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Eastern Meadow Vole

Prairie Vole

Southern Red-Backed Vole

Southern Bog Lemming

Eastern Gray Squirrel

American Red Squirrel

Eastern Chipmunk

Groundhog/Woodchuck

Plains Pocket Gopher

Common Muskrat

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Voles are commonly mistaken for mice. Their small ears and tail are a great way to tell them apart. The tails are around 1-2.5 inches in length. They also have rounder, stockier bodies compared to mice. Most have brown fur on top that blend into a yellowish-gray on the sides. The fur can darken depending on the climate they live in.

Length (without tail): 4-6 inches

Weight: 33-65 grams

Lifespan: 1-1.5 years

Eastern meadow voles are the most common in North America. They prefer to live in long grasses near bodies of water as they are excellent swimmers. They can be found living in marshes, meadows, grassy woodlands, and prairies. They are active during the day, unlike mice that are nocturnal. They do not hibernate and feed on fresh grass, herbs, and seeds. In the winter, their diet shifts to the bark and roots of trees.

Habitat Range Map

Similar to mice, meadow voles breed all year round. They breed most actively between March and November. They build their nests below the ground where the pups stay with the mom for 14 days. Voles become sexually mature and able to breed after one month.

Pregnancy duration: 20 days

Baby carrying: Avg. 4-5 pups (capable of 1-11)

Number of litters (per year): 1-5

Though similar in appearance, a few key differences between the prairie and meadow voles are their ears, size, and tail. The prairie vole are slightly smaller in size than the meadow vole. Their ears are more visible and their tail is shorter (1-1.3 inches). As for the fur, it’s a gray-brown color and they have a yellowish-orange underside.

Length (without tail): 4-5 inches

Weight: 55-60 grams

Lifespan: 1 year

As the name suggests these voles are commonly found living in prairies. They can also be spotted in un-grazed pastures, meadows, alfalfa, and soybean fields. They are unique in that they can be found living as mated pairs, solitary as a single female, or in social groups. They are usually found in groups during the winter months to help keep each other warm. Most of the time is spent underground where they are safe from predators. These voles are also herbivores like the meadow vole.

Habitat Range Map

Their mating practices change with the seasons, social structure, and diet. Some males and females will pair with each other while others mate with multiple individuals. This usually happens inside large family groups where multiple voles all live together. Their highest rate of breeding occurs between May and October. When born, the pups start to leave the nest after 2-3 weeks. These voles become sexually mature after 30 to 45 days.

Pregnancy duration: 21 days

Baby carrying: 3-4 pups

Number of litters (per year): 1-5

Southern red-backed voles get their name from the very visible reddish-brown stripe running along their back. The sides and face of the vole are a brighter yellowish brown. The belly is much brighter, with colors ranging from light gray to almost white. Their tails range from 1-2.4 inches in length.

Length (without tail): 2.5-4.4 inches

Weight: 6-42 grams

Lifespan: 1-1.5 years

These voles are most commonly seen inside coniferous forests, but can also be found in mixed coniferous/deciduous forests. Since they live in forests, they are excellent climbers and jumpers. Like all voles, they are also active all day and night and all year round. They are also known to be solitary, territorial animals. They will fight off other voles, as well as any species that come too close to their nest.

Habitat Range Map

They build nests under the roots of trees and stumps, logs or piles of brush. They also have been found living high up off of the ground on branches or inside holes of trees. Pups are weaned at around 17 to 21 days and become sexually mature after 3 months.

Pregnancy duration: 17-19 days

Baby carrying: 3-7 pups

Number of litters (per year): 2-3

Southern bog lemmings have a similar appearance to small guinea pigs. They have thick fur that varies from brown and reddish to dark brown, with a silver-gray underbelly. Their ears are small and hidden behind their fur. Unlike guinea pigs, they have a tail about 0.75-1.0 inches long.

Length (without tail): 4-6 inches

Weight: 20-50 grams

Lifespan: 1-2.5 years

Similar to voles, southern bog lemmings do not hibernate and are not considered nocturnal. Most active in the afternoon and at night, they often share their habitat with voles. They are both found in similar ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, grasslands, and bogs. However, unlike voles, they are very social animals. They are known to live in colonies of 20-30 individuals. Their diet consists of primarily vegetation such as plant leaves, stems, roots, seeds, and grass, as well as berries and other fruits that are in season. Checking for droppings is one way to determine if a lemming is in or around your home. Droppings are a uniform light green color due to the greens they consume.

Habitat Range Map

Similar to mice and voles, lemmings also breed all year long. They build nests inside their burrows and can be found beneath root systems of trees or moss. Their young are born between the months of April and September. Once born, these animals leave the nest at three weeks and reach sexual maturity by five weeks.

