08/19/2026
? Meadow voles spend much of their lives hidden beneath the grass, creating intricate networks of surface runways and underground tunnels that can honeycomb an entire meadow!
Found throughout much of North America in grassy meadows, mountaintops, and marshes, these tiny mammals are commonly called field mice. However, they actually have shorter tails and ears than mice and are brown in colour with silver-grey bellies.
Meadow voles build cozy, globe-shaped nests from dried grasses, tucked beneath logs, within thick vegetation, or underground for protection. They eat their weight’s worth of grasses, sedges, clover, wildflowers, seeds, roots, and tubers, while occasionally snacking on insects and other small invertebrates.
They communicate primarily through scent. Adults squeal, growl, and chatter their teeth when threatened, while newborns use ultrasonic calls to communicate with their mothers.
Despite their small size, meadow voles play a huge role in healthy ecosystems. They are an essential food source for many predators, including foxes, coyotes, weasels, snakes, owls, hawks, and other birds of prey. By supporting these predators, meadow voles help keep food webs balanced and thriving.
Want to help protect our tiny meadow engineers?
🌾 Leave natural grassy areas: Meadows and tall grasses provide shelter, nesting sites, and safe travel corridors.
Plant native plants: Native grasses and wildflowers provide food and habitat while supporting entire ecosystems.
🚜 Mow less often: Allow patches of grass to grow longer, especially along naturalized areas, to protect nests and runways.
🥾 Stay on designated trails: This helps prevent damage to fragile nests and tunnel systems hidden beneath the vegetation.
📸 Follow along each week as we share stories and sightings of !
Photo credits:
Anelia Tichkova
