Prairie Vole Identification Guide

Prairie Vole Identification Guide

Physical Characteristics

Prairie voles are small, chunky rodents that measure 5 to 7 inches long, including their short tail. Their fur has a mixed “salt-and-pepper” look on top, with dark brown to black hairs tipped with brownish-yellow. The belly is yellowish, golden, or reddish, which helps tell them apart from other vole types.

These voles have short, round ears that are often hidden by fur. They also have small dark eyes and a blunt nose. Their tail is short, only about one-third of their body length (1 to 2 inches). The tail is darker on top and lighter underneath. Adult prairie voles weigh between 1 and 2.5 ounces.

Common Vole Species in North America

The prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) is one of several vole species in North America:

• Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster). Has a yellowish belly and likes dry grasslands.
• Meadow Vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus). Similar but prefers wetter areas with taller plants.
• Pine Vole (Microtus pinetorum). Smaller with reddish-brown fur. Lives mostly underground.
• Woodland Vole (Microtus pinetorum). Lives in forests with large underground tunnel systems.

Prairie Vole Behavior and Biology

Habitat and Distribution

Prairie voles live in the central grasslands of North America. Their range goes from northeastern New Mexico to northern Alabama and western West Virginia. They also extend northwest into central Alberta, Canada. You can find them in prairies, pastures, empty fields, weedy roadsides, and sometimes farm fields with alfalfa or soybeans.

When meadow voles live in the same area, prairie voles usually take the drier spots with shorter plants. They like places with thick ground cover, which gives them protection and plenty of food.

Social Structure and Behavior

Prairie voles are unusual because they form lifelong mating pairs. This is rare in rodents. Scientists have studied them to learn how animals form social bonds.

These voles live in three main ways: as mated pairs, as single females, or in groups. Pairing happens more often in warmer months. Both parents help raise their young. The voles talk to each other using chirps and whistles.

Prairie voles are most active at dawn and dusk. In winter, they move around more during the day. In summer, they are more active at night. They build runway systems both above and below ground to connect their burrows and feeding spots.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

Prairie voles breed all year, except in very bad weather. Most breeding happens from May through October. Females are pregnant for about 21 days. They give birth to 3-4 hairless babies in grass-lined nests inside their burrows.

Baby voles grow quickly:

• Day 5: They start crawling
• Day 12: They begin eating solid food
• Weeks 2-3: They stop nursing
• Day 24: They shed their first coat
• Days 30-40: Females can breed
• Days 35-45: Males can breed

Prairie vole numbers go up and down in 2-4 year cycles. In the wild, most voles live less than one year. Voles in captivity can live up to 3 years.

Diet

Prairie voles mostly eat plants. They like the soft parts of grasses near the ground, tubers, roots, and seeds. They eat bluegrasses, clovers, dandelions, goldenrods, alfalfa, and mosses. They store food underground to eat later. This is important in winter when they also chew on tree bark. When they can find them, they also eat insects.

Signs of Prairie Vole Activity

Here are the main signs that prairie voles are in your yard:

• Surface Runways: Narrow paths (1-2 inches wide) through grass that connect burrow holes
• Burrow Entrances: Small holes about 1.5 inches wide, usually at the base of plants
• Grass Clippings: Small piles of cut grass stems near the runways
• Gnaw Marks: Chewed plant stems, roots, and bark close to the ground
• Droppings: Small, greenish-brown pellets along the runways
• Girdled Trees: Bark stripped from the base of young trees and shrubs, mostly in winter

Control Methods for Prairie Voles

Good vole control uses several methods together. These include changing the habitat, keeping voles out, and reducing the population.

Habitat Changes

Making your yard less appealing to voles can help keep them away:

• Mow Often: Keep grass short so voles have less cover
• Clear Ground Cover: Remove mulch, leaf litter, and thick plants from around trees and gardens
• Remove Food Sources: Pick up fallen fruit and protect garden vegetables
• Till the Soil: This breaks up tunnel systems and destroys nests

Keeping Voles Out

You can protect plants and areas from vole damage:

• Wire Guards: Put 1/4-inch mesh cylinders around tree trunks, buried 6 inches deep
• Gravel Barriers: Make 3-inch gravel trenches around garden beds to stop tunneling
• Raised Beds: Put hardware cloth under raised garden beds to block burrowing

Reducing the Population

When habitat changes are not enough, other control methods may help:

• Trapping: Snap traps or live traps placed across runways can lower vole numbers
• Rodent Baits: Commercial vole baits in tamper-proof stations along active runways
• Wildlife Management: Some property owners create habitat for hawks, owls, snakes, and foxes, which prey on voles

Prevention Tips

To keep voles away long-term:

• Keep a bare zone of 3-4 feet around buildings and plants you want to protect
• Remove brush piles and debris that give voles shelter
• Watch for early signs of voles, especially in fall when they look for winter shelter
• Put protective guards on young trees before winter

References

• Prairie Vole - Animal Diversity Web
• Prairie Vole - U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
• Vole Control - University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension
• Voles - Penn State Extension
• Prairie Vole Pair Bonding - NIH