Vole mouse. Vole lifestyle and habitat. What is dangerous red vole Red mouse

How to determine the presence of a vole mouse in a summer cottage, effective methods rodent control? These questions are of interest to many gardeners. But which of them show the best results, how to prevent a new invasion of rodents? Everything you need to know about voles can be found in the following material.

Features and description of the rodent

The vole mouse differs from its relatives in its small size. An adult is able to reach no more than 13 centimeters in length, with most (up to 70%) occupied by the tail. The mouse has a pointed muzzle, small brown eyes. The ears of the animal are tilted slightly forward, but pressed to the head. In appearance, a cute rodent inflicts irreparable damage agriculture, despite their small size.

Mouse fur is very coarse and hard. In most cases, the color of the rodent is beige, gray or brown. The belly of the mouse is colored White color, on the back there is a clear black line. The exact color of the rodent depends on its age, young individuals have a dark color, slightly older mice are lighter, old rodents are almost beige, there are gray hairs.

Mice live in natural shelters or in self-dug holes. Remarkably, small animals are able to dig a hole up to four meters in length. One exit necessarily goes to the reservoir, the burrow also includes a nesting room and several storages for food supplies. The latter are usually located at a depth of more than one meter. The favorite habitats of pests are swamps.

Vole mice differ from their relatives in some features by which it is easy to recognize a rodent:

• voles are the only representatives of the rodent class to have a black stripe on the back;
• according to their size, field mice a little more than their relatives;
• voles are very similar to Daurian hamsters, the only distinguishing feature- the presence of a long tail;
• unlike other species, the vole has a long period of puberty - about 100 days;
• mice like to settle in feeding areas, destroying the harvested crop;
• Also, voles have one feature that is not characteristic of other species - they are able to settle near swamps.

Interesting to know! Rodents are active in the evening, at night. In autumn and winter, they are awake even during the day. It is noteworthy that mice do not hibernate for winter period of the year.

Reasons for the appearance

Why do voles start up in summer cottages? Rodents need food, constant availability of water and heat. All these qualities are possessed by warehouses, basements, which are available in the country. Also, rodents are able to feast on human supplies located in secluded corners of the kitchen. The ways of passage of pests are: ventilation ducts, open windows and doors, cracks in the floor, walls.

It is very easy to notice a pest in a summer cottage. The main signs of the life of the animal are the presence of minks, feces throughout the house, in secluded places. Also, pests leave their marks everywhere. This is due to the fact that the teeth of rodents grow throughout their lives, they need to be sharpened. What does a vole eat? It is typical for mice to gnaw on the bark of trees, the lower parts of shrubs in the winter season.

Harm to a person

When entering the cellar, the rodent completely destroys all supplies for the winter. In spring, pests feed on young shoots, bark, causing significant damage to the crop that has not yet appeared. Given the harm caused by mice, immediately deal with the destruction of rodents, otherwise the loss of food, plantings in the garden cannot be avoided.

How to get rid of a mouse - voles

Mankind has come up with many methods of dealing with voles, all of them can be divided into several main categories:

• that have stood the test of time;
• physical methods that involve the use of mechanical devices: traps, traps, mousetraps. This category includes the natural enemy of mice - a cat,;
• chemicals: various aerosols, poisons, poisoned baits. show excellent results, but is often dangerous for humans or animals living in the country house.

When choosing the right method against vole, consider the features of the room in which there are pests, the presence of animals.

Folk remedies and recipes

Folk recipes against voles:

Many prefer to use proven mechanical methods, but keep in mind that you will have to regularly remove the carcasses of dead individuals. If the number of rodents is very large, then the bait may not work (the mouse can gobble up the bait, dodge the mousetrap). Many people prefer to get a cat, but "fluffies" live in the country with their owners only until winter. Not every cat is able to instill fear in mice, most pets themselves are afraid of rodents or simply do not want to hunt them.

Excellent results show homemade traps:

Chemicals

Effective drugs:

• wax tablets "Storm". Spread the product in boxes, burrows, drainage pipes. The tablets have a deterrent effect, if the pest tastes the remedy, it will die within two weeks;
• universal "Granules". They are made from natural wheat grains. The tool has a cumulative effect (an infected mouse carries poison on its paws, fur, affecting its relatives);
• glue "Muskidan". Effectively copes with voles not only in the summer cottage, but also indoors. It is recommended to apply it on cardboard, place the bait in the middle. When it hits the glue, the mouse sticks tightly and quickly dies.

