Arvicola terrestris - Water vole
Picture © Copyright Mark Ingham 2004
Water voles, also sometimes referred to as water rats, are the largest
vole species found in the British Isles; they can weigh up to 350 gm. The
water vole's ears are more rounded and it has a blunter nose than a rat.
Another distinguishing feature is its furry tail; the rat has a scaly,
almost furless tail.
Picture © Copyright Mark Ingham 2004
Ratty, of Wind in the Willows fame, was really a water vole.
Once they were plentiful in Wales, but in recent years water vole numbers
have declined considerably. Habitat loss and predation by mink are thought
to have been key factors in this decline, and The Vincent Wildlife Trust
has predicted that water voles will be extinct from England and Wales
within ten years if nothing is done.
Something is being done, thank goodness. Conservation and habitat
restoration work is going on, as part of the National Biodiversity Action
Plan, to protect these splendid little creatures. The Environment Agency
is the Lead Partner in this work.
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