Brown Rat vs California vole

Rattus norvegicus compared with Microtus californicus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Brown Rat	California vole
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order same	Rodentia (Rodents)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Muridae (Mice & Rats)	Cricetidae
Genus	Rattus	Microtus
Species	Rattus norvegicus	Microtus californicus

Evolutionary Relationship

Brown Rat and California vole share a common ancestor at the Order level: Rodentia. (Rodents)

Conservation Status

Brown Rat

LC — Least Concern

California vole

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Brown Rat	California vole
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Brown Rat

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 10 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (11 countries), Asia (15 countries), Europe (41 countries), North America (16 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (10 countries), and South America (10 countries).

California vole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Brown Rat

Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

California vole

The California vole (Microtus californicus) is a species in the genus Microtus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.