Vole
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 The bank vole (Myodes glareolus) lives in woodland areas in Europe and Asia.
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Vole is the common name for small, mice-like rodents comprising several genera in the Arvicolinae subfamily, a taxon that also includes lemmings and, in some classifications, muskrats. Voles are characterized by a stout body, small and rounded ears, short legs, relatively large eyes, and a tail that is shorter than the head and body. Voles are also referred to as meadow mice or field mice in North America, and they are similar in appearance to mice; however, the more narrow, scientifically restricted definition of a mouse (true mouse) generally refers to those placed in the genus Mus in a different subfamily.
Overview
As rodents (order Rodentia), voles are characterized by dentition specialized for gnawing, with a single pair of upper incisors and single pair of lower incisors that grow continuously throughout their life and must be worn down by gnawing. The incisors have enamel on the outside and exposed dentine on the inside, so they self-sharpen during gnawing. Rodents lack canines and first premolars, which creates a space between their incisors and their grinding teeth (molars).
Voles are variously placed in the family Cricetidae[1][2][3] or the family Muridae.[4][5]
family. For example,
Voles are commonly mistaken for other small animals. Moles, gophers, mice, rats and even shrews have similar characteristics and behavioral tendencies. Since voles will commonly use burrows with many exit holes, they can be mistaken for gophers or some kind of ground squirrel. Voles can create and will oftentimes utilize old abandoned mole tunnels thus confusing the land owner into thinking that moles are active. When voles find their way into the home, they are readily misidentified as mice or young rats. In fact, voles are unique and best described as being a little bit like all the other animals they are so commonly thought to be.
variously placed in the 888 or hte *** subfamily. (give references)
Arvicolinae is a subfamily of rodents that includes the voles, lemmings, and muskrats. Its closest relatives are members of the other subfamilies in the Cricetidae, the hamsters and New World rats and mice[6]. Sometimes the subfamily Arvicolinae is placed in the family Muridae along with all other members of the superfamily Muroidea[7]. It is also sometimes referred to as Microtinae or is recognized as a family, Arvicolidae [8].
They are the most populous group of Rodentia in the Northern Hemisphere. They are often found in fossil occlusions of bones cached by past predators such as owls and other birds of prey.
a small rodent resembling a mouse but with a stouter body, a shorter hairy tail, a slightly rounder head, smaller ears and eyes, and differently formed molars (high-crowned and with angular cusps instead of low-crowned and with rounded cusps). There are approximately 155 species of voles. They are sometimes known as meadow mice or field mice in North America. Vole species form the subfamily Arvicolinae with the lemmings and the muskrats.
and together with voles and muskrats, they make up the subfamily Arvicolinae (also known as Microtinae), which forms part of the largest mammal radiation by far, the superfamily Muroidea, which also includes rats, mice, hamsters, and gerbils.
Muroidea is a large superfamily of rodents. It includes hamsters, gerbils, true mice and rats, and many other relatives. They occupy a vast variety of habitats on every continent except Antarctica. Some authorities have placed all members of this group into a single family, Muridae, due to difficulties in determining how the subfamilies are related to one another. The following taxonomy is based on recent well-supported molecular phylogenies.
The muroids are classified in 6 families, 19 subfamilies, around 280 genera and at least 1300 species.
