There is a billboard near my house offering pest control for moles, gophers, and voles. But what the heck is a vole? Turns out Little Bunny Foo Foo knows all about them. That’s because voles are often referred to as “field mice.”

They are a small rodent, resembling a mouse (not so much a rat deer), but with a stouter body, a shorter hairy tail, a slightly rounder head, and smaller ears and eyes. They are cousins to lemmings and muskrats.

They are usually 3-7 inches long; females are usually bigger. They eat mostly seeds and such, but some species will die if they don’t eat Douglas Fir needles for too long. Many species are monogamous. They are also short lived. Average life span is 3-6 months with the record being only 18 months. Due to this short lifespan, and their complex DNA structure, they appear to be evolving more rapidly then other species. For this reason, archaeologist can use a “vole clock,” a detailed record of the evolution of the vole, to determine age of archaeological sites.

So, Little Bunny Foo Foo. Don’t bop them on the head. We need them for science!

Source: above-mentioned billboard and wiki.