The insular vole or St. Matthew Island vole (Microtus abbreviatus) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It occurs only on St. Matthew Island and the adjacent Hall Island, in Alaska.[1] On these Bering Sea islands, insular voles live in damp lowland areas, on the lower slopes of mountains, and on rye grass-covered beaches. They are diurnal and eat plant matter. Birds and Arctic foxes (which are the only other mammals on the island) prey on the voles.[2]
Insular vole | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Cricetidae |
Subfamily: | Arvicolinae |
Genus: | Microtus |
Subgenus: | Pitymys |
Species: | M. abbreviatus
|
Binomial name | |
Microtus abbreviatus Miller, 1899
| |
References
edit- ^ a b Cassola, F. (2016). "Microtus abbreviatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T13425A22350031. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T13425A22350031.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ "North American Mammals: Insular Vole". Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.