Species: Microtus montanus
Montane Vole
Species
Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Rodentia
Family
Cricetidae
Genus
Microtus
NatureServe
Classification
Other Global Common Names
campagnol montagnard
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Vertebrates - Mammals - Rodents
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Mammalia - Rodentia - Cricetidae - Microtus - Two karyotypic morphs have been reported (Judd et al. 1980); are they distinct species? Musser and Carleton (in Wilson and Reeder 2005) acknowledged this question but made no taxonomic chnages.
Ecology and Life History
Migration
true - false - false
Non-migrant
true
Locally Migrant
false
Food Comments
Grasses and sedges; leaves, stems, and roots of a wide variety of forbs.
Reproduction Comments
Breeds April-October (births April-August in Utah, Negus et al. 1986; May-August in northwestern Wyoming, Negus et al. 1992). Usually 2-3 litters/year (4 cohorts/year in Utah, 3/year in northwestern Wyoming; early cohorts breed in same season). Average litter size is about 6; litter size peaked at 3-4-year intervals in northwestern Wyoming (Pinter 1986). Females of early cohorts begin breeding at 4-5 weeks in favorable years. Drought greatly reduced/delayed growth and attainment of sexual maturity in northwestern Wyoming (Negus et al. 1992).
Ecology Comments
Peak popualtion density was 375-560/ha in Utah (Negus et al. 1986). Populations may fluctuate dramatically. Populations peaked at 3-4-year intervals in northwestern Wyoming (Pinter 1986). Predators include hawks, owls, foxes, badgers, coyotes, etc.
Length
19
Weight
85
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G5
Global Status Last Reviewed
1996-11-13
Global Status Last Changed
1996-11-13
Other Status
LC - Least concern
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
<img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.BC=S5&US.AZ=S4&US.CA=SNR&US.CO=S5&US.ID=S5&US.MT=S5&US.NV=S3&US.NM=S4&US.OR=S5&US.UT=S4&US.WA=S5&US.WY=S5" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
Global Range
Western North America, from south-central British Columbia and western and central Montana south through western U.S. to east-central California, southern Utah, and north-central New Mexico; also disjunctly in east-central Arizona [and adjacent New Mexico?], southern Nevada, and northeastern New Mexico (Musser and Carelton, in Wilson and Reeder 1993).