Meadow voles.

Here are some cue pics of the meadow voles.

A little perspective on size! They are very tiny and I used a 3 1/2 feeding tube cut off at the end to feed them....

They were already munching solids and easily lapped the formula from the syringe.

Like squirrels they go into that gaping feeding trance sometimes.

With that being said....I'm very bummed to report none of the little guys made it. With the exception of a couple that were failing to thrive, they were growing like weeds and the last 2 that were so healthy and active were perfectly normal for their morning feeding, then I found them dead at the next feeding. I know that with tiny rodents like this most don't even survive with their mothers (which is why they have so many...to make sure a couple make it to propagate the species), much less in the rehab setting.....but it doesn't make me feel any better about it after being charmed by these cuties!

6 tiny meadow voles!

A woman at a horse barn brought Laurie 6 tiny (REALLY TINY) orphans. The nest was under a horse water bucket and the horse knocked it over, squishing a mom but sparing her tiny charges. Laurie has tons of squirrels so I took over the little things. We didn't know what the heck we had here! But after some research online I have discovered they are meadow voles.

As you can see they are sooooo tiny! A whopping 5 grams! I had to rig a nipple for them by cutting a 3 1/2 feeding tube. It's not easy feeding them with my fat fingers! LOL

Well it worked like a charm!! It didn't take long for their eyes to open and at the tender age of 2-3 weeks they are already starting to eat on their own! I put a lid down with a rodent chow/formula gruel for them and they came running! Thank god....that's going to make feeding time a whole lot easier!

They are the cutest little things and they grow so quickly it won't be long before they are released....probably only a couple more weeks! Talk about a whirl wind rehab!