Arvicolinae+Block+1

**__​__** Arvicolinae

The subfamily Arvicolinae consists of small rodents with cylindrical, thick bodies. They usually have short legs, and stubby tails. Their eyes and ears are small and barely noticable, with a broad, rounded head. This subfamily consists of lemming, voles, and muskrat. They are easily identified by their molar teeth, which are triangular and ever growing. The teeth of the Arvicolinae are adapted to live up to a herbivorous lifestyle.
 * __Characteristics of the subfamily Arvicolinae__**

Domain**: Eukaryote
 * __Classification breakdown__
 * Kingdom**: Animal
 * Phylum**: Chordata
 * Class**: Mammal
 * Order**: Rodentia
 * Suborder**: Sciurognathi
 * Family**: Muridae
 * Subfamily**: Arvicolinae

Most lemming are between 13-14 cm when full grown. They live in grassy meadows, coniferous forsts, bogs, and tundra. The lemming is adapted to be an herbivore, meaning it mainly eats green plants such as grass. They are identified with many different characteristics, some of which include, a large head to body ratio, Reddish brown hair on the top of their body, and gray to silver hair under the belly. The ears are rounded and barely visible, with a very short tail. Since their body is so small it helps them conserve heat for winter with the help of their thick coat. The lemming track's can be identified by it's hind paw that is about 2 cm long with 5 toes. The forepaw is slightly smaller with only four toes. Individual tracks are usually unidentifiable and create a single track/groove. Lemming don't actually jump off cliffs to commit suicide, it's just a myth. The average lemming can live from 1 to 3 years until they die. Southern Bog Lemming ||
 * __Lemming__**
 * Lemming's Track || [[image:http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Portals/9/wildlife/images/tracks/S_BogLemmingPrint.gif width="85" height="95"]] ||
 * Lemming || Northern Bog Lemming

On average voles are about 9-18 cm in length depending on the type. They live in coniferous forests, spruce bogs, swamps, wetlands, and prairies. The diet of the vole consists of seeds, conifer needles, bark, and various types of green vegetation. A vole is a mouse-like rodent similar in appearance to a pocket gopher. They have a stout heavy body, short legs, short furred tail, small eyes, partially visible ears. The average life span of a vole is about 1-2 years.
 * __Voles__**


 * Vole's Track || [[image:http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:uL8kMek2kd3lZM:http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Portals/9/wildlife/images/tracks/MeadowVolePrint.gif width="112" height="80"]] ||
 * Southern Red-Backed Vole || [[image:http://www.globalforestscience.org/research/photo_gallery/Subalpine_Ecosystems/red_backed_vole.jpg width="136" height="110"]] ||
 * Prairie Vole || [[image:http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2008/01/080128165720.jpg width="138" height="133"]] ||
 * Meadow Vole || [[image:http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/resources/phil_myers/classic/microtus2.jpg/medium.jpg width="140" height="128"]] ||

The muskrat is around 18-24 inches in length total, including the tail which is ussually 8-10 inches. They are found around marshes, quiet streams, and ponds. The primary diet of a muskrat consists of mainly aquatic plants such as cattails, arrowheads, and duckweeds. Occasionally they also will eat crayfish, snails, mussels, frogs, insects, and slow moving fish. The muskrat is a large, stout semi-aquatic rodent. The head is broad and blunt with short ears that are barely visible. The coat of a muskrat is ussually grayish brown. The tail is flattened, long and hairless. The lips of the muskrat are adapted for its underwater life style, its lips work as valves, closing behind the incisors, making it possible for eating underwater. The average life span of a muskrat is 3-4 years.
 * __Muskrats__**
 * Muskrat's Track || [[image:http://www.decalsandstickers.co.uk/catalog/images/muskrat_tracks.jpg width="148" height="120"]] ||
 * Muskrat || [[image:http://blogs.evergreen.edu/coleman/files/2009/02/muskrat_.jpg width="185" height="158"]] ||

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