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Vole | |
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The bank vole (Myodes glareolus) lives in woodland areas in Europe and Asia. | |
Scientific classification![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Cricetidae |
Subfamily: | Arvicolinae |
Groups included | |
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Cladistically included but traditionally excluded taxa | |
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Voles are small rodents that are relatives of lemmings and hamsters, but with a stouter body; a longer, hairy tail; a slightly rounder head; smaller eyes and ears; and differently formed molars (high-crowned with angular cusps instead of low-crowned with rounded cusps). They are sometimes known as meadow mice or field mice in North America.
Vole species form the subfamily Arvicolinae with the lemmings and the muskrats. There are approximately 155 different vole species.