Western Heather Vole
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| Western Heather Vole | ||||||||||||||
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| Phenacomys intermedius (Merriam, 1889) |
The Western Heather Vole, Phenacomys intermedius, is a small vole found in western North America. Until recently, the Eastern Heather Vole, Phenacomys ungava, was considered to be a subspecies.
These animals are similar in appearance to the Meadow Vole. They have short ears and a short thin tail which is paler underneath. Their long soft fur is brownish with silver grey underparts. They are 14 cm long with a 3.5 cm tail and weigh about 40 g.
They are found in alpine meadows, open shrubby areas, dry forests with shrubs below to provide cover and tundra regions, usually near water, in British Columbia, the Yukon and the western United States. In summer, they live in underground burrows and, in winter, they tunnel under the snow. They store food for later use year-round.
They feed on plant leaves and berries in summer and plant bark and buds in winter, also seeds and fungi. Predators include owls, hawks and carnivorous mammals.
The female vole has 2 or 3 litters of 2 to 9 young in a nest made from grasses.
They are active year-round, mainly near dusk or at night.
The population of this animal has been reduced in some parts of its range due to clearcutting of forests.
[edit] References
- Rodent Specialist Group (1996). Phenacomys intermedius. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 06 May 2006.
