Michael Durham Photography

Mom and young red tree vole

A red tre vole (Arborimus longicaudus) mom and her 30 day old offspring. Red tree voles are nocturnal and live in Douglas fir tree-tops and almost never come to the forest floor. They are one of the few animals that can persist on a diet of conifer needles which is their principle food. As a defense mechanism, conifer trees have resin ducts in their needles that contain chemical compounds (terpenoids) that make them unpalatable to animals. Tree voles, however, are able to strip away these resin ducts and eat the remaining portion of the conifer needle.

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Filename: 22514rv-234.jpg
Image Size: 3933x5900 / 6.2MB; www.DurmPhoto.com; Arborimus longicaudus mom mother offspring red tree vole rodent tree vole vole young vole
Contained in galleries: Rarely Seen - The Red Tree Vole

A red tre vole (Arborimus longicaudus) mom and her 30 day old offspring. Red tree voles are nocturnal and live in Douglas fir tree-tops and almost never come to the forest floor. They are one of the few animals that can persist on a diet of conifer needles which is their principle food. As a defense mechanism, conifer trees have resin ducts in their needles that contain chemical compounds (terpenoids) that make them unpalatable to animals. Tree voles, however, are able to strip away these resin ducts and eat the remaining portion of the conifer needle.