Tundra vole

Scientific name: Microtus oeconomus

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Stocky rodent with a blunt snout, small rounded ears partially hidden in fur, and a short tail; pelage ranges from dark brown to grey-brown dorsally with greyish-white underparts. Adults lack obvious sexual dimorphism in appearance.

Size and weight

Adults weigh 20–45 g, body length 9–14 cm; males and females similar in size.

Habitat

Tundra voles occupy open tundra, grasslands, and sedge meadows across Arctic and subarctic regions, typically at low to moderate elevations in areas with wet or moist soils and dense ground vegetation.

Distribution

Circumpolar species found across Arctic and subarctic North America, Europe, and Asia; prefers wet sedge meadows and tundra with adequate moisture and vegetation cover.

Diet

Herbivorous, feeding on grasses, sedges, mosses, and forbs year-round; in winter relies more heavily on stored plant material and bark.

Behaviour

Active both day and night with peak activity around dawn and dusk; solitary to loosely colonial; creates runways and burrow systems in soft tundra soil, moving frequently between feeding areas.

Hunting tips

Look for well-worn surface trails through grass and vegetation, and small droppings (3–5 mm) along runway systems. Approach quietly across open tundra at dawn or dusk when voles are most active, scanning vegetation edges and wet depressions. Ground-level stalking with minimal movement is most effective given their reliance on runway networks.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 1 country in Huntify.

Finland

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.