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9 Fun Facts

Voles

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Voles are excellent swimmers.

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Primarily herbivorous, voles commonly feed on grass, as well as the seeds, roots, stems and leaves of plants.

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Voles have very short lifespan.

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Voles have a system of runways above the ground as well as underground tunnels, spending most of their time underground.

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Some North American vole species are arboreal, like the red tree vole.

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Voles are characterized by a stout body, small and rounded ears, short legs, relatively large eyes, and a tail that is shorter than the head and body.

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Woodland voles are burrowing animals that push up mounds of earth at the entrances to their underground tunnels.

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Voles build runways under lawns.

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Voles communicate through sharp or quiet squealing sounds as well as chemical signals and scent marks.