This small vole occurs in northern Europe, Asia, and North America. Its back has a rusty-red cast, and it stores plant and fungal foods in nests for use during winter.
The fur is light gray, with a rusty to reddish back. The densely haired tail is dark gray above and yellowish underneath.
It lives in tundra, taiga, and shrub forests. In summer it eats plants and fungi, then relies heavily on food stored in its nest during winter.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.