Overview
AT A GLANCE
- Common Name: Bank Vole
- Scientific Name: Clethrionomys glareolus
- Category: Mammals
- Subcategory: Rodents
- Size: 8 to 12 cm (3.1 to 4.7 in) head-body length; 3.5 to 6 cm (1.4 to 2.4 in) tail length
- Weight: 15 to 40 g (0.53 to 1.41 oz)
- Lifespan: 12 to 18 months in the wild; up to 3 years in captivity
- Diet: Herbivorous/granivorous; tree seeds, acorns, berries, green vegetation, roots, fungi, and small terrestrial invertebrates
- Habitat: Dense forest floor leaf litter, subterranean burrows under tree roots, and bramble thickets
- Range: Widespread across the Western Palearctic, from Great Britain and Scandinavia eastward through Europe and Central Asia to Lake Baikal
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
The Bank Vole (Clethrionomys glareolus, formerly Myodes glareolus) is a quintessential small cricetid rodent native to the deciduous woodlands and mature hedgerows of Europe and western Asia. Instantly distinguished from other temperate voles by its warm chestnut-red dorsal pelage, relatively prominent rounded ears, and longer tail, this energetic forest inhabitant is one of the most abundant small mammals across the Western Palearctic. It spends its active hours foraging through the leaf litter and climbing among low shrubs.
Ecologically, Clethrionomys glareolus occupies a pivotal position at the foundation of woodland trophic webs, consuming seeds, fruits, and hypogeous mycorrhizal fungi while distributing viable spores across the forest floor. Simultaneously, it serves as a critical demographic food base sustaining diverse terrestrial and avian carnivores, including tawny owls, barn owls, red foxes, stoats, weasels, and common vipers. Its population cycles profoundly influence the breeding success and density of forest raptors across Eurasia.
Biology and Physical Characteristics
The morphology of the Bank Vole is characterized by a compact, cylindrical torso cloaked in rich russet-brown or warm chestnut fur along the dorsum, fading along the flanks into pale yellowish-grey and contrasting with an off-white to cream belly. Unlike short-tailed Microtus voles, its bicolored tail is relatively long (equaling roughly half its body length) and ends in a distinct tuft of stiff hairs. Its dentition features rooted, prismatic hypsodont molars with cementum in the re-entrant folds, a physiological hallmark that enables efficient grinding of abrasive grasses and hard seed coats. The species has large, sensitive vibrissae and relatively prominent eyes adapted to low-light vision within the dense woodland ground layer.
Behavior and Ecology
Active both day and night on a polyphasic schedule of rhythmic foraging bursts interspersed with brief rest periods, the Bank Vole maintains an intricate network of surface runways and subterranean burrows dug under tree stumps, mossy logs, and rock piles. It is an exceptionally capable climber, often ascending hazel bushes and bramble vines to harvest blackberries, rose hips, and seeds. Breeding extends from April to October, with polyestrous females producing four to five litters annually consisting of three to seven altricial pups that develop rapidly and disperse within three weeks.
Conservation and Human Impact
Currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, the Bank Vole maintains vast, stable populations across Eurasia. It adapts readily to fragmented farm woodlands and suburban parks provided that adequate leaf litter and shrub cover remain. Localized pressures arise from intensive silvicultural clear-cutting that eliminates protective understory cover, as well as the broad-scale application of rodenticides in commercial orchards.
Interesting Factoid
The Bank Vole is an avid mycophagist that actively digs up and eats subterranean mycorrhizal truffles, spreading viable fungal spores through its droppings that are essential for the health and nutrient uptake of forest trees.