This vole occurs across northern Eurasia. It has a reddish-brown back and gray sides; in northern Europe it is common in conifer forest and also lives in scrub and meadows.
The back is reddish brown, while the flanks and cheeks are lead gray. The belly ranges from lead gray to grayish white, and the tail has a small tuft of hair at its tip.
In northern Europe, it is most widespread in taiga conifer forest. It can also live in other forests, scrub, and meadows, and favors woods with dense ground vegetation such as bilberry and heather.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.