Wildlifeof China
Northern Mole Vole
Rats, Mice, Voles & Porcupines
Photo: zag · CC BY-SA 3.0
Ellobius talpinus
Basic stats
Diet
Roots, bulbs, tubers and underground stems
Habitat
Steppe, semidesert and cultivated grassland
Range
Eastern Europe and Central Asia east to Mongolia and northwestern China
Size
Approximately 8–13cm head-and-body length
The northern mole vole is a compact subterranean rodent with a cylindrical body, tiny eyes, concealed ears and an extremely short tail. Its projecting incisors are used to loosen soil while digging. The species ranges from eastern Europe across Central Asia toward Mongolia and northwestern China. (Wikipedia, general species account)
It occupies steppe, semidesert and cultivated grassland, where family groups maintain extensive tunnel systems. Mole voles feed underground on roots, bulbs, tubers and stems and seldom need to emerge at the surface. Excavated soil is pushed above ground in characteristic mounds. (Wikipedia, general species account)
Quick answers
- What does the Northern Mole Vole eat?
- Roots, bulbs, tubers and underground stems
- What habitat does the Northern Mole Vole live in?
- Steppe, semidesert and cultivated grassland
- Where is the Northern Mole Vole found?
- Eastern Europe and Central Asia east to Mongolia and northwestern China
- How big is the Northern Mole Vole?
- Approximately 8–13cm head-and-body length