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| field vole | |
|---|---|
| Name | Field vole |
| Status | LC |
| Status system | IUCN3.1 |
| Genus | Microtus |
| Species | agrestis |
| Authority | (Linnaeus, 1761) |
field vole
The field vole is a small arvicoline rodent native to much of Eurasia, notable in mammalogy, biogeography, and conservation biology for its cyclical population dynamics and role in terrestrial food webs. It features frequently in studies at institutions such as University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Natural History Museum, London, Smithsonian Institution, and Max Planck Society and appears in ecological syntheses produced by groups like the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Royal Society.
The species belongs to the genus Microtus within the family Cricetidae and was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1761. Taxonomic treatments by museums such as the British Museum and universities including University of Helsinki and University of Oslo discuss its placement alongside congeners such as Microtus arvalis and Microtus agrestis-complex taxa examined in revisions at the Zoological Society of London and the Natural History Museum, Vienna. The common English name used in field guides from publishers like Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press contrasts with regional names recorded by national agencies including the Swedish Museum of Natural History and the Finnish Museum of Natural History.
Adults typically measure about 9–11 cm excluding the tail and weigh 20–50 g, measurements reported in faunal accounts from the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the European Commission's biodiversity reports. Pelage coloration, molar morphology, and cranial characters are diagnostic features discussed in monographs by the American Museum of Natural History and comparative studies published in journals affiliated with the National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Entomological Society. Morphometric analyses conducted by researchers at the University of Copenhagen and the University of Stockholm compare skull and dental traits with other arvicolines cited in volumes from the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.
Range maps in atlases from the European Environment Agency and the IUCN Red List show occurrence across much of northern and temperate Eurasia, from the British Isles and Ireland east through Scandinavia, across Russia to parts of Siberia and into Central Asia. Habitat descriptions in field guides produced by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and conservation assessments by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee list preferred environments such as grassy meadows, marsh margins, hedgerows, and clearings near institutions like the Forestry Commission and nature reserves managed by National Trust. Landscape-scale studies by the European Space Agency and the Food and Agriculture Organization note associations with agricultural mosaics and successional grasslands.
The species exhibits crepuscular and diurnal activity patterns documented in long-term studies at sites run by the Edward Grey Institute and the Linnaeus University. Foraging behavior, seed and graminoid diet preferences, and habitat selection are studied in collaborations involving the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, the Natural Environment Research Council, and the Scottish Natural Heritage. Population cycles with multiannual amplitude involve predator–prey interactions examined alongside work by researchers linked to the Royal Society and the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, and are often modeled using methods from laboratories at the Imperial College London and the University of Exeter.
Reproductive timing, litter size, and juvenile development are reported in theses from the University of Manchester and papers in journals associated with the Society for Experimental Biology. Breeding seasons vary regionally, with influences from climate documented in studies coordinated by the Met Office and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Life-history trade-offs and survival analyses reference demographic datasets curated by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and national biodiversity inventories such as those maintained by the Swedish Species Information Centre.
Predation pressure from raptors like the Barn owl and Common kestrel, mammalian predators including the Weasel and Red fox, and scavenging by corvids is described in predator-prey studies from the British Trust for Ornithology and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Anthropogenic threats such as habitat loss from agricultural intensification, pesticide use assessed by the European Food Safety Authority, and land-use change reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change influence local populations. Disease ecology investigations by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and veterinary research at the Wageningen University & Research examine pathogen transmission relevant to zoonoses.
The species is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature owing to its wide distribution and large overall population, a status summarized in conservation assessments by agencies like the Council of Europe and management plans from organizations such as the RSPB. Local monitoring programs run by the Wildlife Trusts and national biodiversity strategies implemented by ministries in United Kingdom, Sweden, and Finland address habitat management and monitoring, while research funding from bodies including the European Research Council and the Natural Environment Research Council supports ongoing ecological and conservation science.
Category:Microtus Category:Rodents of Europe