Meadow Vole

Meadow Vole

Microtus pennsylvanicus

Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Point Pelee National Park

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%

33 Verified sightings at Point Pelee National Park From 2019 to 2026
44 In all 2 parks
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Meadow Vole

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 →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
2 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
2 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Edmonton 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
4 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
6 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Calgary 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
8 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 National Zoological Park 🇺🇸 United States In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Meadow Vole in Point Pelee National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Meadow Vole sighting in Point Pelee National Park on a given day, based on 33 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 15th most-seen of the 17 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Meadow Vole in Point Pelee National Park?

July and August

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Meadow Vole in Point Pelee National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September and November–April, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Meadow Vole?

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.

Is Point Pelee National Park the best place to see a Meadow Vole?

Yes

Of the 2 parks where we can rate Meadow Vole sightings, Point Pelee National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Acadia National Park (United States, about 10%).

Where does the Meadow Vole sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Meadow Vole is recorded against all the mammals logged in Point Pelee National Park (33 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.

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