arboreal red tree vole

The arboreal red tree vole (Arborimus longicaudus) is a species of rodent found in the humid coastal old-growth forests of northern California and Oregon. Unlike most voles, which are terrestrial, tree voles live and nest in the tops of trees such as Douglas fir, grand fir, and Sitka spruce. Their diet consists of the outer parts of conifer needles, particularly Douglas fir.1

Voles, in general, are small, mouselike rodents of the Northern Hemisphere, classified in the subfamily Arvicolinae. They typically have a blunt muzzle, a tail shorter than their body, and small eyes and ears. Voles inhabit a wide range of environments, from sea level to high mountains, including prairies, steppes, semideserts, meadows, tundra, and various types of forests.1