New York State Mammals

Order Rodentia (cont.) Order Lagomorpha

FAMILY: CRICETIDAE

• New World rats, mice, voles, hamsters, etc. • Diverse & species rich • Most terrestrial, 1 in NYS is aquatic Muskrat • Subfamily Neotominae- deer mice, woodrats et al. – Long tails & prominent ears

• Subfamily Arvicolinae - lemmings & voles – Stout bodies, with small, rounded ears, short legs & tails Southern Red-backed vole Myodes gapperi

Habitat: – Woodland, conifer, mossy areas – Subsurface runways – Found at higher elevations – Less dependent on rocky areas than some other voles Notes: – Can displace Microtus and Peromyscus in wooded habitats ID: – Reddish dorsal stripe – Tail > hind foot – 25 – 35 g – Emarginated postpalatal shelf (vs. Microtus) Yellow-nosed vole Microtus chrotorrhinus Habitat: – Forested habitats w/ rocks, talus, thick ground cover, accessible water Notes: – aka “Rock vole” ID: – Yellow face ("ochraceous facial wash"), lighter brown dorsal pelage than Microtus pennsylvanicus (Meadow vole) – Tail > hind foot – Larger ears than most Microtus species – 40 g – Dentition Meadow vole Microtus pennsylvanicus Habitat: – Meadows, grasslands, abandoned fields Notes: – Above-surface runways – Very common ID: – Tail much > hind foot, up to twice as long – Often the largest vole – Short smooth fur, dull, but not grizzled – 40 – 60 g – Dentition

Pine vole Microtus pinetorum

Habitat: – Forested areas, variety of habitats Notes: – Pest of orchards in the northeast – Subsurface runways ID: – Tail <= hind foot – Glossy fur (more sheen than Synaptomys cooperi (Southern bog lemming)) – 14 - 37 g – Dentition Southern bog lemming Synaptomys cooperi

Habitat: – Variety of habitats: grasslands, mixed woodlands, spruce-fir forests, and wetlands Notes: – Rare, not often captured ID: – Tail <= hind foot – Grizzled fur (duller in appearance than Microtus pinetorum (Pine vole)) – 35 g – Thicker/wider incisors w/ longitudinal groove in front – Wider zygomatic arch Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus

Habitat: – Found near water Notes: – Builds a hut or burrows in stream bank ID: – Large vole,1–1.5 kg – Laterally flattened tail, stiff hairs on feet – Flattened skull – Small interorbital length – Post-orbital process square Tips for vole diagnostics

• First: does it have a large ears? If yes, it’s a mouse, not a vole.

• Microtus pinetorum and Synaptomys cooperi both have short tails (<= hind foot length). Other voles have longer tails, but generally shorter than rats and mice.

• MIPI has glossy fur, SYCO has grizzled fur

• If a skin has tail length greater than hind foot, eliminate these two Tips for vole diagnostics

• Next, look at fur color – looking for yellow on the face (Microtus chrotorrhinus) or red on the back (Myodes gapperi)

• If it’s not MICH or MYGA, and it’s medium to large in size, it’s probably Microtus pennsylvanicus

• If it’s several times bigger than other voles and has a squared-off postorbial process, it’s a muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)

General tips for specimen ID

• Always look for the most obvious sign first – e.g., ear length or molar shape, to decide whether it’s a mouse or a vole – before proceeding with ID

 Short (almost invisible) ears, short tail = vole

Long ears, long tail  = mouse FAMILY DIPODIDAE (Rodentia)

• Jumping mice, birch mice, and jerboa • Ricochetal movement (can cover up to 3 feet in one bound) • Jumping mice will hibernate through most of winter months • Elongated hind limbs and long tail • Grooved incisors • Infraorbital canal is “keyhole” shaped Woodland jumping mouse Napaeozapus insignis Habitat: – Forests Notes: – Eats fungi, insects, and fruit – Hibernates ID: – ~20 g – Large feet & ankles, jumps 4 m – Brown w/ white belly, yellow- orange sides, white tip on tail – Skull: Grooved incisors, 3 molariform teeth in each upper quadrant Meadow jumping mouse Zapus hudsonius Habitat: – Grassy/weedy fields

Notes: – Leaps shorter distances than woodland ID: – ~20 g – Tail lacks white tip, not as strongly tri-colored – Skull: Grooved incisors, 4 molariform teeth in each upper quadrant FAMILY: ERETHIZONTIDAE (Rodentia)

• New World porcupines • Large auditory bullae, but poor vision • Large infraorbital canal/foramen  Easy ID • Heavily modified digestive systems to accommodate their diet of bark, etc. • Mostly arboreal or semi-arboreal • Dorsal guard hairs are modified into spines or quills North American porcupine Erethizon dorsatum Habitat: – Mainly forests Notes: – Pest to logging industry – Eats bark, phloem, and cambium of trees ID: – Pelage: quills – Skull: Large infraorbital foramen, 20 teeth Porcupine sign