Probably everyone heard about the common vole. This little rodent is the curse of vegetable gardens and industrial farmland. With the ability to quickly reproduce, an ordinary vole in a very short time can cause irreparable harm to the garden.
Description and habitat
The common vole belongs to the family of hamsters. This type of rodent does not differ in large size or remarkable appearance. They are very reminiscent of mice or rats, but they have a more blunt muzzle shape and small rounded ears.
The length of the body of the vole is small - only 10-12 cm, the tail - up to 5 cm. The maximum weight of the rodent does not exceed 45 g.
The hair on the back, neck and upper part of the head has a gray-brown tint, the abdomen, chin and lower part of the tail are yellowish-grayish. It is interesting that with age, the hairline of the vole has the property of lightening, it is often possible to observe gray hair.
The habitat affects the forest, forest-steppe and steppe zones of the European part of the continent from the shores of the Atlantic to the Altai Mountains. Voles are found in the south of Scandinavia, in Western Siberia and in the Middle Urals. Colonies of these rodents live in the Caucasus, the Balkans, in the Crimea and in the north of Kazakhstan. Feel great in the Mongolian steppes, inhabit Central and Asia Minor.
Despite all the measures taken by humans, common voles remain one of the most common species of rodents.
Common Gray Vole: Features of Behavior and Lifestyle
Field mice live in family communities in which several adult females and 3-4 generations of their offspring coexist. Despite such a peaceful appearance, male voles are very territorial. So, the possessions of one male are about 1-1.5 km in radius and affect several settlements of females.
Voles are very emotional - they can show both friendliness and open aggression. Squabbling is mainly observed in males, in some cases mouse brawls end in the death of one of the participants.
To maintain a constant body temperature, voles adhere to a certain regime, which is cyclical in nature. Over an interval of 3 hours, these babies have time to sleep 2-4 times, clean the fur coat 3 to 9 times, and start repairing and expanding their moves 2 to 6 times. The number of feedings at the same time varies from 6 to 20.
Common Vole Dwelling
It is hard to imagine a better architect than a common vole. Description of her home is not an easy task. The labyrinths of moves are so ornate and thought out, as if they were created not by a small voracious rodent, but by a team of metro-workers.
Each burrow has a network of narrow corridors that lead to several chambers. The purpose of these peculiar rooms is different: some serve as storerooms for stocks of grain and other food, while others serve as rest and breeding offspring.
The underground abode of the vole has several levels: on the upper (about 35 cm deep) cameras with food are located, but these mice arrange nests below the floor at a depth of about half a meter.
In winter, the common vole rarely leaves its home. Constantly staying underground and in snow, this cunning animal took care of the ventilation of its catacombs. For this purpose, voles make narrow (up to 1.5 cm) vertical shafts that can be seen above their colony.
Food
The diet of the vole can be called quite diverse. These small rodents eat nuts, berries, young shoots and roots of about 80 plant species. On occasion, they will not refuse small insects and snails.
Preference is given to cereals and legumes, and in any form: both young shoots and mature grains are used. In winter, these well-known agricultural pests often live in the basements of private houses and in granaries, and also like to bite fruit tree trunks, eating their young bark.
The damage that an ordinary field vole does to gardeners annually is only comparable to a locust raid. Ultrasonic devices are used to scare away these small rodents, as well as plants whose smell they cannot tolerate. These include mint, thuja, garlic. Many also fill the discovered burrows with water, but this will not save the garden from the mouse misfortune once and for all.
It is good to make 2-3 poles on the site that will attract birds of prey, since they will be an excellent observation point for them. For example, an owl can destroy up to 1200 small rodents per year. What can we say about predatory animals: a ferret per day is able to catch 10-12 pieces.
Breeding
To say that the common vole is very prolific is to say nothing. The breeding rate under favorable conditions is simply amazing.
The mating season begins with the arrival of spring (March-April) and ends in the fall (in November). During the year, one female gives birth 3-4 times. Although some colonies that have chosen hives of hay or a grain barn can breed all year round.
The female’s pregnancy lasts about 20 days, then on average 5-6 mice are born, completely helpless and bald. However, the offspring of the vole develops with incredible speed. Already at the age of 2 months, the cubs become not only completely independent, but also sexually mature.
The life span of a mouse-vole is very short - a rare individual survives to a year old.
