The small, stocky rodents known as voles are often confused with their more common mouse relatives, but they are present within the diverse ecosystems of Texas. These subterranean dwellers are a natural component of the state’s fauna, though their presence is often only noticed when their activities intersect with human-maintained landscapes, such as lawns and gardens. Identifying these common mammals and understanding their role is important for anyone who encounters signs of small rodent activity on their property.
The Definitive Answer: Which Voles Call Texas Home
Voles belong to the scientific genus Microtus, and several species are confirmed residents of Texas, though their distribution is often scattered and localized. The Woodland Vole (Microtus pinetorum) is found across the eastern and central parts of Texas, extending west into counties like Callahan, Kerr, and Gillespie.
The Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster) has a more disjointed presence, with populations known in the northern Texas Panhandle, particularly in counties such as Armstrong, Hansford, and Lipscomb. A historical population was also noted in the southeastern region of Hardin County. Finally, the Mogollon Vole (Microtus mogollonensis) is confined to the high-elevation areas of the Guadalupe Mountains in Culberson County in far West Texas.
Where Voles Live in Texas
Voles inhabit specific ecological niches across the state, with each species preferring a distinct type of ground cover and environment. The Woodland Vole is primarily found in wooded areas, thriving where there is ample leaf litter and lodged grasses that provide suitable protection for their shallow burrows. These surface burrows rarely go deeper than 10 centimeters below the ground surface.
The Prairie Vole prefers tall-grass prairies, where colonies utilize both underground burrows and surface runways concealed beneath dense vegetation. Recent studies suggest this species may be expanding its range in the northern Panhandle.
The Mogollon Vole is restricted to the higher elevations of the Guadalupe Mountains. It makes its home in grassy openings of yellow pine forests, often near old logs where they establish their colonies.
Telling Voles Apart From Common Texas Rodents
Identifying a vole requires observing specific physical traits that set them apart from other small Texas rodents like house mice, deer mice, shrews, and pocket gophers. Voles are stockier and more compact, measuring between 4 and 8 inches long, with a plump appearance. Their most distinguishing feature is their short tail, which is less than half the length of their body, often only one to three inches long.
In contrast, house or deer mice have a slender body and a long, thin tail that is typically two and a half to six inches in length. Voles also have a round, blunt snout, along with small eyes and small ears that are often partially hidden by their dense fur. Mice possess a more pointed snout and have larger, more prominent eyes and ears.
Unlike shrews, which have a long, pointed snout and are insectivores, voles are primarily herbivores. Voles also do not create the large dirt mounds associated with pocket gophers, as their tunnels are much shallower and closer to the surface.
Voles and Property: Understanding Their Impact
Voles are herbivores, meaning their diet consists almost entirely of vegetation, which is why they interact with human property. They forage on grasses, herbaceous plants, bulbs, and roots. In the winter, when fresh vegetation is scarce, they will gnaw on the bark and roots of shrubs and trees, which can lead to significant damage on residential properties, especially in orchards or landscaped areas.
The clearest sign of a vole presence is the creation of a runway system in the lawn. These are shallow, visible pathways about one to two inches wide that voles use to travel between their burrows and feeding areas, often leaving a ragged, chewed-up appearance in the grass. They also cause damage by girdling, which involves chewing the bark completely around the base of a young tree or shrub. Girdling severs the flow of nutrients, ultimately killing the plant.