Which rodent weighs only 1 to 2 ounces, is brown or grey, has small eyes and nearly hidden ears, eats grass, and creates surface runs?

• A. Voles
• B. Norway Rat
• C. Meadow Jumping Mouse
• D. Eastern Gray Squirrel

Answer: (A)

This item tests recognizing a small, turf-dwelling rodent by size, facial features, diet, and the signs it leaves on the lawn. The description fits voles: they are tiny, about 1 to 2 ounces, with brown or grey fur and eyes and ears that are small and often not easily seen. They feed on grasses and typically leave surface runs or runways across the top of the turf rather than creating deep, easily visible burrows.

The other rodents don’t match as well. A Norway rat is much larger and has more obvious ears and a bulkier body. A meadow jumping mouse is lighter and more slender with prominent hind legs and a longer tail, and it’s known for jumping behavior rather than the common grass-runways of voles. An Eastern gray squirrel is a much larger, tree-dwelling rodent.

So the combination of very small size, grey/brown fur, tiny hidden ears, grass-based diet, and surface runs points to voles.