Steppe vole
Brandt's vole, (Lasiopodomys brandtii ), also known as the steppe vole, is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is native to shrublands and grasslands in Russia, Mongolia and northern China.
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
Grazing is a method of feeding in which a herbivore feeds on plants such as grasses, or other multicellular organisms such as algae. In agriculture...
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starts withBrandt's vole is about 15 cm (5.9 in) long with a tail up to 3.5 cm (1.4 in) long. Its ears are small and the short fur is uniform sandy-brown, paler underneath. The tail is entirely brown and there are dense hairs on the hind part of the feet.
Brandt's vole is found in Nei Mongol, Jilin, and Hebei provinces in north-east China, in Mongolia and southern Transbaikalia in Russia. Brandt's vole is commonly found in grassland areas. Its typical habitat is dry steppes and pastures. Its sometimes also found in lakeside meadows and river valleys.
Brandt's vole is a colonial species. Each family establishes a network of burrows with several entrances, long passages, storerooms, and nesting chambers. The voles are active during both the day and night and their behaviour varies at different times of year. They feed on both the underground and aerial parts of plants. Large stores of food are laid up before the winter and the energy intake of the voles seems to be correlated with the length of day. There are four or five broods each year, with each litter consisting of about seven young. Population levels are subject to wide swings. Under unfavourable conditions, this vole can be wiped out of some of the regions in which it is normally found, but when the conditions are right, mass outbreaks can occur. This periodically happens in Mongolia when millions of hectares of pasture are invaded. Under this onslaught, the pastures can become very bare, poor subsoil can be brought to the surface by burrowing activities and coarse weeds can become established, seriously harming the grazing for domestic animals.