Pregnancy duration: 23-26 days

Baby carrying: 1-8 young

Number of litters (per year): 2-3

The fur on an eastern gray squirrel can vary between black and grey and have white fur on their underside. Depending on the season, the fur may change color to an orange-brown during the summer months and the tail may become whiter. The tail is used as a balancing mechanism to help keep them steady as they jump between branches. Tails measure between 7.5-10 inches.

Length (without tail): 9.1-12 inches

Weight: 400-600 grams (0.8-1.3 lbs.)

Lifespan: Avg. 1-2 years (can live up to 12 years)

Squirrels play an essential role in our ecosystem by burying seeds in various caches to save for winter. However, they sometimes forget where they placed them, turning them into gardeners of the forest. Just one squirrel will make thousands of caches each season. They commonly inhabit forests containing oaks and hickories due to the fact they produce the most seeds for them to eat. They are mostly active during the day and do not hibernate in the winter. Squirrels are quite intelligent creatures when communicating with one another. They use many different vocalizations and body posturing. A lot of this is still being learned and studied as it is still unknown the meaning behind it all.

Habitat Range Map

Gray squirrels breed twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring. During the breeding season, one female may attract close to 100 different males to her nest. While most people who see squirrels chasing one another believe they are playing, the males are actually fighting for dominance or pursuing a female to mate. Squirrels build their nests high up in the forks of trees, and males and females share the nest during mating season. They have also been known to make nests inside the attics of homes or inside of buildings. They usually move into these areas in the fall to keep warm during the winter. Once the babies are born, it takes about 10 weeks for them to leave the nest and be on their own. They take 5.5 months to become sexually active, but most females start breeding at 1.25 years of age.

Pregnancy Duration: 40-44 days

Baby carrying: 2-3 pups

Number of litters (per year): 1-2

This squirrel is one the smallest of all the tree squirrels that live here in Minnesota. Like the gray squirrel, its fur can also change color depending on the season. During the summer, a black stripe appears along the side of their bodies. In most cases, the squirrel’s fur is either brown or reddish-brown with creamy or white colored fur on the underside. Their tails are not as fluffy as their counterparts, but still serve the purpose to help with balancing and climbing. The tail is 4-5 inches long.

Length (without tail): 11-13 inches

Weight: 197-282 grams (0.4-0.6 lbs.)

Lifespan: Avg. 3-5 years (can live up to 10 years)

American red squirrels remain active throughout the day, but predominantly during the mornings and afternoons. They do not hibernate, but will stay sheltered for a few days during extremely cold days. Similar to the gray squirrel, they store seeds and nuts in the ground before winter, playing an important role in spreading and planting seeds in the forests. They live in all types of forests, both deciduous and coniferous. Like other rodents, squirrels must chew on wood to file down their constantly growing teeth; otherwise, the teeth can grow into their skulls and jaws. Red squirrels are mostly solitary, except when breeding, and are highly territorial, actively defending their nests and food. They have a very distinct chattering or screeching sound to warn off predators and alert other squirrels.

Habitat Range Map

Females will mate with multiple males during the mating season. Females will sometimes mate twice a year, once in late winter and again in the fall between August-September. During each season, female squirrels will only mate for one day with multiple males. They nest inside trees or build on branches from twigs, leaves, moss, and bark. They may even make their way inside the attics of homes, but this usually occurs in the fall or winter. Their litters are larger than the gray squirrel, resulting in many homeowners panicking when hearing activity inside their homes. The babies stay in the nest for 12 weeks and become sexually mature after one year.

Pregnancy duration: 33-35 days

Baby carrying: Avg. 2-5 pups (capable of 1-8)

Number of litters (per year): 1-2

The eastern chipmunk is a very common rodent to see in Minnesota. They have a total of 5 dark strips going along their back with lighter stripes alternating in between. Their tails are shorter than a squirrel at 3-4 inches in length. Chipmunks possess unique, elastic cheek pouches that allow them to store large amounts of seeds and nuts, making it easy to transport food back to their burrow.

Length (without tail): 5-6 inches

Weight: 66-150 grams

Lifespan: 2-8 years

Active during the day, chipmunks are most commonly seen outside their burrows during mid-morning and mid-afternoon. While they are decent climbers, they prefer to forage for food and nest on the ground. As many already know, they aren’t shy about sharing space in residential neighborhoods. However, in the wild, they are found in areas with oak trees, since acorns are their favorite food. Many believe that they hibernate in the winter, but they don’t store fat for winter so they need to wake up periodically to eat and find food. The state they are in during the winter is known as torpor or temporary hibernation. Known to be solitary for most of the year, these rodents are territorial, defending their burrows from other chipmunks except during mating season.

