#vole

Bank Vole (Myodes glareolus), family Cricetidae, found over most of Europe and of NW Asia

Western Red-backed Vole Myodes californicus

It is found in California and Oregon in the United States and lives mainly in coniferous forest. The western red-backed vole lives largely underground in an extensive system of burrows. It feeds primarily on fruiting bodies of hypogeous fungi.

It has been found that in a clear-cut forest where all the dead wood and trimmings are removed, the mycorrhiza stops fruiting, the vole population dies out and newly planted trees fail to thrive. This is an example of a three way symbiosis, as the vole gains food from the fungus and spreads its spores, and the fungus gains photosynthetic products from the tree which benefits from the nutrients produced by the fungus.

Meadow Vole

It’s Wednesday, so hang in there like the bank vole (Myodes glareolus)! Though it resembles a mouse, this species is distinguished by a shorter tail and stockier build. Mostly herbivorous, it’s a proficient climber that uses acrobatic skill to reach seeds and fruits. Its diet also includes moss, fungi, and nuts. Weighing up to 1.27 oz (36 g), this diminutive critter can be found across much of Europe as well as parts of Asia.