Natural History of the Prairie Vole (Mammalian Genus Microtus) [KU. Vol. 1 No. 7]

Natural History of the Prairie Vole (Mammalian Genus Microtus) by E. W. Jameson delivers a compact, authoritative portrait of Microtus ochrogaster grounded in careful field work and classic mid-20th-century natural history. Jameson measures and describes morphology, molts, and the semifossorial habits of prairie voles found near Lawrence, Kansas, while documenting their tunnel systems, nests, food caches, and preferred plant cover. Detailed sections cover diet, habitat types, associates, and an expansive treatment of external parasites—from fleas and lice to mites and ticks—alongside reproduction, age classes, fecundity, litter size, and the seasonal rhythm of breeding. The tone is observational and scientific, reflecting the 1947 university study’s methodical approach that has informed later mammalogy and prairie ecology research. As both a primary-source ecological account and a concise species monograph, it situates the prairie vole within grassland ecosystems and offers baseline data valuable to historians of science and contemporary researchers. Ideal for naturalists, ecologists, mammalogy students, and anyone curious about rodent behavior and prairie conservation, this audiobook brings an essential piece of natural history to life for listeners seeking rigorous, readable science.