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Meadow Vole
Microtus pennsylvanicus
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Habitat
Lives in open grassy habitats like meadows, old fields, and marshes, avoiding dry habitats. Active during the winter, they can strip the bark of trees in yards, particularly fruit trees.
Diet
This herbivore eats a variety of plant species, mostly grasses, sedges, dandelions, and goldenrod.
Distinctive Characteristics
A small rodent with a dark brown back, gray stomach, robust, rounded body and head, and a long tail.
Predators
A critical prey in the food chain, eaten by most predators.
Nocturnal/Diurnal
Active day and night under the cover of leaves and grasses.
Reproduction & Family Structure
These very prolific breeders have up to eight litters per year of four to five young, but about 90 percent of the young don’t make it one year.