Heather vole
Encyclopedia
The genus Phenacomys is a group of North America
n vole
s. The genus
name comes from the Greek for "imposter mouse
."
These animals live in forested, alpine and tundra
areas, which often include plant
s of the heath family. They are small rodents with long fur
and short ears, legs and tails. They eat green plants, seed
s and berries
in summer and bark
and bud
s of shrub
s at other times. Predators include mustelid
s, owl
s and hawk
s.
Some sources include the tree vole
s, genus Arborimus, in this genus. At one time, the two species
of heather vole were considered to be a single species.
The complete list of species is:
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n vole
Vole
A vole is a small rodent resembling a mouse but with a stouter body, a shorter hairy tail, a slightly rounder head, smaller ears and eyes, and differently formed molars . There are approximately 155 species of voles. They are sometimes known as meadow mice or field mice in North America...
s. The genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
name comes from the Greek for "imposter mouse
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
."
These animals live in forested, alpine and tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
areas, which often include plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s of the heath family. They are small rodents with long fur
Fur
Fur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensives body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal...
and short ears, legs and tails. They eat green plants, seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s and berries
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
in summer and bark
Bark
Bark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner...
and bud
Bud
In botany, a bud is an undeveloped or embryonic shoot and normally occurs in the axil of a leaf or at the tip of the stem. Once formed, a bud may remain for some time in a dormant condition, or it may form a shoot immediately. Buds may be specialized to develop flowers or short shoots, or may have...
s of shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s at other times. Predators include mustelid
Mustelidae
Mustelidae , commonly referred to as the weasel family, are a family of carnivorous mammals. Mustelids are diverse and the largest family in the order Carnivora, at least partly because in the past it has been a catch-all category for many early or poorly differentiated taxa...
s, owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
s and hawk
Falconiformes
The order Falconiformes is a group of about 290 species of birds that comprises the diurnal birds of prey. Raptor classification is difficult and the order is treated in several ways.- Classification problems :...
s.
Some sources include the tree vole
Tree vole
The genus Arborimus is a group of voles found in western North America. The genus name means "tree mouse" in Latin.These animals live in forested areas and two species live in trees. They are small rodents with short ears and long legs. They are primarily herbivorous...
s, genus Arborimus, in this genus. At one time, the two species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of heather vole were considered to be a single species.
The complete list of species is:
- Western Heather VoleWestern Heather VoleThe Western Heather Vole, Phenacomys intermedius, is a small vole found in western North America. Until recently, the Eastern Heather Vole, Phenacomys ungava, was considered to be a subspecies....
(Phenacomys intermedius) - Eastern Heather VoleEastern Heather VoleThe Eastern Heather Vole, Phenacomys ungava, is a small North American vole. Until recently, this species was considered to belong to the same species as the Western Heather Vole, Phenacomys intermedius. It is also called the Ungava Vole....
(Phenacomys ungava)