Arvicola

Water voles
Temporal range: Early Pleistocene - Recent
Arvicola amphibius
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Cricetidae
Subfamily: Arvicolinae
Tribe: Arvicolini
Genus: Arvicola
Lacépède, 1799
Type species
Mus amphibius
Species

Arvicola amphibius
Arvicola sapidus
Arvicola scherman

Water voles are large voles in the genus Arvicola. They are found in both aquatic and dry habitat through Europe and much of northern Asia. A water vole found in Western North America was historically considered a member of this genus, but has been shown to be more closely related to members of the genus Microtus.[1][2] Head and body lengths are 12–22 cm, tail lengths are 6.5–12.5 cm, and their weights are 70–250 g. The animals may exhibit indeterminate growth. They are thick-furred and have hairy fringes on their feet that improve their swimming ability.

A 2021 phylogenetic study using mtDNA found that Arvicola may not belong with the rest of its namesake tribe Arvicolini, but rather forms a sister group to the tribe Lagurini.[3]

  1. ^ Conroy, Chris J.; Cook, Joseph A. (2000). "Molecular systematics of a Holarctic rodent (Microtus: Muridae)". Journal of Mammalogy. 81 (2): 344–359. doi:10.1644/1545-1542(2000)081<0344:MSOAHR>2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0022-2372.
  2. ^ Musser, G. G.; Carleton, M. D. (2005). "Genus Arvicola". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 894–1531. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  3. ^ Abramson, Natalia I.; Bodrov, Semyon Yu; Bondareva, Olga V.; Genelt-Yanovskiy, Evgeny A.; Petrova, Tatyana V. (2021-11-19). "A mitochondrial genome phylogeny of voles and lemmings (Rodentia: Arvicolinae): Evolutionary and taxonomic implications". PLOS ONE. 16 (11): e0248198. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0248198. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 8604340. PMID 34797834.