Mammals Dawn & Dusk

Southern Red-backed Vole

Clethrionomys gapperi

iNaturalist Wikipedia

With its signature rusty-red stripe and agile movements, the Southern Red-backed Vole is a colorful hidden gem of the forest floor. Often found darting through mossy logs, this industrious rodent is a master of the woodland undergrowth.

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Quick Identification

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Size

Total length: 4.7–6.5 inches (120–165 mm); Weight: 0.5–1.5 oz (15–42 g)

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Colors

Features a prominent broad reddish or rusty-brown stripe running from the forehead to the base of the tail. The sides are yellowish-gray or buff, and the belly is silvery-white or pale gray.

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Key Features

Broad reddish-brown dorsal stripe
Short, bicolored tail (dark on top, light below)
Larger, more visible ears than most other voles
Slender, mouse-like body shape

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern Most active at dawn and dusk

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Peak hours Most active around dawn and dusk, though they forage intermittently throughout the day and night.

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Season Year-round

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Diet An opportunistic omnivore that favors fungi (especially truffles), seeds, berries, and green vegetation, but will also eat insects and snails.

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Habitat Cool, moist coniferous, deciduous, or mixed forests, particularly those with abundant moss, leaf litter, and fallen logs.

Behavior

The Southern Red-backed Vole is an energetic and agile inhabitant of the forest floor. Unlike many of its cousins that prefer open grasslands, this species is a specialist of the deep woods. They are remarkably light on their feet, capable of climbing low shrubs and navigating complex tangles of fallen branches. While they are active year-round, they are particularly fascinating in winter, when they live in the 'subnivean zone'—the narrow, insulated space between the frozen ground and the snowpack—where they are protected from the worst of the cold and many predators.

These voles are somewhat unique in their social structure; while they can be territorial during the peak of the breeding season, they often tolerate the presence of others in the winter to conserve heat. They are diligent hoarders, spending much of the late summer and autumn caching seeds, roots, and dried fungi in hollow logs or underground chambers. In the backyard setting, they are shy and quick, usually only appearing as a flash of red fur as they move between patches of cover.

photo_camera EverydayEarth exclusive

Camera Tips

To successfully capture the Southern Red-backed Vole on your AI camera, you must focus on 'micro-habitats.' These voles rarely venture into the open, preferring to travel along natural runways like the sides of fallen logs, stone walls, or through thick moss. Mount your camera extremely low—no more than 3 to 5 inches off the ground—and aim it along the edge of a log or a rock pile. If your camera has a focus adjustment, set it for close-range (3–5 feet) to ensure the small details of their reddish fur are sharp.

Baiting is a highly effective way to slow these fast-moving rodents down for a clear shot. A small amount of peanut butter smeared onto a piece of bark or a handful of black-oil sunflower seeds placed in a mossy depression will encourage them to pause. Place the bait in a spot that receives dappled sunlight during the day, as the contrast can help the AI identification software pick up the distinct 'red back' against the darker forest floor. Because they are so quick, use a 'burst' mode for stills or set your video length to 10–15 seconds to ensure you don't just catch a tail disappearing out of frame.

Seasonal placement is key for this species. In the winter, look for 'chimneys' or small holes in the snow near the base of trees or logs; these are ventilation shafts for their subnivean tunnels. Placing a camera near these exits can yield surprising footage of them popping up to check the surface. In the summer, focus on the wettest parts of your yard or woodlot, as they are highly sensitive to water loss and prefer the coolest, dampest areas available. If using infrared at night, try to angle the camera so the flash doesn't bounce harshly off nearby leaves, which can 'white out' the vole's features.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Southern Red-backed Vole.

Western Red-backed Vole

Found further west; has a less distinct red stripe and a tail that is not as sharply bicolored.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Southern Red-backed Voles are primarily crepuscular, meaning they are most active during the twilight hours of dawn and dusk. However, they are known to forage in short bursts throughout both the day and night to meet their high metabolic needs.

To attract Southern Red-backed Voles, maintain a 'wild' corner in your yard with plenty of leaf litter, fallen branches, and mossy rocks. They are also drawn to bird feeding stations where they can scavenge fallen seeds and nuts.

Their diet is diverse, including various fungi, lichens, seeds, berries, and green plants. They are particularly fond of underground truffles and will occasionally supplement their diet with small insects.

They are common in suburban areas that border woodlands or have significant mature tree cover. They are less likely to be found in open, manicured lawns compared to the Meadow Vole.

The easiest way to tell them apart is the color; the Southern Red-backed Vole has a distinct reddish stripe down its back, whereas the Meadow Vole is a more uniform dull brown. The Red-backed Vole also has larger, more prominent ears and a more slender build.

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