You can get rid of voles by settling suburban area natural enemies: owls (one individual eats up to two thousand mice a year), martens, foxes feed exclusively on voles. Weasel is able to penetrate the holes of a rodent, destroy offspring.

The field mouse is a dangerous rodent that can destroy a lot of crops. If a pest is found, immediately start fighting it, use useful advice specialists.

fans Mozilla Firefox, today we will talk about an animal that is directly related to this browser. Its emblem depicts an animal that looks like a fox. But is it? Firefox translates to "fire fox", that's right. But few people know that the Chinese name for the small (red) panda - "hon ho" - has the same meaning. And it is this animal, and not the fox at all, that is part of the emblem of this browser.

The relationship between the small and big panda is very distant. Many millions of years ago, approximately in the early Tertiary period, their common ancestor lived on Earth, who lived on the territory of modern Eurasia.

There are 2 subspecies of this animal: western red panda ( Ailurus fulgens fulgens), found in Nepal and Bhutan, and Stayana's red panda ( Ailurus fulgens styani), living in the region of southern China and northern Myanmar. The main difference between the two lies in size and coloration - Stiana's red panda is larger and darker than its western cousin.

In nature, red pandas are now found only in a few Chinese provinces (Sichuan and Yunnan), Nepal, Bhutan, northern Burma, and also in northeastern India. Their habitat is coniferous forests(mostly fir), which alternate with deciduous tree species: oak, maple, chestnut and others. They are necessary for the growth of bamboo, the main food of the red panda. Such forests can be found at an altitude of 2000-4000 meters above sea level. Most of the year they are shrouded in clouds, which creates favorable conditions for the development of mosses and lichens. And why we mentioned them, you will find out a little later.

Red pandas grow to the size of a large cat, but due to their thick and long fur they seem larger than they actually are. The length of the body along with the fluffy tail is about 80-120 centimeters, and average weight equal to 4-6 kilograms. The short legs are equipped with strongly curved claws, which are only partially extended forward, and the feet are covered with short hair, which helps when walking on ice or snow. On the front paws there is an "extra toe", thanks to which the panda can hold bamboo branches while eating. Outwardly, males are not much different from females.

These animals are very beautiful coloring- dark or light red, but not everywhere, but mostly on the back, on the sides and on the tail. The tummy, along with the paws, is colored dark brown or even black. On the red tail there are light rings. The head of the animal is decorated with white areas on the muzzle, on the cheeks, along the edge of the ears and around the eyes.

Nature has prepared such a color for this animal not by chance. The red color performs a protective function and allows the little panda to remain inconspicuous among the red lichens that are strewn with trunks and branches during rest or sleep. coniferous trees, in particular fir.

In the habitats of these animals average temperature air fluctuates around 10-25 degrees and precipitation is constantly falling - rain or snow. And this means that the wool should retain heat well. In especially cold periods, in order to keep warm, the panda curls up on the branches or in a hollow in a tight ball and covers its head with its tail, like a blanket.

They spend most of their time in the trees, where they feel like fish in water. They come down to earth for food. They are most active in the evening, and during the day they settle comfortably in hollows and sleep. A long tail helps them keep balance while in the trees. When descending to the ground, they hold it straight without touching the ground.

Each panda, whether male or female, has its own territory, and considerable. In males, this is about 5 km 2, and in females it is 2 times less. They mark it with special marks: a secret from the anal glands, urine or heaps of droppings, thanks to which the animals immediately know which neighbors live next to them.

Adults live alone, uniting in groups only during the breeding season, which occurs in January. Sometimes you can meet a small group of pandas even in the off season - this is an adult female with her grown offspring.

The cub is born only 90-145 days after mating, but the "real" pregnancy lasts only about 50 days. This is due to the fact that the fetus begins to develop only after a sufficiently long period of time after conception.

Before giving birth, the female constructs a nest for herself in a hollow or in a rock crevice. Usually, red pandas give birth to 1-2 cubs, sometimes there may be more, but in the end only one will survive. They develop very slowly. Until the age of 5 months, they feed on mother's milk. Initially, the fur of the cubs is colored gray, and only after 3 months they begin to acquire a red color. Next to the mother, the cubs can stay for a whole year until a new generation appears. By this period, most often young animals themselves reach puberty, separate from the female and begin an independent life.

