and the five-fingered hind limbs and the three-fingered forelimbs.


CAPIBARA. Semi-aquatic mammal, the largest of modern rodents. It is the only representative of the capybara family (Hydrochoeridae). There is a dwarf variety of Hydrochoerus isthmius, sometimes considered as a separate species (capybara).


SEA CUCUMBER. Holothuria. sea ​​pods, sea ​​cucumbers(Holothuroidea), a class of invertebrates of the echinoderm type. Species eaten are common name"trepang".


PANGOLIN. This post just couldn't do without it.


HELL VAMPIRE. Mollusk. Despite its obvious resemblance to octopus and squid, scientists have identified this mollusk in separate detachment Vampyromorphida (lat.), because as soon as it has retractable sensitive bead-like filaments.


AARDVARK. In Africa, these mammals are called aardvark, which means "earth pig" in Russian. In fact, the aardvark in appearance very much resembles a pig, only with an elongated muzzle. The ears of this amazing animal are very similar in structure to those of a hare. There is also a muscular tail, which is very similar to the tail of such an animal as a kangaroo.

JAPANESE GIANT SALAMANDRA. To date, this is the largest amphibian that can reach 160 cm in length, weigh up to 180 kg and can live up to 150 years, although officially registered maximum age giant salamander is 55 years old.


BEARDED PIG. AT different sources species The bearded pig is divided into two or three subspecies. These are the curly-haired bearded pig (Sus barbatus oi), which lives on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra, the Bornean bearded pig (Sus barbatus barbatus) and the Palawan bearded pig, which, judging by the name, live on the islands of Borneo and Palawan, as well as in Java , Kalimantan and small islands of the Indonesian archipelago in Southeast Asia.




SUMATRAN RHINO. They belong to the equine-hoofed animals of the rhinoceros family. This type The rhinoceros is the smallest of the entire family. The body length of an adult Sumatran rhinoceros can reach 200 - 280 cm, and the height at the withers can vary from 100 to 150 cm. Such rhinos can weigh up to 1000 kg.


SULAWESI BEAR CUSCOUS. An arboreal marsupial animal living in the upper tier of the plains rainforest. The coat of the bear couscous consists of a soft undercoat and coarse guard hairs. Color ranges from gray to brown, with a lighter belly and limbs, and varies by geographic subspecies and age of the animal. The prehensile, hairless tail is about half the length of the animal and acts as a fifth limb, which makes it easier to move through the dense rainforest. Bear couscous is the most primitive of all couscous, retaining primitive tooth growth and skull features.


GALAGO. Its large fluffy tail is clearly comparable to that of a squirrel. And the charming muzzle and graceful movements, flexibility and insinuation, clearly reflect his feline trait. The amazing jumping ability, mobility, strength and incredible agility of this animal clearly show its nature as a funny cat and elusive squirrel. Of course, it would be where to use their talents, because a cramped cage is very poorly suited for this. But, if you give this little animal a little freedom and sometimes allow him to walk around the apartment, then all his quirks and talents will come true. Many even compare it to a kangaroo.


WOMBAT. Without a photograph of a wombat, it is generally impossible to talk about strange and rare animals.


AMAZONIAN DOLPHIN. Is the largest river dolphin. Inia geoffrensis, as scientists call it, reaches 2.5 meters in length and weighs 2 centners. Light gray juveniles lighten with age. The body of the Amazonian dolphin is full, with a thin tail and a narrow muzzle. A round forehead, a slightly curved beak and small eyes are the features of this species of dolphins. There is an Amazonian dolphin in rivers and lakes Latin America.


FISH-MOON or MOLA-MOLA. This fish can be over three meters long and weigh about one and a half tons. The largest specimen of the moonfish was caught in New Hampshire, USA. Its length was five and a half meters, data on weight are not available. In shape, the body of the fish resembles a disk, it was this feature that gave rise to the Latin name. The moonfish has thicker skin. It is elastic, and its surface is covered with small bony protrusions. Fish larvae of this species and juveniles swim in the usual way. adults big fish swim on their side, quietly moving their fins. They seem to lie on the surface of the water, where they are very easy to notice and catch. However, many experts believe that only sick fish swim in this way. As an argument, they cite the fact that the stomach of fish caught on the surface is usually empty.


