About Chionomys nivalis (Martins, 1842)
The European snow vole, Chionomys nivalis, has soft, long, dense fur that is pale grey with a brown tinge. It has a rounded nose, black beady eyes, long whitish whiskers, and moderately large ears. Its comparatively long, whitish tail is covered in short, sparse hairs. Adult head and body length ranges from 4.25 to 5.5 inches (108 to 140 mm), tail length ranges from 2 to 3 inches (51 to 76 mm), and adult weight ranges from 1 to 2 ounces (28 to 57 g). This species vocalizes with squeaks, and its teeth can sometimes be heard chattering. The European snow vole is native to mountain ranges in southern Europe, including the Pyrenees, Apennines, Alps, Carpathians, Balkan Mountains, Mount Olympus, Pindus Range, and Montesinho mountains. In Asia, it is native to mountainous parts of the Caucasus, Lebanon, Syria, western and northern Iran, and southern Turkmenistan. It is only found on one Mediterranean island: Euboea, off the coast of Greece. It mostly lives above the tree line among rocks and scree, in alpine meadows, on boulder-covered slopes, in rock crevices, and in areas with dwarf mountain pines (Pinus mugo), alpine rose (Rhododendron ferrugineum), and scrubby vegetation. In France, it occurs at lower elevations in some karst regions, including near Glun in the Ardèche department and near Nîmes. This vole is a recognized glacial relict species; after the most recent glaciation retreated, its suitable habitat became fragmented. It is restricted to petricolic soils, and occurs at lower altitudes wherever these soils are present. Its occurrence at a given site depends on the suitability of the microhabitat, rather than suitable temperature conditions. It is most often found at medium to high altitudes because there is less competition from other animals like grasshoppers, alpine marmots (Marmota marmota), ibex (Capra spp.), and chamois (Rupicapra spp.). When suitable petricolic soils are found in forests, the species is rarely abundant, because it faces competition from other mammals including the edible dormouse (Glis glis) and the garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus). Research has confirmed that the European snow vole is a rock-dwelling specialist. The study found that reproductive females and juveniles preferentially use the central parts of scree areas, especially locations near scree junipers (Juniperus communis). By contrast, males and non-reproductive females are less selective, and occupy rocky habitat in proportion to how much of this habitat is available.
