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 Vole Species 2 - The vole species 2 page gives you access to information about the snow vole, prairie vole, woodland vole, heather vole, sagebrush vole, tundra vole and pine vole.
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Tundra voles live in a range of habitats including damp tundra vegetation near lakes and streams and poplar and spruce woods. Their yellowish brown fur distinguishes them from similar species like the meadow vole.
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Tundra Vole
This species of vole, sometimes known as the root vole, is a medium-sized vole found in northern Europe and Asia and northwestern North America, including Alaska and northwestern Canada. They have short ears and a short tail. Their fur is yellowish brown with paler sides and white underparts. They are 18 cm long with a 4 cm tail and weigh about 50g.
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Tundra voles' fur has a yellow tinge
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They can be confused with the meadow vole since they not only look alike, but have very similar habits too. However, there are some clues as to the tundra vole's identity. The yellowish tinge to its brown coat is one and it is on average slightly larger and heavier than the meadow vole.
The tundra vole also occupies a greater variety of habitats than the meadow vole. Northern populations prefer to live in damp tundra vegetation near lakes and streams, or in sedge and cotton grass meadows. Southern populations can be found in alpine tundra, marshes, and poplar and spruce woods.
They make runways through the tundra vegetation in warm weather and tunnel through the snow in winter above the layer of permafrost and nest in shallow burrows. Tundra voles feed on grasses, sedges, seeds, grain, bark and insects. In autumn, they store grass seeds and stems of knot weed and licorice root (Hedysarum sp.). This thrifty habit led scientists to give it a specific name meaning the "economic vole".
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The most relevant links we could find, placed here free
 Discover Life
- This page has a number of images and interesting facts about tundra voles. pick4.pick.uga.edu
Alaska Fish and Game
- This page contains information about Alaskan vole species including tundra voles. www.adfg.state.ak.us
Although summers are short, longer daylight hours allow rapid plant growth in the northern tundra where these voles live providing their source of food. Fortunately, the Arctic summer allows just enough time for female voles to mate, give birth and wean their young. Gestation lasts about 3 weeks, and young are weaned in about 3 weeks. This allows an extra 1 to 2 weeks before fall and winter begin to set in.
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A tundra vole feeding
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Female voles have three to six litters of three to nine young in a shallow burrow. The vole population in a given area can vary greatly from year to year This species plays a vital role in the food chain of the tundra ecosystem, as it serves as a major food source for carnivorous mammals such as stoats, weasels, mink, artic foxes and buzzards.
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