The southern red-backed vole is 5-6 inches (12.7-15.2 cm) in length. It is grayish-brown with a rusty red stripe running from its head to its tail. It has a yellowish-brown face and sides. Its underside is white to gray.
It has a short tail, short ears, and a pointed nose. Its fur is long and thick in the winter and short in the summer.
The southern red-backed vole lives in coniferous or mixed forests, bogs, and swamps. It usually makes its nest under tree roots, logs, or brush piles.
The southern red-backed vole eats plant parts in the spring. In the summer, fruits and berries are added to its diet. In the fall, it eats nuts and seeds. It also eats fungi, roots, and some insects.
It stores food for later use. In the winter, it eats stored food and forages for tree roots, seeds, and bark.
The southern red-backed vole has a life expectancy of 10-20 months, so its breeding cycle is quick. The breeding season runs from March through October. The gestation period is 17-19 days. The female gives birth to 2-8 young. She has 2-3 litters a year.
The young are weaned when they are 17-21 days old. They are ready to mate when they are three months old.
The southern red-backed vole is active day and night. Instead of running to get from place to place, it usually hops. It is also a good jumper and climber.
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The southern red-backed vole is found throughout New Hampshire.
The southern red-backed vole is found from British Columbia east to Newfoundland in Canada and in the northern United States from the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachian Mountains.
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