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Home/Species/ North American Water Vole

Microtus richardsoni

(DeKay, 1842)

North American Water Vole

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.102649
Element CodeAMAFF11190
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderRodentia
FamilyCricetidae
GenusMicrotus
Other Common Names
Campagnol de Richardson (FR) North American water vole (EN)
Concept Reference
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
Taxonomic Comments
Placed in genus Arvicola by some authors. Conroy and Cook (2000) found a well-supported sister relationship with M. pinetorum, using mitochondrial DNA sequencing.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-04
Change Date1996-11-13
Range Extent Comments
Northwestern North America. Two disjunct ranges: southwestern British Columbia south through Washington and Oregon; southeastern British Columbia and southwestern Alberta through eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, western Montana, western Wyoming, Idaho, to central Utah (Hall 1981).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Subalpine and alpine meadows close to water, especially swift, clear, spring-fed or glacial streams with gravel bottoms. Marshes, pond edges. Uses underground nests throughout the year. Burrows into streambanks. Makes runways in wet meadows.

Ecology

Populations may fluctuate dramatically yearly or seasonally. In Alberta, monthly density estimates (June-September) in several streamside sites ranged from 0.2-12.2 per ha; seasonal recruitment increased population size 0.8-6.2 times, highest numbers in August or September (Ludwig 1988).

Reproduction

In Alberta, mating activity was recorded late May or early June through August or September; young first entered trappable population in early July; maximum of 2 litters per year; average litter size about 5-6 (range 2-9); about 26% of young bred before their first winter (Ludwig 1988). In laboratory animals gestation lasted a minimum of 22 days.
Terrestrial Habitats
Grassland/herbaceousAlpine
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
WashingtonS5Yes
OregonS4Yes
IdahoS3Yes
MontanaS4Yes
WyomingS1Yes
UtahS3Yes
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
AlbertaS4Yes
British ColumbiaS4Yes
Roadless Areas (1)
Idaho (1)
AreaForestAcres
Borah PeakSalmon-Challis National Forest130,463
References (27)
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  2. Baker, R. J., L. C. Bradley, R. D. Bradley, J. W. Dragoo, M. D. Engstrom, R. S. Hoffman, C. A. Jones, F. Reid, D. W. Rice, and C. Jones. 2003a. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 2003. Museum of Texas Tech University Occasional Papers 229:1-23.
  3. Banfield, A. W. F. 1974. The mammals of Canada. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada. 438 pp.
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  5. Bowman, J. C., M. Edwards, L. S. Sheppard, and G. J. Forbes. 1999. Record distance for a non-homing movement by a deer mouse, <i>Peromyscus maniculatus</i>. Canadian Field-Naturalist 113:292-293.
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  8. Conroy, C. J., and J. A. Cook. 2000. Molecular systematics of a Holarctic rodent (<i>Microtus</i>: Muridae). Journal of Mammalogy 81:344-359.
  9. Douglass, R. J. 1977. Population dynamics, home ranges, and habitat associations of the yellow-cheeked vole, <i>Microtus xanthognathus</i>, in the Northwest Territories. Canadian Field-Naturalist 91:237-47.
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