Why is the Amargosa vole endangered? What is being done to help the vole? The main threat over the last century to the THE Amargosa vole has been loss or degradation of habitat. Changes in vegetation due to Amargosa vole habitat Is located on Amargosa altered water patterns, Invasive plant species, federal, state, and private lands. Much of VOLE and human activity such as converting the wetland habitat occupied by the marshes into pasture and the building of the Amargosa vole Is on BLM land near Microtus californicus scirpensis Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad line have Tecopa and Tecopa Hot Springs. The altered and reduced the amount of available BLM has designated some of this land as habitat for the vole. While human activities an Area of Critical Environmental have adversely affected the vole, some Concern, which includes portions of the activities such as drilling the "Bore Hole" Tecopa Lake Basin and the Amargosa Canyon, as a part of the California Desert spring have helped by creating new wetlands y for the vole. Conservation Area Program. As a result, there are measures that limit vehicle Habitat used by voles is often small access, maintain wetland vegetation and and occurs in disjunct patches. These water flow, and monitor Amargosa vole patches are like "islands" In a sea of desert. populations. This results in small, isolated populations, Current research is being conducted to which can result in inbreeding and increase by California Dept. of Fish &. Wildlife, the risk of population extinction. Preliminary University of California, Davis, University evidence suggests that other co-occurring of California, Berkeley, the US Bureau of An Endangered Species rodent species (deer mice, harvest mice, and Land Management, and the US Geologic The Amargosa vole was discovered house mice) may compete with voles for Survey to better understand and manage resources. Recent studies have also identified in 1900. Since that time it was the vole. previously undocumented diseases within vole thought to be extinct until voles populations; these diseases can affect the were rediscovered in the 1930's. vole's health and behavior and thus its ability The vole is a highly specialized to survive. Voles have evolved with and are This pamphlet was made possible through the Amargosa rodent that lives only in small Vole Team. Participants include: prey for a variety of native predators such as patches of habitat in the otherwise coyotes, hawks, owls, and foxes. However, The US Bureau ofLand Management. US Fish & Wildlife inhospitable Amargosa Valley. The Service. California Department of Fish <& Wildlife, vole was listed as an endangered nonnative predators(house cats and University of California, Davis, US Geologic Survey, bullfrogs) also prey on voles; these nonnative University of California. Berkeley, The Amargosa species by the state of California in predators can further reduce vole numbers Conservancy, and the Integral Ecology Research Center. 1980 and in 1984 was listed as and introduce new diseases into the endangered by the US Fish & Wildlife environment. Service.