Voles, Mice, and Lemmings
Voles, mice, and lemmings can be very difficult to tell apart. I believe this picture is of a vole--most likely a meadow vole, but I will not say that definitively. Around here, people tend to call all of these creatures "mice." Without catching the critters and examining them thoroughly, it is unlikely that one can be certain which species he has seen.
Northern red-backed voles are what I saw the most for the first several years I lived here. These are small and usually don't live in colonies. Meadow Voles are what I believe the ones I saw in the last year (2010) the most were. These are larger than the red-backed voles and live in colonies. The ones I've come across are quite bold. This last summer, I sat on the ground close to my house for quite awhile, and one of them ventured very close to me to feast on seeds and grasses that happened to be close to me. It was within a few feet of me. I have also witnessed these critters diving into big puddles of water. I was surprised by this, but I did some research and learned that voles are actually very good swimmers. |