I found the rodent pictured below underneath a piece of plywood on an abandoned railroad track near my home in Northeast Illinois. My best guess is that it was a meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus). However, my internet research points to the Prairie Vole (M. ochrogaster) and Southern Bog Lemming Synaptomys cooperi) as also inhabiting similar habitats to the one where this was found (mostly prairie, near a woodland and some standing water). If anyone has an opinion as to what species this may be I’d love to hear it.
Related Articles
-
Autumn trips
vdinets, , General Mammal Watching, 0
Dear All, I am in Rhode Island until mid-December. Once I’m done unpacking etc., would be nice to explore...
-
Sri Lanka Slow Lories Quest
tobbelu, , General Mammal Watching, 9
Hi all I am planning to go to Sri Lanka later this year. Do you know any good places...
-
new mammal finding guide coming for Australia
charleswhood, , General Mammal Watching, 0
Out in December in UK, March of 2016 in US edition (which on Amazon will be about half the...
-
Bears Use Wildlife Crossing to Find New Mates
heavenlyjane, , General Mammal Watching, 0
Interesting article about how genetic studies show that bears in Banff (AB, Canada) are using wildlife crossing to find...
-
Great wildlife photography
Jon Hall, , General Mammal Watching, 0
Stunning images taken by some of the world’s greatest nature photographers from the BBC <a href="”> Jon
-
Mammals Trip Report Australia and a bit of New Zealand and New Caledonia.
pietervogelfreak, , General Mammal Watching, 0
Mammals Trip Report Australia Hi people, I just returned from a year travelling Australia. I worked for three months,...
-
Help needed for this little critter at Lake Manyara, Tanzania!
pietervogelfreak, , General Mammal Watching, 0
Hi people, I filmed this mouse species while walking in a dry mud area with sparse short grasses several...
-
Oregon Mammal Information
mattinidaho, , General Mammal Watching, 4
I am taking a short trip to Oregon in early March, to Portland and the North Umpqua River. The...
Subscribe to mammalwatching.com
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
- Vladimir Dinets on New book
- Andrew Murch on New book
- Antee on New Trip Report: Brazil
- Susan Andelt on New Trip Report: Brazil
- Nayer Youakim on Istanbul – Persian Squirrel Twitch
Prairie vole usually has buff-colored belly (hence the name “ochrogaster”). The tail looks too long for a lemming.
Looks like Meadow Vole to me, but need a better photo to be sure.
Regrettably those are the best photos I have but thanks for the feedback.