Voles are small mammals that tend to have large heads, compact bodies, and short noses. Microtus means “small ear” and the voles of this genus have short ears that barely protrude from the fur surrounding them. The meadow vole is a typical representative of this group and has dull fur that is grizzled chestnut to yellowish brown on the upper parts of the body, silvery gray on the lower parts. The tail, about one-third of the total body length, is sparsely haired and scaly. Adults are 6.4-7.1 in in total length, and weigh approximately 1.6 oz. Like many small herbivores, the meadow vole occasionally eats insects or other invertebrates but, grasses, sedges, seeds, tubers, and roots comprise most of the diet. Under the cover of snow, the meadow vole may girdle trees and shrubs, consuming the inner bark

Meadow voles are found in grassy areas across their geographic range. They are known to inhabit areas close to roadways, as long as there is grass coverage for tunneling and nesting. These voles almost exclusively use early successional habitats, which also include agricultural fields, sedge marshes, and open-canopied bogs. They are occasionally found in more densely wooded areas. Studies have shown that meadow voles have a denser distribution in uncut grass, which is likely due to their nesting habits above ground. Meadow voles construct surface runways and underground tunnels that may honeycomb an area. They build roughly globe-shaped nests from dried plants.