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 Florida Salt Marsh Vole - The Florida salt marsh vole is an extremely rare subspecies of the meadow vole. Its dependance on a specialised habitat dominated by seashore salt grass has led to the Florida salt marsh vole becoming an endangered species.
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There have only been a few pictures Florida marsh vole ever taken because it is so endangered. The Florida salt marsh vole is closely related to the commonly found meadow vole but is much more rare.
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Pictures Florida Marsh Vole
Like all voles, the Florida salt marsh vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus dukecampbelli) is a small rodent with short ears and a short tail. Pictures Florida marsh vole show that it has black-brown coloured fur on its back and dark grey fur around its abdomen. It is sometimes mistaken for the more common meadow vole, and when you compare pictures of meadow voles with pictures Florida marsh voles it is hard to tell them apart. The only differences being meadow voles are usually a little smaller and have slightly lighter coloured fur.
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The endangered Florida salt marsh vole
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These similarities in appearance are due to the Florida salt marsh vole being a subspecies of the meadow vole. While they maybe closely related the plights of the meadow vole and Florida salt marsh vole could not be more different. The meadow vole is amongst the most common species of vole in the world and can be found in large numbers across North America. In fact its populations are so great in some areas that it is considered a pest by farmers and gardeners and is often poisoned and trapped.
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The Florida salt marsh vole is closely related to the meadow vole
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This is in stark contrast to the Florida salt marsh vole which is so rare that it has been federally-listed as an endangered species and very few pictures Florida marsh voles exist. The main reason for the difference in population numbers between the two species is their choice of habitat. Whilst the meadow vole can be found in a wide range of grassland habitats the Florida salt marsh vole is only found in a specific type of salt marsh dominated by seashore salt grass.
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 Vole Picture - A number of different vole pictures showing various species of vole, including Meadow Voles, Field Voles, Bank Voles, Heather Voles and Prairie Voles.
The most relevant links we could find, placed here free
 US Fish & Wildlife Service
- This press release has details of the discovery of three Florida salt marsh voles in spring 2004 and includes 2 pictures Florida marsh voles. www.fws.gov
Purdue University
- This page has some pictures of meadow voles which are closely related to Florida salt marsh voles. Archived page link. web.archive.org
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The Florida salt marsh vole
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These specialised conditions are not common and it is this scarcity of its preferred habitat that has led to the Florida salt marsh vole's numbers becoming alarmingly low. In fact until recently the Florida salt marsh vole was only known to exist in low numbers in one place in Florida.
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Florida salt marsh habitat
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Then in April 2004 three Florida salt marsh voles were discovered in Florida's Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge and a few pictures Florida marsh vole were taken. This discovery of a new and separate population of Florida salt marsh vole has raised hopes that, if properly managed, this species can be brought back from the brink of extinction.
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One of 3 Florida salt marsh voles discovered in 2004
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Site written by Richard Wedge