What physical trait distinguishes a vole from a mole?
Answer
A tail less than one-third of the body length
A defining physical difference between voles and moles is the tail length. A vole typically possesses a tail that is less than one-third of its total body length, whereas a mole features a tail that often approaches the length of its entire body. Additionally, while moles have specialized spade-like feet for deep excavation and are primarily subterranean, voles are surface travelers with smaller, less specialized feet for walking.

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