The European snow vole is native to mountainous ranges in southern Europe, the Pyrenees, Apennines, Alps, Carpathians, Balkan Mountains, Mount Olympus, Pindus Range and the Montesinho mountains. In Asia it is native to mountainous parts of the Caucasus, Lebanon, Syria, western and northern Iran and southern Turkmenistan. The only Mediterranean island on which it is present is Euboea, off the coast of Greece. It lives mainly above the tree line on and among rocks and scree in alpine meadows, on boulder-covered slopes, in crevices in rocks and in areas with dwarf mountain pines (Pinus mugo), alpine rose (Rhododendron ferrugineum) and scrubby vegetation. In France it is present at lower elevations in some karst regions such as near Glun, in the Ardèche department and near Nîmes. This vole is considered to be a glacial relict species and since the retreat of the most recent glaciation, suitable habitat became fragmented. It is restricted to petricolic soils, and it is found at lower altitudes where these soils are present. Its presence in any location is due to the suitability of the microhabitat rather than the suitability of the temperature. However it is more often found at medium to high altitudes because there is less competition from other animals such as grasshoppers, the alpine marmot (Marmota marmota), the ibex (Capru spp.) and the chamois (Rupicapra spp.). When suitable petricolic soils occur in forests it is less likely to be plentiful because it faces competition from such mammals as the edible dormouse (Glis glis) and the garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus).