Red-backed vole

Red-backed voles Temporal range: Late Pliocene - Recent
Southern Red-backed Vole
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Cricetidae
Subfamily:	Arvicolinae
Genus:	Myodes Pallas, 1811
Species
Myodes andersoni Myodes californicus Myodes centralis Myodes gapperi Myodes glareolus Myodes imaizumii Myodes regulus Myodes rex Myodes rufocanus Myodes rutilus Myodes shanseius Myodes smithii
Synonyms
Clethrionomys Tilesius, 1850 Evotomys Coues, 1874 Phaulomys Thomas, 1905

The red-backed voles are the members of the genus Myodes, a group of small slender voles found in North America, Europe and Asia. The genus name comes from the Greek "keyhole mouse". In the past, the genus has been called Evotomys or Clethrionomys, but Myodes takes precedence.

They inhabit northern forests, tundra and bogs. These animals feed on shrubs, berries and roots. Most species have reddish brown fur on their back. They have small eyes and ears. Unlike other voles, the molar teeth are rooted in adults.

The complete list of species is:

• Anderson's Red-backed Vole (Myodes andersoni)
• Western Red-backed Vole (Myodes californicus)
• Tien Shan Red-backed Vole (Myodes centralis)
• Southern Red-backed Vole (Myodes gapperi)
• Bank Vole (Myodes glareolus)
• Imaizumi's Red-backed Vole (Myodes imaizumii)
• Korean Red-backed Vole (Myodes regulus)
• Hokkaido Red-backed Vole (Myodes rex)
• Grey Red-backed Vole (Myodes rufocanus)
• Northern Red-backed Vole (Myodes rutilus)
• Shanxi Red-backed Vole (Myodes shanseius)
• Smith's Red-backed Vole (Myodes smithii)

References

• Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. Pp. 894-1531 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.