Creeping vole

Creeping vole
Microtus oregoni photographed at Wind River Experimental Forest
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Secure  (NatureServe)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Cricetidae
Subfamily:	Arvicolinae
Genus:	Microtus
Subgenus:	Pitymys
Species:	M. oregoni
Binomial name
Microtus oregoni (Bachman, 1839)
Distribution of the creeping vole
Synonyms[3]
List Arvicola oregoni Bachman, 1839 M. adocetus Merriam, 1908 M. bairdii Merriam, 1897 M. cantwelli Taylor, 1920 M. morosus Elliot, 1899 M. oregoni Miller, 1896 M. serpens Merriam, 1897

The creeping vole (Microtus oregoni), sometimes known as the Oregon meadow mouse, is a small rodent in the family Cricetidae. Ranging across the Pacific Northwest of North America, it is found in forests, grasslands, woodlands, and chaparral environments. The small-tailed, furry, brownish-gray mammal was first described in the scientific literature in 1839, from a specimen collected near the mouth of the Columbia River. The smallest vole in its range, it weighs around 19 g (11⁄16 oz). At birth, they weigh 1.6 g (1⁄16 oz), are naked, pink, unable to open their eyes, and the ear flaps completely cover the ear openings. Although not always common throughout their range, there are no major concerns for their survival as a species.