Scientific name:
Clethrionomys glareolus

Natural spread:
Europe

the Rötelmaus or forest-vole is a quite frequent native vole, that particularly at forest-edges and in forest-approaches sterns and hedges to find is. it likes to populate also wet alder-breaks how it prefers at all moist and shady biotopes. its occurrence always therefore is at ground-covering grew over or bound at a thick foliage-layer at least, however, under which the earth remains fresh. it avoids the open and searched high-forest. Also pure needle-forest doesn't promise it with us; in Scandinavia however, it is frequent in needle-forest-continuances.

Shape and color In the size (head-torso-length 9-11 cm), the Rötelmaus of the field-mouse and the Erdmaus equal. From these two voles, however, it differs in the longer, half-body-long tail and the bigger ears. However, characteristic characteristic is it fox - until brown-red ("rötelrote") blankets, that turn it into the showiest native vole. The whitish one until gray underside has a weakly rust-colored touch. The back-color, that becomes shining evident in the summer, can be dark and less showy locally, particularly in higher situations.

Way of life In the way of life, the Rötelmaus reminds sooner at a real mouse than at a vole. it digs far less than its relatives and only puts relatively flattens, d. h. densely under the surface lying walk-systems, that it equips with numerous openings, at. This from grass, foliage and moss dressed nest frequently is found also outside the ground under stones, in stubs or even in inferior height in the dense undergrowth. For a vole, the Rötelmaus can climb extraordinarily well. it is predominantly at night, but also day active.

Nutrition As food, a very versatile offer serves more vegetable also like animal "delicacy": In the spring, it consumes seedlings, grass and herbs predominantly. In the summer and in the autumn, the food is supplemented through mosses, fungi, fruits and seeds. In hard winters, the Rötelmaus, very much to the forest-man's annoyance, also larger quantities bark, eats. it looks for the whole year beside it over after insects, worms, spiders u. ä. For the winter, it collects acorns and other seeds, that are covered carefully with foliage.

Reproduction The reproduction finds from the spring until the autumn, under very favorable weather-conditions as an exception also in the winter instead of. After 18-21 days of Tragzeit, the females toss 3-7 (usually 4) young, that open the eyes with 12 days and are sexually mature after approximately 9 weeks. Rötelmäuse become approximately 11/2 years old.

Harmfulness Through the wintry escape of lumber (beech, maple and before all larch), until in several meters height, Rötelmäuse can turn into bad forest-pests occasionally. Since they eat seedling-plants with preference, they become damaging also in Saatanpflanzungen and can impair the nature-rejuvenation of a forest to high extent. To its "relief", however, it is said that damage can really be created only there where the Rötelmaus appears in larger number. That rarely is the case, because it serves even a large flock of mouse-hunters as food.