By josie
January 13th, 2023
Since both voles and mice form part of the rodentia order, they share multiple traits.
But do you know how they differ?
They are related to lemmings and hamsters but have sturdier bodies with distinctly long tails covered with hair.
Their body size ranges from 3 to 9 inches.
They weigh roughly 0.8 – 2.4 ounces.
A full grown mouse measure 3 – 7 inches.
Mice are slightly smaller than voles, weighing 0.6 – 1.2 ounces.
Initially, the confusion was even prevalent in the scientific community.
The term mouse seems to be a common name used for the entire family of rodents
The North American region houses voles ranging from Alaska to the mountaintops of Mexico and Guatemala.
In Eurasia they inhabit most parts of Europe, Russia, West Asia, and Kazakhstan.
Although their habitats can differ, many species choose to stay in man-made structures for safety.
Fluctuating weather conditions often drive these creatures indoors.
They can easily fit through small spaces or cracks and enter through the smallest of gaps in foundations.
Commonly voles feed on little plants like shrews.
But they can also fullfill their dietary requirement by eating dead animals.
If they're desperate they can very well live on almost any nut or fruit.
The mice are omnivores, preferring a diet consisting of grains, seeds, meat, and fruits.
Unfortunately, mice don’t mind snacking on electrical wiring, paper packaging and such as well.
Experimentation has revealed that mice do have favorite foods that strongly entice them.
Voles can be either monogamous or polygamous.
They practice monogamy when when resources are structurally consistent and population concentration is meagre.
The female vole is fertile again within 25 days following her birth.
The female is ready to mate right after giving birth, meaning she can give birth to a second litter very closely spaced in time
Newborn pups lack fur and ears.
The body fur starts to show around the 6th day.
Voles comforting each other, especially when one of them faces danger or harm.
This is done by giving undivided attention and additional care to the mistreated vole.
It was measured that the worried and normal voles had similar levels of elevated stress hormones, signifying their capability to empathize.