Red vole. Rodent order - rodentia Siberian red vole tail description

The subfamily of voles is the most numerous among rodents. It includes about 140 species. Voles are widespread in the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting plains and mountains, tundra, forests, steppes and deserts. These rodents are able to live wherever there are grasses, mosses and lichens. Voles are playing important role in the balance of the forest ecosystem: they consume solar energy stored by plants and transmit it higher through the food chain.

The red-backed vole is distinguished from its relatives by its very short tail - up to 40 mm. IN in rare cases its length can reach 50 mm, but no more. The color of the top of this rodent is variable, but mostly reddish or rusty-brown tones predominate. On the sides it gradually, without a sharp border, turns into gray. The tail is usually two-colored. It is densely covered with hair along its entire length, and a brush may form at the end, especially in winter.

THE MAIN THING IS FOOD

Forest voles are quite voracious; they are constantly in search of food, interrupting only for a short sleep. This is not surprising, because the stems and leaves herbaceous plants not very nutritious.

And the small body of the vole has a very fast metabolism. A rodent can survive without food for no more than 4 hours.

During the day he eats more food than his own weight. The front teeth of voles are constantly growing; the animals need to grind them down all the time, which happens while eating. In winter, rodents continue to actively feed, so they often eat blueberry twigs and berries, and bark from tree branches (rowan, aspen, willow).

Sometimes they make small reserves for the winter, pulling cereal seeds (timothy grass, orchard grass) into their special underground storage burrows, as well as coniferous trees. However, they feed on them mainly in the fall, when there is less green food. At this time, some species of voles move into stacks and stacks in the fields. In the forest they can eat mushrooms and berries.

FOREST RESIDENT AND MORE

The red-backed vole inhabits dark coniferous, coniferous-deciduous and larch forests of Siberia. This is one of the most widespread local species. However, red-backed voles can also be found in forests of river floodplains and watersheds. Western Siberia and in forest-steppes. This rodent also penetrates into the northeast of the European part. Here it lives in taiga forests of the Siberian type.

In years of high numbers, red-backed voles can move to arable lands, meadows, and marshy grassy areas. Throughout Siberia it can easily be found in residential and commercial buildings. There it can reach high numbers and reproduce all year round.

These rodents are quite variable and tend to form local forms. As you move from west to east of the range, the red-brown back of the vole becomes more and more bright. In addition, the winter fur of eastern animals is more luxuriant and thicker, and the tail is shorter. On the other hand, the red “mantle” on their back is narrower and turns into grey colour side Rodents from the southern regions of their range are darker and duller in color. In total, up to 15 subspecies of red-backed voles are known.

ON AND UNDER THE SNOW

Rodents are active mainly at night, but sometimes during the day, especially in spring and autumn. The animals are very mobile and regularly check their area, walking from 60 to 150 m per night. In addition, they are extremely cold-resistant: in winter they are active even at temperatures down to -50°C. But they climb worse than other species forest voles. Rodents build nests in shallow burrows, rotten stumps, and under roots.

The vole's tracks in the snow (pits or dots) are 0.5-1 cm in size, and the distance between jumps is 10-20 cm. When jumping, the vole places its front paws slightly in front of its hind paws, and thus a four-point trapezoid is obtained. Sometimes the animal's tail is imprinted on the snow.

The breeding period for red-backed voles in favorable years is up to 5-5.5 months (from April to September). In this case, spring reproduction can begin under the snow. During the season, the female brings 2-4 litters, usually 4-7 cubs in each.

BUSINESS CARD

Many species of voles are so similar to each other that it is often impossible to determine their species by appearance alone. A more reliable sign is the structure of the skull. Each species is different, so it's kind of business card voles. There are about ten important measurements and points that you should pay attention to when determining the type of rodent. These include the length of the entire skull, its facial and brain parts, the distance between the eye sockets, the structure of the teeth, and others.

MANY OR FEW?

The number of voles, like all rodents, fluctuates. Warm spring, snowy winter, and abundance of food contribute to an increase in the number of animals. Increased reproduction leads to high competition for convenient and food-rich habitats. At high densities, diseases break out and a massive pestilence of voles occurs. A large number of rodents are attracted by predators: foxes, ferrets, weasels, owls, buzzards, harriers, kites and others. Mass deaths of voles occur during a sharp cold snap after autumn rains, when water floods their burrows and then turns into ice. In winters with little snow, rodents freeze and die. Voles are the main food of many predators, especially the mustelid family, the number of which directly depends on the number of rodents.

RED VOLE IN THE FOOD CHAIN

The basis of the red-backed vole's diet in summer is green parts of plants (leaves, stems), in autumn and winter - berries, tree bark (especially aspens), lichens and mosses, and buds. However, most of all she loves the seeds of coniferous plants, especially cedar pine. Red-backed voles - important source food for predators of the mustelid family.

