Wildlifeof China
Short-tailed Field Vole
Rats, Mice, Voles & Porcupines
Photo: Fer boei at Dutch Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Microtus agrestis
Basic stats
Diet
Grasses, sedges, herbs, bark and roots
Habitat
Moist grassland, marsh, heath and young woodland
Range
Europe and northern Asia
Litter size
Usually 4–6
Gestation period
Approximately 21 days
Size
Approximately 9–14cm head-and-body length
Weight
Approximately 20–50g
The short-tailed field vole, usually called the field vole, has a stocky body, shaggy grey-brown fur, small ears and a short tail. Adults measure approximately 9–14cm excluding the tail. It is distributed across much of Europe and northern Asia. (Wikipedia, general species account)
It favours moist grassland, marsh, heath and young woodland with dense ground cover. Grasses and sedges dominate the diet, supplemented by herbs, roots and bark. Field voles create runways through vegetation and breed rapidly during favourable seasons, commonly producing litters of four to six. (Wikipedia, general species account)
Quick answers
- What does the Short-tailed Field Vole eat?
- Grasses, sedges, herbs, bark and roots
- What habitat does the Short-tailed Field Vole live in?
- Moist grassland, marsh, heath and young woodland
- Where is the Short-tailed Field Vole found?
- Europe and northern Asia
- What is the litter size of the Short-tailed Field Vole?
- Usually 4–6
- How long is the gestation period of the Short-tailed Field Vole?
- Approximately 21 days
- How big is the Short-tailed Field Vole?
- Approximately 9–14cm head-and-body length
- How much does the Short-tailed Field Vole weigh?
- Approximately 20–50g