Eurasian red squirrel vs field vole

Sciurus vulgaris compared with Microtus agrestis

Key Differences

• Eurasian red squirrel is Least Concern while field vole is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian red squirrel	field 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	Sciuridae (Squirrels)	Cricetidae
Genus	Sciurus (Tree Squirrels)	Microtus
Species	Sciurus vulgaris	Microtus agrestis

Evolutionary Relationship

Eurasian red squirrel and field vole share a common ancestor at the Order level: Rodentia. (Rodents)

Conservation Status

Eurasian red squirrel

LC — Least Concern

field vole

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian red squirrel	field vole
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Eurasian red squirrel

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Asia (Georgia) and Europe (5 countries).

field vole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Russia, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Eurasian red squirrel

Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) 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.

field vole

field vole (Microtus agrestis) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden