I am a dummy. Ms. Vole (who is now in the second jar) is not a vole. I think she might be a shrew, which I had not considered at all, bc I've never seen a live shrew in the wild. I've seen moles, and she's obv not a mole. But her fur is very similar to a mole.
This is Ms. Not-a-Vole.
and these are the shrew species native to my area: The North American short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda)
The Southeastern shrew (Sorex longirostris)
The North American least shrew (Cryptotis parva)
Personally, I think she looks like a short-tailed shrew. She's in the right size range and has the darker, less brown coloration. And if that's the case, her coolness level skyrockets bc that would make her A VENOMOUS MAMMAL that USES ECHOLOCATION!!!!! I'm trying not to get too excited, but... Look at her little face and her little feet... She's a short-tail, isn't she?
