Reed Vole

The reed vole is a small herbivorous microtine rodent, formerly widely listed as Microtus fortis and now placed in Alexandromys by the Mammal Diversity Database. Like other voles it has a compact body, short ears largely hidden by fur, and a relatively short tail. External appearance is insufficient for confident separation from related Mongolian voles, so dental or genetic evidence may be required. (Mammal Diversity Database; Sheremeteva et al. 2023)

A twelve-year Mongolian study found the species in open meadow habitat along the Yeroo River at Khonin Nuga in West Khentey. The same work documents large changes in local abundance over time, making it especially useful as Mongolia-specific evidence rather than extrapolation from China or Russia. The species belongs to the Manchurian-Chinese part of the eastern Palearctic. Detailed diet and breeding figures are omitted here. (Sheremeteva et al. 2023)