Sparkles on this morning’s fresh layer of snow hint at the magic concealed beneath the white covering. Hidden under is a fantastical network of tunnels, best revealed in photos taken prior to this latest snowfall…
Look just below the pheasant tracks in the photo above. Do you see those lines beneath the snow? Although they look snake-like, these tunnels were made by voles, little rodents with tiny ears and short tails, also known as field mice.
Meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) are active year round and make tunnels in tall grass or under the snow as they travel from one part of their territory to another. These super highways make for speedier trips, even in unclement weather. They also allow voles to travel undetected by predators such as foxes, coyotes, bobcats and birds of prey.
Because a thin layer of snow has melted since the tunnels were made, it’s possible to either see through their thin top layer or, where the top layer has melted completely, see straight down through to the tunnel itself.
Voles are mostly nocturnal herbivores that supplement their grass diet with bark and seeds in the winter months. Although one female vole may give birth to as many as 25 pups in one year, their life expectancy is quite short . Most voles live for less than a year due to high predation. Their population density can range from 14 to 500 per acre.
If you’re a foodie who’s keen on wild edibles and you’ve noticed some of these tunnels in your backyard, you might be inspired to try something new by reading my previous post on Vole Holes and Recipes.
Flandrum Hill 
I like knowing they’re down ‘under’ going about their business night after night. We could learn a few things from them about living in balance with our environment.
I hope your edible link isn’t to something like ‘voles on a spit’…..rather doubt it but I’ll find out…..
47whitebuffalo, I like knowing that too 🙂 They’re so quiet in their work and travels, yet apparently can be quite aggressive with one another during mating season.
As for the edible link…
Busy little fellows. I wonder if we have them too? I know we have moles.
I hadn’t realized voles are the same thing as field mice. Thanks for that bit of knowledge!
Dawn, these little ones are everywhere so you probably have them too. I’ve seen their subtle tunnels in the grass as well. In order to see them, sometimes it’s just a matter of looking at the lawn in a different light. They often lead from the edge of woods into open areas.
Voles are not mice, so the common misnomer “field mice” is technically incorrect. Mice and voles are two different species, both belonging to the genus of rodentia. Mice have long tails while voles have short tails. Mice do not dig subterranean tunnels as voles and moles do.
As far as vole vs mole, it is hard to tell which critter a tunnel belongs to. In both cases the rodents dig up mounds of dirt to aerate their underground dwellings, so the evidence of these two rodents looks about the same. Moles are carnivorous and live mostly on a diet of earthworms and grubs, seldom venturing above ground. Voles eat a variety of vegetation including roots, bulbs, and tubers. I’m not sure if they are omnivorous or strictly vegetarian, but voles do a lot of damage to garden plants.
It’s nice that you have your kids out exploring and learning about nature. Too many kids today have a disconnect with the natural world.
Thank You Marci.. I noticed these tracks and didn’t know what they were this was helpful
I’m enchanted by tiny rodent highways. I wonder why the “left turn” in that one trail? I wonder if the owl sits in a tree on a warmish night, when the snow is melting a bit, watching the trail . . . I reflect that if we have much more snow around here there will be spaniel tunnels through the woods.
Gerry, some of the tunnels lead towards spots in the yard where I’ve thrown out crumbs for the birds. Maybe as they’re tunnelling along they catch a whiff of something that smells good and decide to make a quick left or right in that direction.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the watchers in the woods tracked the traffic in those tunnels on warm moonlit nights. There’s so much that goes on that we don’t see.
Spaniel tunnels? 🙂
Voles are the commonest mammal in Michigan but, as you note, seldom seen. I do see their tunnel trails around here when we have a melt. Once–and only once–I surprised a vole in the small Avion trailer that is my summer kitchen annex, and the vole looked as surprised as I was.
Pamela, I’ll bet he was surprised. I’ve found it very difficult to sneak up on them as they usually hear me coming from way off.
I am intrigued by these subterranean vole highways – and the thought that predatory birds could actually spot them from far away. They look like the cutest little creatures! … As for that link! I am quite perturbed… surely not, Amy?
Reggie, yes they are cute. Honestly, I don’t cook them up. 🙂 🙂
Years ago when I was in Toastmasters I won a humorous speech competition by delivering a speech about cooking mice. I even used live mice as props! But it was all in fun as is the post on eating voles 🙂
Oh, thank the heavens! As soon as I switched on the computer this morning, I had to check whether you’d replied to my comment – I am sooo relieved!
I love those tunnels in the snow! They are always so intriguing with their patterned movements. I took a picture of either a vole or a shrew beneath the bird feeder yesterday. Not sure of the difference. (Gosh, would have loved to hear your speech about cooking mice. That must have been a HOOT!)
Kathy, I’ve only seen a shrew once. It had run up one of my sons’ pant legs while he was playing in the woods. It was very tiny with a very pointed snout compared to the vole’s.
The speech about cooking mice was a lot of fun. Just so you know, no mice were harmed during the practice or delivery of the speech 🙂
Voles … yummmmm …
Um Sybil, I thought you were a vegetarian.
So today a friend posted an image on FB of these exposed tunnels in her yard in Ontario. I Googled “snow tunnels voles” and got THIS post. Love it !
Didn’t realize that Voles ARE Mice !
These are delightful – lest we forget the creatures who are foraging year round. I will check out your edibles post too.
Tammy, it’s so easy to forget the little creatures isn’t it? Especially the ones that keep a low profile at this time of year. Thank you for stopping by 🙂
How interesting – I never could figure what those lines in the snow might be – thanks for enlightening me! Love the sparkles you captured in the first picture…
Barbara, I also looked at those lines for years without knowing what they were.
There is nothing prettier than sparkles on snow but they are so ephemeral. I was lucky to capture these.
I had no idea voles could have 25 pups in a year! That’s almost scary 🙂 But I suppose when you’re that low on the food chain…and even Humans might want to eat you… Just kidding. I really like your pictures here. The first one is just plain lovely and together they are all wonderfully descriptive.
Thanks Cindy. Yes the voles can multiply pretty fast. But most live for just a few months. Their life expectancy depends on the number of predators in their environment at any given time. I wonder what effect the Nova Scotia bounty on coyotes is having on the vole population.