Voles are small, stout-bodied rodents often mistaken for mice, distinguishable by their shorter tails, rounder heads, and less-prominent ears. These common mammals inhabit open fields, meadows, and gardens across the Northern Hemisphere, where they are a primary food source for many predators. Voles are known for their extensive burrow systems and surface runways beneath dense vegetation. The dietary needs of a vole change dramatically as it progresses from a newborn pup to a fully weaned adult, a shift that happens rapidly in its short lifespan.
The First Weeks Milk Dependence
Newborn voles are born undeveloped, blind, hairless, and completely helpless. For the first one to two weeks of life, a baby vole is entirely dependent on its mother’s milk for nutrition, warmth, and hydration. The mother provides frequent nursing sessions, often feeding her pups six to eight times a day to support their rapid growth. The mother’s milk delivers the high-fat and high-protein content necessary to fuel the pup’s development until it is physically ready to process solid vegetation.
Transitioning to Solid Foods
The transition from a liquid diet to solid foods begins around the second week of life. Even before their eyes open, which typically occurs around three weeks of age, baby voles start to explore their environment and exhibit gnawing behaviors. The mother facilitates this change by bringing pieces of soft vegetation into the nest, allowing the pups to nibble and experiment. This introduction to solids involves consuming soft grasses, tender stems, and other easily digestible plant parts found near the burrow entrance. Weaning, the complete cessation of milk consumption, is usually finalized by two to three weeks of age, priming the young vole for independent survival.
Key Dietary Staples of Adult Voles
Voles are classified as herbivores, though their diet can be opportunistic and occasionally includes non-plant items. The bulk of their consumption consists of grasses, the stems and leaves of herbaceous plants, and various seeds. They often create visible surface runways in grassy areas, clipping vegetation along their paths.
Species Variation in Diet
Specific dietary preferences vary depending on the species and available habitat. The Meadow Vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) primarily feeds on grasses and seeds in open fields. Other species, such as the Pine Vole (Microtus pinetorum), are more subterranean. They focus their feeding efforts on underground plant structures, consuming roots, tubers, rhizomes, and bulbs. This often causes damage to cultivated garden plants like carrots, potatoes, beets, and turnips.
During the winter months or periods of food scarcity, voles expand their diet. They include the bark of young trees and shrubs, particularly around the base protected by snow cover. They also seek out high-energy foods like oats, corn, and fallen fruits such as apples. Though largely herbivorous, voles occasionally consume small animal matter, including insects, snails, fungi, and carrion, to supplement their protein intake when plant food is limited.