Mammals of the WorldNorthern Mole Vole
Ellobius talpinus
- Order
- Rodentia
- Family
- Cricetidae
- Genus
- Ellobius
- IUCN status
- LC
- Distribution
- Ukraine|Mongolia|China|Russia|Kazakhstan|Turkmenistan|Uzbekistan|Iran|Afghanistan
- Realm
- Palearctic
About this species
- Size
- About 13 cm
- Weight
- Up to 70 g
- Diet
- Roots, bulbs, tubers and rhizomes
- Habitat
- Open steppe and other dry grassland soils
The northern mole vole is a compact underground rodent about 13 centimetres long and weighing up to 70 grams. Its wedge-shaped body has a flat head, short neck, powerful forelimbs and an extremely short tail. Dense brownish fur becomes paler below, while the naked feet are pink. Rather than relying primarily on claws, it loosens soil with large incisors. Females are slightly larger than males, an unusual size difference that can be measurable in adult animals. (Wikipedia, northern mole vole account)
Northern mole voles range across dry parts of eastern Europe and Asia, including Mongolia. They live colonially in family groups of about ten and construct extensive sealed burrow systems with nest and food chambers that may lie several metres below ground. Roots, bulbs, tubers and juicy rhizomes form the diet, and small stores are made in summer and autumn. The animals are active by day, do not truly hibernate and seldom surface except while shifting excavated soil or dispersing to new ground. (Wikipedia, northern mole vole account)
Description: Wildlife of Mongolia guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)