Scientific Name: Microtus pennsylvanicus Meadow Vole
Phylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Muridae
Genus: Microtus
Species: Pennsylvanicus
Voles common to yards and gardens are curious animals with a close resemblance to other rodents common to North America. They are often confused with house mice and shrews, and on occasion even moles. Voles are the stocky version of house mice although much less known. This anonymity may be attributed to the fact that the vole is not normally a co- resident of man-made structures. However, they are common visitors to yards and gardens with an appetite voracity rivaling that of a NFL football player and a reproductive capacity that would make even the locusts jealous!