Microtus xanthognathus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	RODENTIA	CRICETIDAE

Scientific Name:

Microtus xanthognathus

Species Authority:

(Leach, 1815)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Taiga Vole

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

Linzey, A.V. & NatureServe (Hammerson, G.)

Reviewer/s:

Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) & Chanson, J. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Contributor/s:

Justification:
Listed as Least Concern because it has a very wide range, there are no major threats, and its populations are not in decline.

History:

1996

–

Lower Risk/least concern (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species occurs in east-central Alaska in the United States, and central Yukon, and southern Mackenzie south to central Alberta and the western coast of Hudson Bay in Canada.
Countries:	Native: Canada (Alberta - Possibly Extinct, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Yukon); United States (Alaska)
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	This species is considered secure (NatureServe). Populations undergo major fluctuations.
Population Trend:	Stable

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Taiga voles prefer early successional stage forests, especially black spruce in riparian habitats. They require rhizomes for winter food and good burrowing conditions such as occur where there is heavy moss cover. Because the preferred habitat may be limited in duration, populations are ephemeral and patchy in distribution. They make burrows with large dirt piles at the entrances. They also make runways through sphagnum. Young are born in underground burrows. In Alaska, litter size averages 8.8 (range 6-13). Females will produce one or two litters per year. The young of year do not breed (Wolff and Lidicker 1980). Grasses, horsetails, and lichens are important in the diet of these voles, they also eats blueberries (Whitaker 1980).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

Taiga voles prefer early successional stage forests, especially black spruce in riparian habitats. They require rhizomes for winter food and good burrowing conditions such as occur where there is heavy moss cover. Because the preferred habitat may be limited in duration, populations are ephemeral and patchy in distribution. They make burrows with large dirt piles at the entrances. They also make runways through sphagnum.

Young are born in underground burrows. In Alaska, litter size averages 8.8 (range 6-13). Females will produce one or two litters per year. The young of year do not breed (Wolff and Lidicker 1980). Grasses, horsetails, and lichens are important in the diet of these voles, they also eats blueberries (Whitaker 1980).

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	There are no major threats to this species.

Major Threat(s):

There are no major threats to this species.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	This species is not of conservation concern and its range includes several protected areas.

Conservation Actions:

This species is not of conservation concern and its range includes several protected areas.

Citation:	Linzey, A.V. & NatureServe (Hammerson, G.) 2008. Microtus xanthognathus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 23 May 2013.
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