Montane water vole: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the montane water vole lives – recorded in 3 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Arvicola scherman
Group	Mice, rats & other rodents
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	3 countries
Continents	Europe
Class	Mammal
Order	Rodentia
Family	Cricetidae

Where does the montane water vole live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the montane water vole in 3 countries and territories across Europe.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the montane water vole endangered?

The montane water vole’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the montane water vole?

The montane water vole (Arvicola scherman) is a mammal in the order Rodentia and the family Cricetidae, genus Arvicola. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the montane water vole

The montane water vole (Arvicola scherman) is a fossorial species of vole found throughout Central and Western Europe, northern Spain, and central Romania, particularly in high-altitude mountain regions such as the Alps, Pyrenees, and Carpathians. Arvicola scherman was initially regarded as a subspecies of Arvicola terrestris but was later redesignated as a species by Panteleyev in 2000. Unlike its close relative, the European water vole (Arvicola amphibius), which is semi-aquatic, the montane water vole has adapted to a burrowing lifestyle in mountainous environments. Genetic and fossil evidence suggest that the Arvicola species originated during the Pleistocene epoch, with the montane water vole diverging due to habitat specialization and geographic isolation. While the American Society of Mammalogists treats A. scherman as a synonym of Arvicola amphibius, genetic studies indicate distinct differences between the two species.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Montane water vole (revision 1368885164), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q1769958 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).