Despite the fact that they are predators, most of their diet is plant foods (almost 95%). These are primarily young and fresh bamboo shoots, mushrooms, berries and fruits. But sometimes they can snack on small rodents and bird eggs.

As a result, their dental system is like that of herbivores - the structure of the molars allows them to grind plant food. As we can see, this panda's food is very low-calorie, and in order to get the required amount of energy, the animal has to eat about 2 kilograms of food per day. In zoos, they are fed with fruits, leaves, bamboo buds, grass, rice boiled in milk and sweet milk.

They have few enemies. This Snow Leopard and man. The second is much more dangerous than the first. From a leopard, they can quickly climb a tree, but you can’t hide anywhere from a person. Now this animal is listed in the International Red Book under the status of endangered. The main reasons for the decline in the number of red pandas are deforestation and hunting for beautiful fur, which is used to make hats.

Fortunately, red pandas breed well in captivity, as zoos have all the favorable conditions for development. In nature, their life expectancy is approximately 8-10 years, while in zoos - about 15 years.

The high incidence of hemorrhagic or, as it is also popularly called, “mouse” fever was the reason for an unscheduled meeting of the sanitary and anti-epidemic commission (SPEC) of the administration of the Karakulinsky District.

As explained chief physician Karakulinskaya RB E.V. Babikova, the epidemic situation in the incidence of HFRS in the republic remains tense.

In her report, Elena Viktorovna cited the following figures: for 11 months of 2017, 2022 cases of the disease were registered in SD, which is 3.5 times higher than in 2016. The incidence rate for SD exceeds the national average by 28 times. The largest number cases are noted in Izhevsk and adjacent areas. Ours is no exception. The territory of the district is an active natural focus. For 11 months of 2017, 3 cases of HFRS were registered. All of these are adults. Cases of the disease in 2017, as in 2016, are mainly associated with agricultural work in private and public households, with outdoor activities in natural conditions(fishing, picking berries and mushrooms), the presence of rodents at the place of residence.

According to the results of laboratory studies conducted in the republic, the infection of the bank vole with HFRS increased in 2017 to 20.3% (in 2016 - 3.4%).

The forecast for 2018 is unfavorable: the natural focus of HFRS is in an active state, a high number of rodents and their infection with the HFRS virus will remain. An increase in the incidence of the population and the occurrence of group diseases "mouse fever" is possible at objects inhabited by rodents.

What to do? Medical workers state: specific measures for the prevention of HFRS in the form of vaccines or prophylactic medicines No. The main preventive measures are the fight against rodents (deratization), the prevention of the penetration of rodents into the premises, the sanitary improvement of the territory (including the elimination of landfills household waste), personal hygiene, the use of personal respiratory protection equipment (masks, respirators) when working or in the habitats of rodents. These parameters are reflected in the decision of the SPEC on this issue. Recommendations were sent to the heads of settlements, heads of industries, enterprises, organizations and institutions of the district. Deadline is June 1, 2018.

Control over the implementation of the decision of the SPEC was retained by the Deputy Chairman of the SPEC S.A. Sharychev, deputy head of the administration of the municipality "Karakulinsky district" for the development of the agro-industrial complex.

V. Gibadullina, member of the SEC of the district.

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (“mouse fever”) is a viral infectious disease.

Sources of the disease are mouse-like rodents. Infected rodents shed virus external environment with saliva, urine, excrement. Infection of a person occurs mainly by airborne dust by inhalation of dust infected by rodents. The infection is not transmitted from person to person. Incubation period usually is 2-3 weeks from contact with rodents or traces of their vital activity. The virus infects all organs and tissues of the body, but in more kidneys suffer. The disease begins acutely with an increase in body temperature to 39-40ºС. After 3-4 days of illness, the temperature decreases, but back pain, thirst, and a decrease in urine output appear. At the first sign of illness, seek immediate medical attention medical care. Delays in seeking medical attention can lead to dangerous complications in the form of infectious-toxic shock, acute renal failure. Annually in the UR are registered deaths from GLPS.

forest vole- This is a small mouse-like rodent, which is a relative of the hamster.

Forest voles are an important link the food chain, as they feed on a huge number of predators.

Description of the forest vole

The body length of the forest vole is 8-11 centimeters, the weight ranges from 17 to 35 grams. The length of the tail is 2.5-6 centimeters. The auricles of forest voles practically not noticeable. Their eyes are small.

