We're Caught In A Trap

As the Elvis song goes "We're caught in a trap.." this poor little meadow vole (microtus pennsylvanicus) came in from the cold for a peanut buttery snack, his last meal. Often confused with house mice (mus musculus,) voles don't have the long hairless tail, theirs is short and furry. They also don't usually live indoors.

The meadow vole is found in moist open areas, making runways through the surface growth in warm weather and tunnels through the snow in winter. It feeds on grasses and seeds, sometimes eating snails and insects. Predators include owls, snakes and various carnivorous mammals (myself not included!)

Voles usually live less than a year, but make hay while the sun shines, having up to 6 litters of 4 - 7 pups every year.

We have also caught mice in the past, and continue to keep traps set in the basement, and attic.

The Elvis song I quoted is "Suspicious Minds," which is what we should have had about the Bush invasion of Iraq, and now, more than ever, the plan to move into Iran. Despite the latest Intelligence Assessment that Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions stopped several years ago, the neo-cons are just champing at the bit to expand our invasion in the Middle East.