Taxonomy
- Family Platacanthomyidae (spiny dormouse and pygmy dormice)
- Family Spalacidae fossorial muroids
- Subfamily Myospalacinae (zokors)
- Subfamily Rhizomyinae (bamboo rats and root rats)
- Subfamily Spalacinae (blind mole rats)
- Clade Eumuroida - typical muroids
- Family Calomyscidae
- Subfamily Calomyscinae (mouse-like hamsters)
- Family Nesomyidae
- Subfamily Cricetomyinae (pouched rats and mice)
- Subfamily Dendromurinae (African climbing mice, gerbil mice, fat mice and forest mice)
- Subfamily Mystromyinae (white-tailed rat)
- Subfamily Nesomyinae (Malagasy rats and mice)
- Subfamily Petromyscinae (rock mice and the climbing swamp mouse)
- Family Cricetidae
- Family Muridae
- Subfamily Deomyinae (spiny mice, brush furred mice, link rat)
- Subfamily Gerbillinae (gerbils, jirds and sand rats)
- Subfamily Leimacomyinae (Togo Mouse)
- Subfamily Lophiomyinae (crested rat)
- Subfamily Murinae (Old World rats and mice including vlei rats)
- Family Calomyscidae
The cricetids first evolved in the Old World during the Miocene. They soon adapted to a wide range of habitats, and spread throughout the world. The voles and lemmings arose later, during the Pliocene, and rapidly diversified during the Pleistocene.[9]
The term Cricetidae has gone through several permutations, and members of the family as currently defined are often placed in the family Muridae along with all other muroid subfamilies. Many other muroids have been called members of the Cricetidae in the past such as mouse-like hamsters (subfamily Calomyscinae, family Calomyscidae), gerbils (subfamily Gerbillinae, family Muridae), the crested rat (subfamily Lophiomyinae, family Muridae), zokors (subfamily Myospalacinae, family Spalacidae), the white-tailed rat (subfamily Mystromyinae, family Nesomyidae), and spiny dormice (subfamily Platacanthomyinae, family Platacanthomyidae). Multigene DNA sequence studies have shown that the subfamilies listed below are related (i.e. form a monophyletic group), and that the other muroids should not be included in the Cricetidae.[10]
The cricetids are thus classified to contain one prehistoric and 5 living subfamilies, around 112 living genera and approximately 580 living species:
- Arvicolinae — voles, lemmings, muskrat
- Cricetinae — hamsters
- Democricetodontinae † (fossil)
- Neotominae — North American rats and mice, including deer mice, pack rats, and grasshopper mice
- Sigmodontinae — New World rats and mice, predominantly South American genera such as brucies.
Description
Voles are small rodents that grow to 3-9 inches, depending on the species. They can have 5–10 litters per year. Gestation lasts for 3 weeks and the young voles reach sexual maturity in a month. As a result of this exponential growth, vole populations can grow very large within a very short period of time. Since litters average 5–10 young, a single pregnant vole in a yard can result in a hundred or more active voles in less than a year.
They will readily thrive on small plants. Like shrews they will eat dead animals and like mice or rats, they can live on most any nut or fruit. Additionally, voles will target plants more than most other small animals. It is here where their presence is mostly evident. Voles will readily girdle small trees and ground cover much like a porcupine. This girdling can easily kill young plants and is not healthy for trees or other shrubs.
Voles will often eat succulent root systems and will burrow under plants or ground cover they are particularly fond of and eat away until the plant is dead. Bulbs in the ground are another favorite target for voles; their excellent burrowing and tunnelling gives them access to sensitive areas without clear or early warning. A vole infestation is often only identifiable after they have destroyed a number of plants.[11]
Classification
- Order Rodentia
- Superfamily Muroidea
- Family Cricetidae
- Subfamily Arvicolinae (in part)
- Tribe Arvicolini
- Genus Arvicola - water voles
- Genus Blanfordimys - Afghan vole and Bucharian vole
- Genus Chionomys - snow voles
- Genus Lasiopodomys
- Genus Lemmiscus - sagebrush vole
- Genus Microtus - voles
- Genus Neodon - mountain voles
- Genus Phaiomys
- Genus Proedromys - Duke of Bedford's vole
- Genus Volemys
- Tribe Ellobiusini - mole voles
- Genus Ellobius - mole voles
- Tribe Lagurini
- Genus Lagurus - steppe vole (also called steppe lemming)
- Tribe Myodini
- Genus Alticola - voles from Central Asia
- Genus Caryomys
- Genus Eothenomys - voles from East Asia
- Genus Hyperacrius - voles from Pakistan
- Genus Myodes - red-backed voles
- Tribe Pliomyini
- Genus Dinaromys - voles from the Dinaric Alps
- incertae sedis
- Genus Arborimus - tree voles
- Genus Phenacomys - heather voles
- Tribe Arvicolini
- Subfamily Arvicolinae (in part)
- Family Cricetidae
- Superfamily Muroidea
- Tylomyinae — New World climbing rats and relatives
Predators
Many predators such as martens, raccoons, owls, hawks, falcons, coyotes, foxes, snakes, the red tailed hawk, weasels, cats and dogs eat voles. A common predator of voles is the short-eared owl as well as the northern spotted owl, the Saw-whet Owl, the barn Owl, the Great Gray Owl and the Northern Pygmy Owl.[citation needed]
Lifespan
The average life of the smaller vole species is 3–6 months. These voles rarely live longer than 12 months. Larger species, such as the european water vole, live longer and usually die during their second, or rarely their third, winter.
