| Water voles Temporal range: EarlyPleistocene - Recent | |
|---|---|
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| Arvicola amphibius | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Subfamily: | Arvicolinae |
| Tribe: | Arvicolini |
| Genus: | Arvicola Lacépède, 1799 |
| Type species | |
| Mus amphibius | |
| Species | |
See text | |
Water voles are largevoles in thegenusArvicola. They are found in both aquatic and dry habitat throughEurope and much of northernAsia. Awater vole found in WesternNorth America was historically considered a member of this genus, but has been shown to be more closely related to members of the genusMicrotus.[1][2] Head and body lengths are 12–22 cm (4.7–8.7 in), tail lengths are 6.5–12.5 cm (2.6–4.9 in), and their weights are 70–250 g (2.5–8.8 oz). The animals may exhibitindeterminate growth. They are thick-furred and have hairy fringes on their feet that improve their swimming ability.[citation needed]
A 2021 phylogenetic study usingmtDNA found thatArvicola may not belong with the rest of its namesake tribeArvicolini, but rather forms asister group to the tribeLagurini.[3]
There are three species as listed by theIUCN:
TheAmerican Society of Mammalogists recognizes four species, withA. italicus andA. persicus being split fromA. amphibius, andA. scherman being synonymous withA. amphibius:[7]
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