European Snow Vole

European Snow Vole
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Cricetidae
Genus:	Chionomys
Species:	C. nivalis
Binomial name
Chionomys nivalis (Martins, 1842)

The European Snow Vole or Snow Vole (Chionomys nivalis or Microtus nivalis) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae.

Description

This vole has dense, pale gray fur and a white tail. It can reach about 14 cm (5.5 in) long, with a tail which is 7 cm long. It weighs about 48 g.

Distribution and habitat

It is found in Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Greece, Israel, Germany, Italy, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, and Ukraine. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and temperate grassland

Behaviour

This vole is active by night as well as by day when it is quite easy to spot, especially on sunny days. It gets food from the roots of various alpine plants. It digs tunnels with numerous exits and a nest chamber as well as a kind of a storeroom. It does not hibernate in wintertime and often takes shelter in cellars, barns or haylofts to protect itself from the low temperatures. It holds its tail in an upright position when running.

European Snow Vole's gestation period lasts three weeks, after which two to seven young are born. The female suckles them for three following weeks.

References

• Amori, G. 1996. Chionomys nivalis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 9 July 2007.
• Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. pp. 894–1531 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.