FOOD OF THE RED VOLE

BLUEBERRY

Widespread subshrub. In swamps it is found only on the outskirts, where the soil is better drained. The berries are rich in vitamin A, contain B vitamins, vitamins C and PP. Russian name“Blueberry” comes from the fact that it colors the mouth and hands red and black. IN winter time The vole eats dried berries, leaves and twigs of the plant.

SIBERIAN CEDAR PINE

An evergreen tree reaching 35-45 m in height. In Russia it has been known since the 12th-18th centuries under the name Siberian cedar, although in fact its closest relative is Scots pine. Pine nuts are extremely rich in nutrients. They contain 19 amino acids, most of which are essential or conditionally essential. A red-backed vole picks up fallen nuts.

ASPEN

Another name is trembling poplar. Aspen grows very quickly, reaching a height of 35 m, but is susceptible to various wood diseases. Old, large and healthy individuals are a rarity. The red vole eats aspen bark, sometimes completely gnawing fallen large trees over the winter.

GREEN OR BRIEVAL MOSSES

One of the orders of mosses. According to some structural characteristics, in particular the structure of the stem, the Briaceae are closer to vascular plants. They can inhabit the most different places, however, are especially widespread in coniferous forests. Red-backed voles feed on mosses in winter, when other food is difficult to obtain.

ENEMIES OF THE RED VOLE

SABLE

A typical inhabitant of the Siberian taiga. Body length - up to 56 cm, tail - up to 20 cm. The color of the skin ranges from almost black to sandy yellow. Despite its relatively small size, the sable is very dexterous and strong beast. He has excellent hearing and sense of smell, but his vision is weaker. He climbs trees well and walks easily loose snow. Red-backed voles form the basis of the sable's diet.

BLACK POCKET OR COMMON POCKET

The black polecat is widespread throughout Eurasia. It has a characteristic appearance for the entire mustelid family: an elongated flexible body, squat short legs with sharp claws, a narrow muzzle and rounded ears. The color is dark brown, the legs and belly are black, and there is a black and white mask on the face. Mouse-like rodents are the ferret's main prey. Thanks to its flexible body, it easily penetrates their burrows.

The red-backed vole carries many infections: leptospirosis, tick-borne encephalitis and tularemia. In Siberia, it is responsible for maintaining foci of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. This is due to its constant presence in human dwellings.

Dimensions: body - up to 120 mm, tail - 27 - 50 mm, usually no more than 40 mm. The color of the back is variable, but usually bright with a predominance of red, rusty and brown-red colors, often separated from the gray color of the sides by a kind of “mantle”. The tail is generally distinctly or faintly two-colored, and is densely covered with hair throughout, so that the skin is not visible through it. At the end, especially in winter period, something like a “brush” is formed.

The skull is similar to that of the Bank Vole, but with a less juvenile appearance. The nasal bones are narrowed more weakly in the middle section and less roof-shaped in the anterior part. The posterior end of the nasal processes of the premaxillary bones does not extend beyond the level of the posterior ends of the nasal bones, and the latter forms an angle directed backwards. The auditory tympani are less swollen and the occipital height of the skull is less.

Biology

Lifestyle. The main habitat zones are taiga, mixed and deciduous forests. Found in forest-steppe and forest-tundra. It prefers cluttered and moist habitats and readily colonizes forested floodplains of water bodies, including bush thickets. Throughout Siberia it is found in human dwellings, where the number exceeds that in “wild” biotopes by more than 5 times. In the conditions of Yakutia, the only species of voles with permanent settlements in cities and towns. In this region, red-backed vole settlements are not associated with natural biotopes.

The activity of the species is round-the-clock and polyphasic. The average distance from the nest is up to 390 m, the greatest is up to 1 km. In winter, the species is active at - 40°C - 50°C and can travel up to 70 - 80 m in snow, and even more along paths.

Refuge use patterns and utilization are similar to those of the Bank Vole. In the eastern part of the range they live in rotten stumps, but they climb much worse than the bank vole.

Reproduction. Sexual maturity is observed at two months of age. The breeding period varies from 3 to 5.5 months depending on the climate of the habitat area. The number of litters is 2 - 3, for mature animals it is from 1 to 3, but not for all individuals. Spring breeding begins under the snow. The number of litters of adult females is 5 - 7, and that of mature females - 4 - 6 cubs. The indicator decreases with the altitude of the area above sea level and in the Arctic. The number experiences biennial and even five-year fluctuations. The drop is especially significant after snowy and frosty winters. IN populated areas Yakutia breeds all year round.

Nutrition. Animals are plant polyphagers. They are characterized by a distinct change in food seasonally. In spring - these are the green parts of plants, seeds - in the first half of summer. Mushrooms and berries - the second part of summer and autumn. In winter - lichens and mosses. Little animal food is consumed. Small reserves of seeds are found only in the northern regions of the range. In populated areas, except plant food, especially in winter, eats fish and meat in barns.

