The montane vole is a medium-sized vole. The pelage is ashy gray mixed with brown and black on the dorsum shading to light gray or whitish on the venter. The feet are lead colored and the tail is bi-colored black or dark gray above and light gray to whitish below. Splotches of different shades of yellow on the nose, venter, and dorsal surfaces of the feet and tail occur on some adult Montane voles.

This vole is distributed throughout most montane and intermontane areas of the west occurring throughout that portion of Oregon east of the crest of the Cascade Range, and at Diamond Lake and several localities in Jackson County west of the crest. It is essentially always associated with grassy areas, especially in mesic habitats along streams, in mountains, and in marshes. In grassy habitats, it constructs runways under the cover of the grasses.

Photo from USFWS