TASMANIAN DEVIL. Being the largest of modern predatory marsupials, this animal is black in color with white spots on the chest and sacrum, with a huge mouth and sharp teeth, has a dense physique and a severe disposition, for which, in fact, it was called the devil. Emitting ominous cries at night, the massive and clumsy Tasmanian devil outwardly resembles a small bear: the front legs are slightly longer than the hind legs, the head is large, and the muzzle is blunted.


LORI. Feature Lori - large eyes, which can be bordered by dark circles, between the eyes there is a white dividing strip. The muzzle of a lory can be compared to a clown mask. This most likely explains the name of the animal: Loeris means "clown" in translation.


GAVIAL. Of course, one of the representatives of the detachment of crocodiles. With age, the muzzle of the gharial becomes even narrower and longer. Due to the fact that the gharial feeds on fish, its teeth are long and sharp, located with a slight inclination for the convenience of eating.


OKAPI. FOREST GIRAFFE. Traveling through Central Africa, journalist and explorer of Africa Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904) more than once encountered local natives. Having once met an expedition equipped with horses, the natives of the Congo told the famous traveler that they had wild animals in the jungle, very similar to his horses. The Englishman, who had seen a lot, was somewhat puzzled by this fact. After some negotiations in 1900, the British were finally able to purchase parts of the skin of a mysterious beast from the local population and send them to the Royal Zoological Society in London, where they gave the unknown animal the name "Johnston's Horse" (Equus johnstoni), that is, they identified it as a member of the horse family. . But what was their surprise when, a year later, they managed to get a whole skin and two skulls of an unknown animal, and discover that It looked more like pygmy giraffe times ice age. Only in 1909 was it possible to catch a live specimen of Okapi.

VALABY. WOOD KANGAROO. To the genus Tree kangaroos - wallabies (Dendrolagus) include 6 species. Of these, D. Inustus or bear wallaby, D. Matschiei or Matchish wallaby, which has a subspecies D. Goodfellowi (Goodfellow wallaby), D. Dorianus - Doria wallaby, live in New Guinea. In Australian Queensland, there are D. Lumholtzi - Lumholtz's wallaby (bungari), D. Bennettianus - Bennett's wallaby, or tharibina. Their original habitat was New Guinea, but now wallabies are also found in Australia. Tree kangaroos live in tropical forests mountainous areas, at an altitude of 450 to 3000m. above sea level. The body size of the animal is 52-81 cm, the tail is from 42 to 93 cm long. Wallabies weigh, depending on the species, from 7.7 to 10 kg males and from 6.7 to 8.9 kg. females.


WOLVERINE. Moves quickly and dexterously. The animal has an elongated muzzle, a large head, with rounded ears. The jaws are powerful, the teeth are sharp. Wolverine is a “big-legged” beast, the feet are disproportionate to the body, but their size allows them to move freely through the deep snow cover. Each paw has huge and curved claws. Wolverine climbs trees perfectly, has sharp eyesight. The voice is like a fox.


FOSS. On the island of Madagascar, such animals have been preserved that are not found not only in Africa itself, but throughout the rest of the world. One of the rarest animals is Fossa - the only representative of the genus Cryptoprocta and the largest predatory mammal that lives on the island of Madagascar. Appearance fossa is a little unusual: it is a cross between a civet and a small cougar. Sometimes the fossa is also called the Madagascar lion, since the ancestors of this animal were much larger and reached the size of a lion. Fossa has a squat, massive and slightly elongated body, the length of which can reach up to 80 cm (on average it is 65-70 cm). The legs of the fossa are long, but thick enough, with the hind legs higher than the front ones. The tail is often equal to the length of the body and reaches 65 cm.


MANUL approves of this post and is only here because it should be. Everyone knows him.


FENEC. STEPPE FOX. He agrees with the manula and is present here in so far as. After all, everyone saw him.


THE NAKED DIGGER puts the manula and the fennec fox in karma and invites them to organize a club of the most feared animals in Runet.


PALM THIEF. A representative of the decapod crustaceans. The habitat of which is the western part Pacific Ocean and tropical islands indian ocean. This animal from the family of land crayfish is quite large for its species. The body of an adult individual reaches a size of up to 32 cm and a weight of up to 3-4 kg. For a long time it was mistakenly believed that with its claws it could even split coconuts, which it then eats. To date, scientists have proven that cancer can only eat already split coconuts. They, being its main source of nutrition, gave the name palm thief. Although he is not averse to eating other types of food - the fruits of Pandanus plants, organic matter from the ground and even their own kind.

How to determine the presence of a vole mouse in a summer cottage, effective methods of controlling a rodent? These questions are of interest to many gardeners. But which of them show the best results, how to prevent a new invasion of rodents? Everything you need to know about voles can be found in the following material.

