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Meadow Vole - Microtus pennsylvanicus Cricetidae Members: | Search Common: Search Scientific: |
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| Distribution |
In NC, it occurs nearly throughout the mountains, but is scattered in the Piedmont and in the northern half of the Coastal Plain. There are a few records from the Sandhills portion of the Coastal Plain, but is essentially absent eastward. In the mountains, it usually occurs below 4,000 feet elevation, and may well be absent from the extreme southwestern counties. A very broad range, from coast to coast, and from AK and Labrador south to the central portion of the United States. | |
| Abundance | Generally fairly common to common in the mountains, though perhaps somewhat local; however, very rare to rare in the southwestern mountains (including Great Smoky Mountains National Park). Uncommon to fairly common in the northern Piedmont but less common in the southern Piedmont. It is rare to uncommon in the northern Coastal Plain. Numbers have probably declined in recent decades, as older references tended to call it a common species in much of the state. As a result, the range map and recent data suggest a State Rank now of S4 (as shown in brackets below). | |
| Seasonal Occurrence | Active year-round. | |
| Habitat |
Almost always in areas without forested cover; mainly in damp fields, wet thickets, marshy edges, and even in brackish marshes. It also occurs in drier fields and brushy areas. See also Habitat Account for General Successional and Semi-Natural Grasslands | |
| Behavior | Active both day and night. Creates networks of tunnels in dense grasses. | |
| Comments | The Meadow Vole is one of the most numerous mammals in North America, and it is abundant from VA northward. In the southeastern states, such as NC, it is considerably less numerous. Linzey (1995) indicates that there is just a single record for well-studied Great Smoky Mountains NP. This species can occasionally be seen scurrying across roads, like a small version of a Hispid Cotton Rat. The species is believed to be quite a bit more numerous in the state than the range map shows (i.e., many counties without known records), though it still is far from common in most of the state and is much less numerous and widespread in NC than is the Woodland Vole. | |
| Origin | Native | |
| NC List | Official | |
 State Rank | S5 [S4] | |
| State Status | ||
| Global Rank | G5 | |
| Federal Status | ||
| subspecies |
Microtus pennsylvanicus pennsylvanicus, Microtus pennsylvanicus nigrans M. p. nigrans occurs in the northeastern Coastal Plain, whereas M. p. pennsylvanicus occurs over the remainder of the state (i.e., Piedmont and mountains, plus the Sandhills). | |
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| NC Map Map depicts all counties with a report (transient or resident) for the species. | Click on county for list of all database records for species in that county. |