Black-eared Red-backed Vole vs Common Eastern Wildrye

Eothenomys olitor compared with Elymus virginicus

Key Differences

• Black-eared Red-backed Vole is Least Concern while Common Eastern Wildrye is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-eared Red-backed Vole	Common Eastern Wildrye
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Liliopsida (Monocots)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Poales (Grasses)
Family	Cricetidae	Poaceae (Grass Family)
Genus	Eothenomys	Elymus
Species	Eothenomys olitor	Elymus virginicus

Conservation Status

Black-eared Red-backed Vole

LC — Least Concern

Common Eastern Wildrye

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-eared Red-backed Vole	Common Eastern Wildrye
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-eared Red-backed Vole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Common Eastern Wildrye

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Sweden, and United States.

Black-eared Red-backed Vole

The Black-eared Red-backed Vole (Eothenomys olitor) is a species in the genus Eothenomys. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Common Eastern Wildrye

<em>Elymus virginicus</em>, the common eastern wildrye, is a native North American grass in the family Poaceae, currently not evaluated by the IUCN Red List. The species is documented in Denmark, Sweden, and the United States, and typically inhabits grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated lands across its range in eastern and central North America. It is a cool-season, perennial bunchgrass that typically grows in moist to mesic habitats including riverbanks, floodplain woodlands, forest understories, and moist prairies. <em>Elymus virginicus</em> is recognized by its distinctive nodding seed heads with stiff, curved awns and is among the most widely distributed wild rye grasses in North America. The species provides important ecosystem services as a native ground cover, stabilizing streambanks and riparian soils against erosion, and offering habitat and food resources for grassland birds, small mammals, and invertebrates. Common eastern wildrye is also valued in ecological restoration projects for its adaptability to a range of soil conditions and its ability to establish quickly in disturbed habitats. As a forage grass, it is moderately palatable to livestock and wildlife. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.