The southern red-backed vole or Gapper's red-backed vole (Clethrionomys gapperi) is a small slender vole found in Canada and the northern United States. It is closely related to the western red-backed vole (Clethrionomys californius), which lives to the south and west of its range and which is less red with a less sharply bicolored tail.
Description
thumb|left|Top view, [[Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park, Ontario|218x218px]]
These voles have short slender bodies with a reddish band along the back and a short tail. The sides of the body and head are grey and the underparts are paler. There is a grey color morph in the northeast part of their range. They are long with a 4 cm tail and weigh about 6–42 g; average 20.6 g (0.21–1.48 oz; average 0.72 oz).
Habitat
These animals are found in coniferous, deciduous, and mixed forests, often near wetlands. They tend to follow paths they have established, runways through the surface growth in warm weather and tunnels through the snow in winter. They are omnivorous, feeding on green plants, underground fungi, seeds, nuts, and roots, as well as insects, snails, and berries.
Interspecific Competition
Southern red-backed voles are territorial towards their own species and other species that they compete with for resources.
Predators
Predators include hawks, owls, mustelids, timber rattlesnakes, bobcats, and weasels. They are also preyed on by Canidae such as foxes and coyotes. By the age of 3 months old, the young are able to contribute to reproduction.