You probably won’t find voles in your house, but these mouse-like creatures might be as near as your backyard. Voles look like mice, but they are stouter and have shorter tails. They are sometimes called field mice. Voles are expert tunnel makers. They burrow under the ground, looking for plant roots or bulbs to eat. Gardeners don’t like them, because they eat plants. They even eat the bark from trees and shrubs.
Voles don’t live very long. In fact, many voles don’t live more than one month. But these rodents aren’t in danger of extinction. One vole can have as many as one hundred babies in a year!
Fun Facts about Voles for Kids
- Most voles live between two and six months.
- Voles build runways under lawns.
- Voles do not hibernate. They are active both day and night.
- Hawks, owls, snakes, badgers, coyotes, cats and fox hunt voles.
- Voles can become pregnant when they are only three weeks old.
Vole Vocabulary
- Stouter: Fat, wide
- Tunnel: Underground road or path
- Burrow: Dig
- Extinction: A group of animals is gone from the earth
- Hibernate: Deep sleep during the winter
Learn More All About Voles
Check out this amazing video about voles and why they only have one partner in their whole life:
A scientific video about voles explaining why they have only one mate.
Vole Q&A
Question: Where do voles live?
Answer: Voles live in North America, Europe and Asia. Some voles live in Africa.
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Question: Are voles kept as pets?
Answer: Voles are not generally kept as pets.
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