The color of the back is red-orange or rusty-orange. And the belly is white or gray color. In winter, the hair becomes thicker and redder. hallmark forest voles from other species is that their molars have roots. They have 56 chromosomes.

Lifestyle of forest voles

The presence of a huge number of enemies in forest voles made these animals very secretive. During the day they hide in their burrows, under snags, between roots, under fallen leaves. And at night they come out in search of food. They live from 5 months to 1 year. They are active throughout the year.

Forest voles are difficult to spot, but there are many of these animals. Forest voles live in North America and Eurasia. In North America, they live in the Carolinas, Colorado, British Columbia, Labrador, Alaska.

They are ubiquitous in deciduous forests, in the taiga, in the fields. Even in a city park, you can hear the rustling of leaves and quiet fuss at night, these are forest voles. They also live in swampy areas of the forest-tundra. They can climb mountains to a height of up to 3 thousand meters.

Wood vole survival tools

Nature did not equip voles with sharp teeth, large claws, or muscular legs, but these animals have found a way to survive - they are extremely prolific.

Annually forest voles produce 3-4 offspring.

At one time, a vole brings about 11 babies. Already at 1.5 months, young voles are also ready for breeding.

One pair of these rodents reproduces up to 1000 times during its life, giving birth to an entire army. This is one of the most the best means survival.

The diet of forest voles

The diet of forest voles consists of plant food. Seeds, tree buds, grass, berries, nuts, mushrooms are used. And in winter they eat bark and lichens. Forest voles crush rough food with large front teeth, which wear down rather quickly. However, the front teeth grow throughout life.

Voles, like other rodents, are voracious. They do not hibernate, so they have to stock up for the winter.

Each vole collects up to 500 grams of seeds.

They crawl into barns and visit grain fields, causing significant damage to agriculture.

But without forest voles, they would die of hunger predator birds. And birds destroy harmful insects. Therefore, by giving part of the harvest to the voles, people save a large share from insect pests.

Types of forest voles

In the genus of forest voles, 13 species are distinguished, among them bank voles, red-gray, red-backed voles and Tien Shan voles.

The bank vole or European forest vole does not exceed 11.5 centimeters in length, its weight is 17-35 centimeters. Her back is rusty-brown in color, and her belly is grayish. The tail is two-tone - dark above, and whitish below.

Red voles live in the mountain forests of Europe, in Siberia and Asia Minor. They settle in broad-leaved and mixed forests, giving preference to linden-oak plantations. They live alone, but winter time can get together in groups. The bank vole is a numerous species.

The red-gray vole reaches a length of approximately 13.5 millimeters, and its weight ranges from 20 to 50 grams. The upper body of this vole is red-brown, the belly is light gray, and the sides are gray-blue. These rodents live in China, Japan, Finland, Mongolia, Sweden, Norway and Russia. They settle in birch and coniferous forests.

bank vole ( Latin name – Myodes glareolus) is a mouse-like rodent belonging to the Khomyakov family. The animal has other names: European bank vole, forest vole.

The animal is characterized by small size. In length, it grows up to 8-12 centimeters, of which 3-6 centimeters falls on the tail. Weighs 14-45 grams.

About 35 subspecies of the bank vole are known, of which only 5-6 are found in Russia. The most common subspecies are bank, red and red-gray voles.

The forest vole lives on the plains, in the mountains and foothills. You can see her at greater territory Europe, in the northern part of Asia and in the Siberian taiga. In mountainous regions (in Altai, in the Alps, the Ural and Carpathian mountains) it rises to the upper limits of forest plantations. Sometimes found at an altitude of 2400 meters above sea level. m.

The dense oval body of the animal is covered with short fur. On the back, it is painted in a rusty brown color, which gave the name to the species. White and silvery hairs are mixed on the abdomen. Ears are smoky. The tail is dark above and whitish below. For the winter, the vole “changes its coat” to a lighter one with a more pronounced red color.

The size and coloration depend on the habitat. Voles living in the southern parts of the range are more yellow, and the inhabitants of the eastern parts and mountainous regions are more red. The largest individuals are found in the northeast, but in the mountains their size decreases.

There is no external difference between males and females.

The bank vole lives in deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests. He loves linden and oak plantations very much. In the taiga, it prefers spruce forests, in which berry bushes grow. The rodent avoids dense thickets, choosing light forests and well-lit forest edges.