Features and description of the rodent

The vole mouse differs from its relatives in its small size. An adult is able to reach no more than 13 centimeters in length, and most(up to 70%) occupies the tail. The mouse has a pointed muzzle, small brown eyes. The ears of the animal are tilted slightly forward, but pressed to the head. Looks like a cute rodent causing irreparable damage agriculture, despite their small size.

Mouse fur is very coarse and hard. In most cases, the color of the rodent is beige, gray or brown. The belly of the mouse is colored White color, on the back there is a clear black line. The exact color of the rodent depends on its age, young individuals have a dark color, slightly older mice are lighter, old rodents are almost beige, there are gray hairs.

Mice live in natural shelters or in self-dug holes. Remarkably, small animals are able to dig a hole up to four meters in length. One exit necessarily goes to the reservoir, the burrow also includes a nesting room and several storages for food supplies. The latter are usually located at a depth of more than one meter. Favorite places pest habitats - swamps.

Vole mice differ from their relatives in some features by which it is easy to recognize a rodent:

• voles are the only representatives of the rodent class to have a black stripe on the back;
• according to their size, field mice a little more than their relatives;
• voles are very similar to Daurian hamsters, the only distinguishing feature- the presence of a long tail;
• unlike other species, the vole has a long period of puberty - about 100 days;
• mice like to settle in feeding areas, destroying the harvested crop;
• Also, voles have one feature that is not characteristic of other species - they are able to settle near swamps.

Interesting to know! Rodents are active in the evening, at night. In autumn and winter, they are awake even during the day. It is noteworthy that mice do not hibernate for winter period of the year.

Reasons for the appearance

Why do voles start up in summer cottages? Rodents need food, constant availability of water and heat. All these qualities are possessed by warehouses, basements, which are available in the country. Also, rodents are able to feast on human supplies located in secluded corners of the kitchen. Ways of passage of pests are: ventilation ducts, open windows and doors, cracks in the floor, walls.

It is very easy to notice a pest in a summer cottage. The main signs of the life of the animal are the presence of minks, feces throughout the house, in secluded places. Also, pests leave their marks everywhere. This is due to the fact that the teeth of rodents grow throughout their lives, they need to be sharpened. What does a vole eat? It is typical for mice to gnaw on the bark of trees, the lower parts of shrubs in the winter season.

Harm to a person

When entering the cellar, the rodent completely destroys all supplies for the winter. In spring, pests feed on young shoots, bark, causing significant damage to the crop that has not yet appeared. Given the harm caused by mice, immediately deal with the destruction of rodents, otherwise the loss of food, plantings in the garden cannot be avoided.

How to get rid of a mouse - voles

Mankind has come up with many methods of dealing with voles, all of them can be divided into several main categories:

• that have stood the test of time;
• physical methods that involve the use of mechanical devices: traps, traps, mousetraps. This category includes the natural enemy of mice - a cat,;
• chemicals: various aerosols, poisons, poisoned baits. show excellent results, but is often dangerous for humans or animals living in the country house.

When choosing the right method against vole, consider the features of the room in which there are pests, the presence of animals.

Folk remedies and recipes

Folk recipes against voles:

Many prefer to use proven mechanical methods, but note that you will have to regularly remove the carcasses of dead individuals. If the number of rodents is very large, then the bait may not work (the mouse can gobble up the bait, dodge the mousetrap). Many people prefer to get a cat, but "fluffies" live in the country with their owners only until winter. Not every cat is able to instill fear in mice, most pets themselves are afraid of rodents or simply do not want to hunt them.

Excellent results show homemade traps:

Chemicals

Effective drugs:

• wax tablets "Storm". Spread the product in boxes, burrows, drainage pipes. The tablets have a deterrent effect, if the pest tastes the remedy, it will die within two weeks;
• universal "Granules". They are made from natural wheat grains. The tool has a cumulative effect (an infected mouse carries poison on its paws, fur, affecting its relatives);
• glue "Muskidan". Effectively copes with voles not only in the summer cottage, but also indoors. It is recommended to apply it on cardboard, place the bait in the middle. When it hits the glue, the mouse sticks tightly and quickly dies.

You can get rid of voles by settling suburban area natural enemies: owls (one individual eats up to two thousand mice a year), martens, foxes feed exclusively on voles. Weasel is able to penetrate the holes of a rodent, destroy offspring.

