Long-tailed Vole

The long-tailed vole (Microtus longicaudus), in some areas known as the San Bernardino long-tailed vole, is a small vole found in western North America. They have short ears and a long tail. Their fur is gray brown with light gray underparts. They are around 18 cm (7.1 in) long with an 8 cm (3.1 in) tail and weigh about 50 g (1.8 oz). == Taxonomy == The scientific name of the long-tailed vole is Microtus longicaudus. The generic name, Microtus, derives from the Greek words μικρός meaning "small" + οὖς "ear". In Latin, the species name longicaudus derives from longus meaning "long" and cauda meaning "tail". The type specimen was a female collected by Vernon Orlando Bailey in the Black Hills at an altitude around 5,500 ft (1,700 m) near Custer, South Dakota, on July 19, 1887. The description was published by C. Hart Merriam in The American Naturalist the following year. The original scientific name was Arvicola longicaudus. Certain features of the molars were noted, which distinguished the long-tailed vole from other voles known at the time. The species was formerly sometimes regarded as a member of the Old World genus Chionomys. The Coronation Island vole, once considered to…