Microtus pennsylvanicus
Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The eastern meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus), sometimes called the field mouse or meadow mouse, is a North American vole found in eastern Canada and the United States. Its range extends farther south along the Atlantic coast.
The western meadow vole, Florida salt marsh vole, and beach vole were formerly considered regional variants or subspecies of M. pennsylvanicus, but have all since been designated as distinct species. The eastern meadow vole is active year-round, usually at night. It also digs burrows, where it stores food for the winter and females give birth to their young. Although these animals tend to live close together, they are aggressive towards one another. This is particularly evident in males during the breeding season. They can cause damage to fruit trees, garden plants, and commercial grain crops.
The species was formerly grouped with the western meadow vole (M. drummondii) and the Florida salt marsh vole (M. dukecampbelli) as a single species with a very large range, but genetic evidence indicates that these are all distinct species.
The eastern meadow vole is found throughout eastern North America. It ranges from Labrador and... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Meadow Vole sighting in Boston on a given day, based on 24 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 21st most-seen of the 25 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March, June–July and September–October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Meadow Vole in Boston on a given day, against under 5% in April–May, August and November–February, the lowest months.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Meadow Vole sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
6th of 10
Of the 10 cities where we can rate Meadow Vole sightings, Boston ranks 6th at under 5%. The best odds are in Toronto (Canada, about 10%), Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (United States, about 10%) and Edmonton (Canada, about 10%).
Same family: Cricetidae
The closest relatives of the Meadow Vole that you can see in Boston (family Cricetidae, Hamsters, Voles, Lemmings, and Allies) are Muskrat (about 10%) and White-footed Mouse (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Meadow Vole is recorded against all the mammals logged in Boston (24 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
