A genus of small rodents commonly called bank voles, found across the Northern Hemisphere.
From Greek klethron (alder tree) plus -nomys (from nomos, meaning 'law' or 'dwelling'). The genus was named for these rodents' preference for living in areas with alder trees.
Bank voles in the Clethrionomys genus are ecological indicators—their population numbers tell scientists a lot about forest health, since they're picky about habitat and sensitive to environmental changes.
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