First Record of the Southern Red-Backed Vole, Clethrionomys gapperi, in Newfoundland: Implications for the Endangered Newfoundland Marten, Martes americana atrata

• Published in: The Canadian Field-Naturalist
• Main Authors: Hearn, Brian J., Neville, John T., Curran, William J., Snow, Dean P.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club 2006
• Subjects: Southern Red-backed Vole; Clethrionomys gapperi; Marten; Martes americana atra; introduced species; Newfoundland; Martes americana
• Online Access: https://www.canadianfieldnaturalist.ca/index.php/cfn/article/view/245; https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v120i1.245

We report on the first capture of the Southern Red-backed Vole (Clethrionomys gapperi), the eleventh non-native terrestrial mammal established on the island of Newfoundland over the last 150 years. Red-backed Voles may have been accidentally introduced by unknown sources in pulpwood imports or may have been deliberately introduced in an attempt to augment the depauperate small mammal fauna as a vigilante recovery effort for the endangered Newfoundland Marten (Martes americana atrata). We anticipate significant utilization of the Red-backed Vole as prey by both Newfoundland Marten and Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) with associated demographic responses within and between these species. Red-backed Voles will likely change habitat utilization patterns for the endemic subspecies of Meadow Vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus terraenovae.