Sagebrush vole

The Salbeiwühlmaus ( Lemmiscus curtatus ) is a small vole of western North America and is one of the most common mammals in the prairie. In form it resembles by the plump body, short legs and ears and stubby tail a lemming. My closest relative is the Eurasian steppe lemming ( Lagurus lagurus ), but no more a real lemming is like the Salbeiwühlmaus.

The body length is 9 to 13 inches, added a only 2 to 3 centimeters long tail. The fur is dyed oberseits ashen and hand silvery white. From the steppe lemming this species is distinguished by a slightly longer tail, slightly larger ears, the absence of Aalst Rich and certain features of the dentition.

In the prairie, you can find the burrows of Salbeiwühlmäuse usually close together. Although they live together in large groups, but you could not see any signs of any kind of social organization. Each building has eight to thirty inputs, many of which tunnels lead to a central nest chamber, which has about 25 centimeters in diameter and is up to 45 centimeters deep. It is lined with leaves and grasses. The burrows are usually created yourself, but often abandoned burrows of pocket gophers are attached to the system.

The main activity of the Salbeiwühlmäuse falls into the twilight hours, but they can actively meet at any time day or night. The food are green parts of plants.

Since Salbeiwühlmäuse avoid the proximity of people, they are not known as pests. By propagation in agriculture and the habitat of these animals was smaller. In the plains they are among the preferred prey of many small animal hunters, for example, owls, birds of prey, snakes, coyotes, bobcats, and badgers silver.