Genetics and sexual behavior
The prairie vole is a notable animal model for its monogamous sexual fidelity, since the male is usually faithful to the female, and shares in the raising of pups. (The woodland vole is also usually monogamous.) Another species from the same genus, the meadow vole, has promiscuously mating males, and scientists have changed adult male meadow voles' behavior to resemble that of prairie voles in experiments in which a single gene was introduced into the brain via a virus.[12]
The behavior is influenced by the number of repetitions of a particular string of microsatellite ("junk") DNA, and the same DNA sequence is found in humans. Male prairie voles with the longest DNA strings spend more time with their mates and pups than male prairie voles with shorter strings.[13] However, other workers have disputed the gene's relationship to monogamy, and cast doubt on whether the human version plays an analogous role.[14] Physiologically, pair-bonding behavior has been shown to be tied up with vasopressin, dopamine, and oxytocin, with the genetic influence apparently arising via the number receptors for these substances in the brain; the pair-bonding behavior has also been shown in experiments to be strongly modifiable by administering some of these substances directly.
Voles exhibit complex genetic structures with much variation, and appear to be evolving rapidly when compared with other vertebrates. For this reason, they can be useful to archaeologists for dating strata, in a method referred to as the "vole clock."
Voles have a number of unusual chromosomal traits. Species have been found with anywhere from 17–64 chromosomes, and in some species males and females have different chromosome numbers. Female voles have been found with chromosomes from both sexes, and in one species the sex chromosomes contain 20% of the genome. All of these variations result in very little physical aberration: most vole species are virtually indistinguishable.[15]
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
• Myers, P. 2000. Order Rodentia (rodents). Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved January 30, 2007.
- Silver, L. M. 1995. Mouse Genetics: Concepts and Applications. Oxford University Press.
Linzey, A.V. 2008. Ondatra zibethicus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 18 July 2011.
External links
- Voles.com, pictures and information about voles and vole related topics
- Pest control article
- National Geographic video.
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- ↑ A. Poor, "Subfamily Arvicolinae" Animal Diversity Web (online, 2005). Retrieved July 17, 2011.
- ↑ P. Myers, Order Rodentia (rodents). Animal Diversity Web (online 2000). Retrieved July 18, 2011.
- ↑ <P. Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey, Superfamily Muroidea (mice, rats, gerbils, and relatives)", The Animal Diversity Web (online 2006). Retrieved Jjuly 18, 2011.
- ↑ M. J. R. Jordan, "Rats, mice, and relatives I: Voles and lemmings (Arvicolinae)," pages 225-238 in B. Grzimek et al., Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia, 2nd edition, vol. 16, mammals V. (Detroit, MI: Thomson/Gale, 2004). ISBN 0787657921.
- ↑ Integrated Taxonomic Information System, "Arvicolinae" Gray, 1821, ITIS Taxonomic Serial No.: 552325 (2011). Retrieved July 18, 2011.
- ↑ Steppan, S. J., R. A. Adkins, and J. Anderson. 2004. Phylogeny and divergence date estimates of rapid radiations in muroid rodents based on multiple nuclear genes. Systematic Biology, 53:533-553.
- ↑ Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. Pp. 894-1531 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
- ↑ McKenna, M. C. and S. K. Bell. 1997. Classification of Mammals above the Species Level. Columbia University Press, New York.
- ↑ Savage & Long (1986): 122–124
- ↑ Michaux et al. (2001), Jansa & Weksler (2004), Norris et al. (2004), Steppan et al. (2004)
- ↑ Rodent and Pest Control Products and Solutions. RodentControl.com. Retrieved 2010-03-19.
- ↑ Lim et al., Nature 429, 754–757 (17 June 2004), referenced at http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=gene-linked-to-lasting-lo as "Gene Linked to Lasting Love in Voles"
- ↑ Hammock and Young, Science. 2005 Jun 10;308(5728):1630–4, summarized at New York Times, June 10, 2005, "DNA of Voles May Hint at Why Some Fathers Shirk Duties."
- ↑ S. Fink et al., PNAS, July 18, 2006, vol. 103, no. 29, 10956–10960
- ↑ DeWoody, J. Andrew; Triant, Deb; Main, Douglas M. (2006-09-14) Rodent's bizarre traits deepen mystery of genetics, evolution. Purdue University. Retrieved February 25, 2007.
