There are 23 museum specimens of this species; it was previously known to live in only one location, Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, which was altered by the construction of a hospital in the 1980s.

A 2010 study found that it was discovered in Slavonia, Croatia, rather than its original habitat of Austria or Germany.

Its species status was confirmed by genetic studies, and it was found to be very closely related to Liechtenstein's vole (Microtus liechtensteini) from the Eastern Alps.

[2] Further research is required to determine the size and range of the population and the species has been re-assessed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN.

As of July 2024, the Alpenzoo Innsbruck begun a breeding program at their "Center of Species Survival" with the intention to release Bavarian pine voles back into the wild and further study the species: the program has experienced "groundbreaking success.