#microtus

Sakhalin Vole Microtus sachalinensis

A vole endemic to Sakhalin Island, eastern Russia. It lives in colonies, and inhabits open landscapes, peatmoss bogs, and tundra light forest. In dry places it digs burrows, in wet areas it uses small burrows in hillocks. It feeds on marsh and meadow herbs and shrubs, and also consumes molluscs and bird eggs. It stores up to 10 kg of supplies.

Various rodents, in order:

Spalax microphthalmus, Greater blind mole-rat Rattus norvegicus, Norway rat Cricetus cricetus, European hamster Apodemus sylvaticus, wood mouse Microtus arvalis, common vole Sciurus vulgaris, red squirrel Ondatra zibethicus, muskrat Glis glis, European edible dormouse

A California vole (Microtus californicus) in Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve, California, USA

#MiniatureMonday

[Microtus] by Daniel Essig

You may recall that Daniel Essig, who “creates mixed-media book structures that incorporate unusual woods, handmade paper, found objects, fossils, and mica.” We've featured his work before, showing a tiny book that contained pebbles in the cover.

This beautiful book, however, does not contain pebbles. Instead the cover displays vole ribs behind a mica window, set in oak wood covers.

Yeah, it took us by surprise too.

Short-eared owl on Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge (via USFWS Mountain-Prairie)

Paradox Vole Microtus paradoxus

It is found in southern Turkmenistan and northeastern Iran. It is endemic to the Kopet Dag mountain range. It inhabits steppes in middle and higher mountain belts in areas with trees and shrubs and along rivers and moist ravines with clay and rubbly soils. It is abundant in fruit gardens and lucerne fields.

Tundra Vole Microtus oeconomus

A vole found in Northern and Central Europe, Asia, and northwestern North America. This species makes runways through the surface growth in warm weather and tunnels through the snow in winter. It feeds on grasses, sedges and seeds. It is active year-round. It also digs burrows where it stores seeds and roots, especially licorice root, for the winter.