Prairie voles are best known outside the field of ecology for an odd claim to fame: they’re one of the few mammal species that form lasting pair bonds, a trait that’s made them a go-to species in neuroscience research on attachment and monogamy. In the wild they live in loose colonies beneath a thatch of grass, cutting runways through the cover rather than digging deep burrows.
North Dakota’s record for the species is thin and old. Of 32 total occurrences, only one comes from iNaturalist, and the most recent confirmed sighting on file dates back to 2018, longer ago than for most other rodents in this set. Little Missouri National Grassland is the one named location tied to a record here, fitting habitat for a grass-dwelling vole in badlands country. What data exists points to a June through September activity window, though with a record base this small that’s a rough read at best.
Full species profile