Morphologically related species

In terms of morphology (appearance) it is close to the described pest ( Clethrionomys glareolus ). The main differences: the length of the tail without end hairs is no more than 40 mm, the tail is covered with sparse hair through which the skin is visible; the hairs do not form a “brush”; The color of the top is dominated by dull tones of a reddish-brown hue, sometimes with a distinct rusty tint.

In addition, there is geographic variability, which is characterized by complex combination multidirectional geographic and biotopic with local, most likely, mutational variability. On the territory of the former Soviet Union About 20 subspecies are known.

Geographical distribution

The red-backed vole lives in the area from Kola Peninsula and the northern coast of Lake Ladoga to the Anadyr ridge, Kamchatka, the coast of Okhotsk and Japanese seas, Bering and Medny Islands, Karaginsky, Shumshu, Paramushir, Shantarsky and Sakhalin. The species is common in some areas of Karelia, in Leningrad region, isolated in the Slantsevsky district, to the western Ilmen region, upper reaches Volga, Northern Mordovia, North-Eastern Tataria, Isolated on Samara Luka. In addition, the range covers the North of Scandinavia, the North of Mongolia, Northeast China, the Korean Peninsula, Northern Japan, North America east to the coast of Hudson Bay.

Maliciousness

Red-backed vole- ecologically limited synanthrope. Harms on personal plots garden and other agricultural crops. Carries many infectious diseases: Hemorrhagic fever, tick-borne encephalitis, tick-borne rickettsiosis, salmonellosis, tularemia and others. In buildings, red-backed voles damage various products.

Pesticides

Chemical pesticides

Manual introduction into holes, other shelters, tubes, bait boxes:

Biological pesticides

Layout of ready-made baits in food enterprises and in everyday life:

Control measures: deratization measures

Sanitary and epidemiological well-being is due to the successful implementation of the entire complex of deratization measures, including organizational, preventive, exterminatory and sanitary educational measures to combat rodents.

Organizational events include a complex following measures:

• administrative;
• financial and economic;
• scientific and methodological;
• material.

Preventive actions are designed to eliminate favorable living conditions for rodents and exterminate them using the following measures:

• engineering and technical, including the use of various devices that automatically prevent rodents from accessing premises and communications;
• sanitary and hygienic, including maintaining cleanliness in the premises, basements, and areas of the facilities;
• agro- and forestry engineering, including measures for the cultivation of forests in recreational areas to the state of forest parks and maintaining these areas in a state free from weeds, fallen leaves, dead and drying trees; This same group of activities includes deep plowing of the soil in the fields;
• preventive deratization, including measures to prevent the restoration of the number of rodents using chemical and mechanical means.

The task of carrying out this group of activities lies with legal entities and individual entrepreneurs operating specific facilities and the surrounding territory.

These events are held legal entities And individual entrepreneurs with special training.

see also 11.10.8. Genus Forest voles - Clethrionomys

Red-backed vole - Clethrionomys rutilus

(Tables 57,63)

Body length 8-12 cm, tail 4-6 cm.

The top is bright, reddish or tan, the bottom is dark gray.

The tail is one color with a small tassel at the end. It lives in the north of the European part of Russia, throughout Siberia and the Far East, in forests, forest-tundra and forest-steppes. Common forest rodent of most of Siberia and the north Far East. Numerous in cedar and other coniferous forests, in places with dense windbreaks. Often lives in taiga huts and other buildings. It feeds mainly on the seeds of coniferous trees. It also eats lichens, berries, mushrooms, grass, mosses, and insects. In some places it makes large reserves of berries, stacking them in piles under stumps and logs.

Red-backed vole is brown, ash-gray underparts; The tail is dark above and light below. Border of rusty and gray colors very sharp, and on the muzzle the red color forms a clear triangle. It lives in the north of the European part of Russia, throughout Siberia and the Far East, in forests, especially with windbreaks, and shrub tundras, found on the Zhiguli Upland and the Kuril Islands. The most common forest rodent of Transbaikalia and the south of the Far East. It is especially numerous in the mountain taiga, but is also common in river valleys and rocky areas. It feeds mainly on greenery, lichens, bark and shoots of bushes. It eats seeds less frequently than other forest voles.

Table 57. 291 - bank vole(291a, 291b, 291c - color options, 291d - layout of nests and supplies); 292 - red-backed vole (292a, 292b, 292c, 292d, 292e - color options); 293 - red-gray vole (293a, 293b, 293c - color options); 294 - Shikotan vole.

Table 63. 166 - red deer droppings; 167 - litter sika deer; 171 - moose droppings; 265 - arrowhead leaves eaten by a water rat; 272 - housekeeper vole droppings; 291 - eat a bank vole (291a - aspen trunks and branches eaten by bank voles in winter, 291b - buttercup leaves eaten by bank voles, 291c - White mushroom, eaten by bank voles); 292 - red-backed vole droppings; 296 - litter of Norwegian lemming.

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"Red Vole" in books

"Red viburnum"