Habitat Range Map

Chipmunks, like squirrels, also have 2 breeding seasons: once in the early spring and again in the early to mid-summer. The female stays inside her burrow as the males leave in search of a female to mate with. The babies are born inside the female’s burrow. After 1.5-2 months, the female either leaves her babies to find a new burrow or blocks her babies from entering back into hers. This allows them to disperse at 2 months old. The pups become sexually mature at 10 months old.

Pregnancy Duration: 35 days

Baby Carrying: 2-5 pups

Number of litters (per year): 1-2

They have many names such as land beaver, marmot, and many more. They have thick, double-layered, waterproof fur. The fur is brownish-red with white-tipped hairs. Like other rodents, their teeth grow continuously and must be filed down, or they will become overgrown. As notorious diggers like their relative the chipmunk, they have hairy ears that block out dirt from entering inside. They also have a long tail to help them with climbing and swimming. The tail is a brownish-gray color and measures around 4-7 inches long.

Length (without tail): 16-20 inches

Weight: 2-4 kg (4.5-9 lbs.)

Lifespan: 3-10 years

These rodents can be found all across Minnesota, including residential areas. They can quickly devour an entire garden in a short amount of time. They are primarily herbivores, eating mostly grasses and other vegetation, but they will occasionally eat insects and even baby birds. They are solitary animals in the wild and build underground burrows during the summer and winter months. As true hibernators, they begin hibernating in October regardless of the outside temperature. They usually wake between March and April.

Habitat Range Map

They mate between March to late April. Male groundhogs are the first to emerge from hibernation, leaving their burrows to seek out females for mating. Once they find a female, they both live in the burrow while the female is pregnant. The male leaves the female as soon as the pups are born, usually after a month. It is very common to see the females outside of the burrow while the pups are inside. If you were to relocate a woodchuck, springtime would be the best time to do so. The pups leave the nest after 2 months and become sexually mature after 1 year.

Pregnancy duration: 31-32

Baby carrying: 2-6 pups

Number of litters (per year): 1

This gopher has brown and black colored fur. The fur in the underbelly is a lighter brown or tan in coloration. They have small eyes and ears and large front claws that are perfect for digging. Their tail is mostly naked and measures around 2-4.3 inches. A unique feature that only gophers have is their external cheek pouches. The pouches can be turned inside out so they can be cleaned or groomed. They use these cheeks to carry large amounts of food. The cheeks can spread up to 2.8 inches wide and have a forward opening.

Length (without tail): 8.3-13.8 inches

Weight: 300-450 grams (0.6-1.0 lbs.)

Lifespan: 1-5 years

Gophers prefer, and thrive in, deep sandy and silty soil known as friable soil. In the wild, they are found in prairies, agricultural land, and urban areas building tunnels and eating plant roots, grasses, and tubers; however, soil quality is more important to their habitat selection than the available vegetation. They are commonly active during two different times of the day – in the afternoon from 1:00-5:00pm and at night from 10:00-6:00 am. They spend a little over 70% of their life inside of their burrows, only coming out to find food and to mate. Most of the digging occurs in the fall and spring, but they are active all year round and do not hibernate. Most gophers live alone in their burrows, except when breeding or females are carrying their young.

Habitat Range Map

The breeding season in Minnesota typically runs from April to May. It is common for there to be 3-4 times as many females as males in an area, and for this reason, it is common for males to mate with multiple females in one breeding season. In early spring, the males will search for a female and enter inside her burrow to mate. Once the young are born, they remain in the burrow for 2 months and become sexually active after 1 year.

Pregnancy duration: 50 days

Baby carrying: 1-3 pups

Number of litters (per year): 1

Muskrats have dense, brown fur that traps air inside to help with buoyancy and insulation. They have a long, black, furless tail (9.5 inches) that is used as a rudder to help them navigate when swimming. Their short legs and large, webbed back feet help them swim.

Length (without tail): 12-12.5 inches

Weight: 680-1800 grams (1.5-4lbs)

Lifespan: 3-4 years

Muskrats are excellent swimmers and spend all their time in or around water. They are active all day, primarily during the mid-afternoon before dusk. Their habitat consists of bogs, wetlands, lakes, rivers, and swamps. They are social animals and live together in family groups. Unlike otters, muskrats are herbivores that only eat plants such as cattails, sedges, water lilies, and other water plants. They do not hibernate, but are known to remain inside their nests during extremely cold days eating stored-up food.

Habitat Range Map

Their mating season lasts between March and August, during which both males and females have multiple partners. Males are especially aggressive during the mating season as they need to compete for mating rights. Females give birth inside their dens, where the babies stay for 2-3 weeks. After leaving the den, they become sexually active after 1 year.

Pregnancy duration: 3-4 weeks

Baby carrying: 5-10 kits

Number of litters (per year): 1-3

Learn About Our Vole and Mole Services

Are you interested in keeping mice out of your home?

If you have any questions, concerns or want to schedule an appointment 

Call Us Today! 952-404-BOGO (2646)

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