The field mouse is a dangerous rodent that can destroy a lot of crops. If a pest is found, immediately start fighting it, use the useful recommendations of specialists.

Mice are rarely talked about in a respectful tone. Usually they are described as poor, shy, but very harmful rodents. mouse vole- that is no exception.

This little animal can significantly spoil the crop in the garden, and gnaw a hole in the floor at home. Judging by photo, voles outwardly resembles ordinary mice and. At the same time, the muzzle of the inhabitants of the fields is smaller, and the ears and tail are shorter.

Features and habitat of the vole

The animals themselves belong to big family rodents and subfamily. There are more than 140 field species. Almost everyone has their own differences, but there are also common features:

• small size (body length from 7 centimeters);
• short tail (from 2 centimeters);
• little weight(from 15 g);
• 16 teeth without roots (a new one will grow in place of the fallen tooth).

At the same time, roots were found in fossil rodents, but in the process of evolution, field animals lost them. A typical representative is common vole. This is a small rodent (up to 14 centimeters) with a brownish back and a gray belly. Lives near marshes, near rivers and in meadows. In winter, it prefers to move into people's houses.

Some species of field mice live underground (for example, mole voles). On the contrary, they lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle. In this case, terrestrial representatives are most often found. For example, among forest rodents, the most popular are:

• red-backed vole;
• red-gray field mouse;
• bank vole.

All three species are distinguished by mobility, they can climb bushes and small trees. In the tundra, you can “get acquainted” with pied and, which also belong to this subfamily.

About 20 species of field rodents live in Russia. All of them are small. Residents of Mongolia, East China, Korea and Far East less fortunate. Their economy is harmed big vole.

Pictured is a large vole

Pictured is a red vole mouse

Rodents prepare in advance for the cold. Field mice do not hibernate and lead active image life all year. voles in winter feed on supplies from their pantries. It can be seeds, grains, nuts. Most often, the animals do not have enough of their own blanks, which is why they run to people's houses.

However, they do not always enter the house by accident. Sometimes rodents are kept as decorative pets. animal vole can live in a small cage with a metal grate filled with sawdust.

There are usually 2-3 females per male. In winter, it is recommended to transfer to larger cages and leave them in unheated rooms.

Pictured is a red-backed vole

Also, these rodents are used for scientific purposes. Biological and medical experiments are most often carried out on red and steppe vole. If mice are wound up in the apartment “illegally”, you should contact the sanitary and epidemiological station. Voles breed very actively and can significantly damage property.

Food

The owners of such an unusual pet as vole mouse you should know that your pet needs a balanced diet. The daily diet should include:

• vegetables;
• corn;
• cottage cheese;
• meat;
• eggs;
• fresh raw water.

For those who only dream buy vole, it should be understood that these are very voracious rodents, they are able to eat food more than their weight per day.

Many people believe that field mice are omnivores in nature. However, this is not quite true. "Menu" directly depends on the habitat. For example, steppe animals feed on grasses and plant roots. In the meadow, rodents choose juicy stems and all kinds of berries. forest voles feast on young shoots and buds, mushrooms, berries and nuts.

Almost all types of mice will not refuse small insects and larvae. water vole , for unknown reasons, likes potatoes and root vegetables. In general, vegetables and fruits from gardens are the favorite food of almost all field mice.

Rodents in in large numbers can cause irreparable damage to the economy. In apartments and houses, mice eat everything they can steal: bread, straw, cheese, sausage, vegetables.

Pictured is a water vole

Reproduction and lifespan

It cannot be said that these are exclusively harmful creatures. In nature, they are an important link in the food chain. Without mice, many predators would starve, including martens and.

However, it is better not to let wild voles near the houses. These are very prolific rodents. AT natural environment in one year, a female can bring from 1 to 7 litters. And each will have 4-6 little mice. In greenhouse conditions, the animals breed even more actively.

The pregnancy itself lasts no more than a month. Mice become independent after 1-3 weeks. Captive gray voles become sexually mature at the age of 2-3 months. Pets - a little earlier.

Pictured is a gray vole

The age of these rodents is short, and rarely the mouse survives to the age of two. However, during this short period, vole can give birth to about 100 cubs. That is, a flock of one mouse can completely destroy stocks of root crops for the winter and other products.

Despite the fact that field mice are so prolific, some species are listed in the "Red". Vinogradov's Lemmings are in critical condition, and the Alai Slepushonka is endangered. There are also vulnerable species and voles that are in a state close to threatened.