European snow vole
species of mammal
The European snow vole or snow vole (Chionomys nivalis) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It has dense, pale grey fur and a pale-coloured tail and can reach about 14 cm (5.5 in) long, with a tail which is 7 cm (2.8 in) long.
The European snow vole is native to mountainous parts of southern and eastern Europe and southwestern Asia. It is found in the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Apennine Mountains, the Carpathian Mountains, the Montesinho mountains, the higher regions of the Balkans and Asia Minor. Its habitat is rocky areas and screes, mostly above the tree line. It is mainly a solitary animal and lives under boulders and in crevices and tunnels among rocks and scree.
Taxonomy
The European snow vole was first described by Charles Frédéric Martins in 1842 as Arvicola nivalis. Gromov and Polyakov erected the genus Chionomys in 1972 and the name Chionomys nivalis is now accepted, although the exact affinities of the species are not fully established. Fossil evidence suggests that Chionomys nivalis had evolved in Europe by the late Pleistocene and that the other two members of the genus, Robert's snow vole (Chionomys roberti) and the Caucasian snow vole (Chionomys gud), evolved in the Caucasus and Near East regions with Robert's snow vole splitting off from the ancestral line by the middle Pleistocene. All members of the genus have a distribution in the south-western palearctic and are restricted to a broad band of territory about 5,500 kilometres (3,400 mi) long and 2,500 kilometres (1,600 mi) wide.
The public source identifies “European snow vole” as species of mammal. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around European, snow and vole.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “European snow vole”, the useful work is to connect “species of mammal” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jan 26, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q282660. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1842 and 1972.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “European snow vole”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow European snow vole primary sources, European snow vole archive and European research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “European snow vole”?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “European snow vole” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.