Lusitanian Pine Vole

Open encyclopedia reference

The Lusitanian pine vole (Microtus lusitanicus) is a species of burrowing rodent in the family Cricetidae, endemic to the northwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula, including northern and central Portugal, northwest Spain, and extending into the French Pyrenees. Its range spans from sea level to elevations of around 2,000 metres in regions characterized by cool climates, mountainous terrains, and fertile, easily excavated soils. This monogamous species occupies relatively large home ranges averaging 950 square metres, shows intra-sexual territoriality, and is active throughout both day and night in short bursts interspersed with rest periods. The vole breeds year-round with slightly reduced activity during winter, producing small litters of one to four offspring. Common in agricultural landscapes with significant habitat diversity, particularly traditional Mediterranean agriculture with small fields and abundant hedgerows, the Lusitanian pine vole is considered an agricultural pest in orchard areas where population densities typically range from 100 to 200 individuals per hectare, though no significant threats currently endanger the species as a whole.

Wikipedia contributors, Lusitanian pine vole; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T08:41:03.044743+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.

Identity & source status

Scientific name

Microtus (Terricola) lusitanicus (Gerbe, 1879)

Name authority

(Gerbe, 1879)

Common name

Lusitanian Pine Vole

Rank

species

Accepted status

accepted

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Rodentia

Family

Cricetidae

Genus

Microtus

Extinction status

Recorded extant

Classification family tree

Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.

1. domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
2. kingdomAnimalia
3. phylumChordata
4. subphylumVertebrata
5. infraphylumGnathostomata
6. parvphylumOsteichthyes
7. megaclassTetrapoda
8. classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
9. subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
10. infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
11. orderRodentia Bowdich, 1821
12. suborderMyomorpha Brandt, 1855
13. superfamilyMuroidea Illiger, 1811
14. familyCricetidae Fischer, 1817
15. subfamilyArvicolinae Gray, 1821
16. genusMicrotus Schrank, 1798
17. subgenusTerricola Fatio, 1867
18. speciesMicrotus (Terricola) lusitanicus (Gerbe, 1879)

Close classified relatives

These entries share the source’s genus, Microtus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.

Browse 593 records assigned to Cricetidae.

Names & synonyms

Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.

Documented distribution

Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.

Source literature & publication evidence

References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.

1. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=632875 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references

Origins, evidence & remaining research

Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.

Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.

Dataset citation & attribution

This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11

Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.

Stable key: col:439BC. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.