IN southern regions of the range lives on island forests, in the forest-steppe and shelterbelts, in floodplains. It can go out to the fields in search of food, but does not go further than 100-150 meters. In the Urals, it settles among the placers of stones.

IN northern regions Europe for the winter moves to houses, cellars, barns, granaries, stacks of straw and haystacks. Easily adapts to anthropogenic changes.

Rodents lead a solitary lifestyle, but usually gather in groups for the winter. Females occupy areas of 500-1000 square meters, which are not allowed during the breeding season. The plots of males range from a thousand to 8 thousand square meters and include the plots of females.

Although voles belong to sedentary animals, in the absence of food they can migrate, but no further than 50-100 meters.

Wood vole does not hibernate. She is active all year round and at any time of the day. It is characterized by alternating periods of activity and rest. Usually the animal is in an active state for about an hour, devoting most of the time to searching for food, after which it rests for an hour and a half. But still the most active rodent in the morning and evening.

The bank vole usually lives in natural voids formed under stones or tree roots, under heaps of dry branches, in fallen trunks and rotten stumps, in burrows dug by other animals. Digs burrows on its own in extremely rare cases. Voles are excellent tree climbers and climb up to twelve meters without any problems. Therefore, they often equip nests in hollows or birdhouses.

In the dwelling, the animal from dried leaves and grass (sometimes it can add feathers and wool to them) builds a spherical nest with a diameter of 10-15 centimeters. The leaves are also used as “doors”, closing the entrance with them. Several paths depart from the nest (usually 3-5), leading to feeding areas. In winter, snow tunnels are laid on the site of the trails.

Nutrition

Voles mainly eat:

• green fodder (they make up 75-95% of the diet);
• seeds of herbs, shrubs and trees;
• forest berries (blueberries, lingonberries).

Especially love acorns and linden seeds. In the eastern regions of the range, seeds of cedar pines are preferred.

Stems and leaves can be eaten in summer various plants(over a hundred) fir cones, insects and their larvae, worms, and in winter - buds, bark and shoots of shrubs (most of all they like aspen bark).

Usually alternate feeds, providing a variety of diets. If the main food is missing due to crop failure, then they easily pass to the roots of plants, lichens, mosses and fungi. They can eat carrion. For a day, one individual eats 5-7 grams of feed.

Rodents make small food reserves (no more than 100 grams), which often remain unused and contribute to the formation of new plantations.

To provide the body with moisture, they drink rainwater and dew, eat snow.

The bank vole starts breeding in early spring, before the snow melts. The breeding season ends in early autumn. Sometimes they can breed even in snowy winters, if there are no sharp temperature changes.

During the season, females bring 3-4 (and sometimes 5) broods. There can be from 3 to 13 babies in a litter, but most often - 5-6.

The duration of pregnancy is 17-24 days. Cubs are born naked and blind. They weigh from 1 to 10 grams. They are covered with wool on the ninth or tenth day, the eyes open on the tenth or twelfth (at the same time they begin to eat green food on their own), and on the fourteenth or fifteenth day they already leave the dwelling.

Usually the female becomes pregnant during lactation. Before the onset of childbirth, she abandons the previous brood and moves to another hole. Abandoned cubs are divided into groups, and by the age of one month they become independent. Already in a month and a half females are capable of reproduction. Males become sexually mature at one and a half to two months.

Enemies

Voles have many enemies. These rodents serve as food for stoats, minks, weasels,.

IN wild nature the bank vole lives from half a year to one and a half years. The maximum life span was recorded in the laboratory (3 years 1 month), a little less in the reserve (2 years 1 month).

This species is quite numerous. In Europe, it is the leader among all rodents inhabiting forests. In the most favorable years, the density of settlements is 200 individuals per hectare.

Ixodid ticks often settle on the animal.

It is a carrier of more than ten diseases, which include:

1. tick-borne encephalitis;
2. tularemia;
3. hemorrhagic fever;
4. salmonellosis;
5. toxoplasmosis;
6. lymphocytic choriomeningitis;
7. leptospirosis;
8. pseudotuberculosis;
9. pig face.

With excessive reproduction, the vole damages gardens and forest nurseries, damages food stocks.

They can surprise not only novice tourists, but also those who have seen quite a few of the most diverse and interesting places on the planet.