Species: Lemmiscus curtatus
Sagebrush Vole
Species
Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Rodentia
Family
Cricetidae
Genus
Lemmiscus
NatureServe
Classification
Other Global Common Names
campagnol des armoises
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Vertebrates - Mammals - Rodents
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Mammalia - Rodentia - Cricetidae - Lemmiscus - based on certain morphological traits and DNA data, but phylogenetic affinity is uncertain (see Musser and Carleton, in Wilson and Reeder 1993, 2005).
Ecology and Life History
Migration
true - false - false
Non-migrant
true
Locally Migrant
false
Food Comments
Eats almost any green plant material, including BROMUS (but not the ripe seeds) and other grasses, leaves, flowers and stalks of ERIOGONUM, and some ARTEMISIA leaves. CASTILLEJA and LUPINUS are the most common foods in June and August, respectively, in Idaho.
Reproduction Comments
Appears to breed year round, but possibly not in winter in north. Decline in breeding activity in summer. Up to three litters in a season. Gestation averages 25 days. Average litter size is 4-6.
Ecology Comments
Population density fluctuates widely (<1-20/ha in different areas at different seasons in Idaho (Mullican and 1986). In Idaho, apparently occurs singly or in pairs during warm season; may nest communally in winter (Mullican and Keller 1987).
Length
14
Weight
38
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G5
Global Status Last Reviewed
1996-11-13
Global Status Last Changed
1996-11-13
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
<img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.AB=S3&CA.SK=S3&US.CA=SNR&US.CO=S1&US.ID=S4&US.MT=S4&US.NV=S3&US.ND=S4&US.OR=S4&US.SD=S1&US.UT=S3&US.WA=S3&US.WY=S5" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
Global Range
Washington, central Idaho, southern Alberta, and southern Saskatchewan south to east-central California, southern Nevada, southern Utah, northern Colorado, and the western Dakotas.