What is the difference between a bank vole and a field vole?

Bank voles are small chestnut-brown rodents with a cream-coloured underbelly and a short hairy tail. Field voles have a shorter tail (around 30% the length of its body, compared to 50% for the bank vole). Also, don’t confuse with mice, which are not as stoutly built as voles and have very long, hairless tails.

What does a bank vole look like?

The bank vole is rich, chestnut-brown above, and white below. It is richer in colour than the similar field vole and has a proportionally longer tail. Voles have blunter, rounder faces, smaller ears and eyes, and shorter tails than mice.

How big is a bank vole?

about 13 to 17 cm long
Bank Voles are easily confused with Field Voles. They are larger than Field Voles, measuring about 13 to 17 cm long. They have small eyes, small ears and a blunt snout. Adult Bank Voles have a rich chestnut-brown back compared to the grey-brown fur of the Field Vole.

Are bank voles rare?

Status & conservation Native to Great Britain; populations in Ireland were accidentally introduced in the 1950s. Common and widespread. Bank voles are not legally protected in the UK and have no conservation designation.

What is the life expectancy of a vole?

The average life of the smaller vole species is three to six months. These voles rarely live longer than 12 months. Larger species, such as the European water vole, live longer and usually die during their second, or rarely their third, winter.

How long does a field vole live?

Lifespan: The average life span of a field vole is up to 1 year.

What is the lifespan of a bank vole?

It can live for eighteen months to two years in the wild and over 42 months in captivity and is mostly herbivorous, eating buds, bark, seeds, nuts, leaves and fruits and occasionally insects and other small invertebrates. It readily climbs into scrub and low branches of trees although it is not as versatile as a mouse.

What do voles live on?

Meadow voles spend most of their lives above ground, living in and feeding on grasses, and they can girdle small trees and saplings at ground level. Tall fescue in orchards and lightly grazed pastures are typical habitats.

What product kills voles?

The Best Vole Poison

• Motomco Tomcat All-Weather Bait Chunx.
• JT Eaton Bait Block.
• Sweeney’s Mole and Gopher Poison Peanuts.

What damage does a vole do?

Voles are often implicated in damage to young trees and woody ornamentals. Chewing by voles at the base of unprotected stems can cause girdling and result in significant dieback and even plant death. In gardens, voles have been observed to gnaw on roots and crowns causing damage to plants such as parsley and celery.

Do voles come out during the day?

Voles may be active day or night, but most activity occurs at dawn and dusk. Their activity is comprised of short, quick visits from the burrow through their runways and back. They typically will make 15 -20 forays from the nest, each foray lasting only about 10 minutes. Thus the vole itself is rarely seen.

What is the difference between a field vole and a bank vole?

The bank vole is rich, chestnut-brown above, and white below. It is richer in colour than the similar field vole and has a proportionally longer tail. Voles have blunter, rounder faces, smaller ears and eyes, and shorter tails than mice. Did you know?

Where can I find pictures of my vole?

Browse 1,265 vole stock photos and images available, or search for water vole or bank vole to find more great stock photos and pictures. Bank Vole, Clethrionomys glareolus,.

What kind of fur does a field vole have?

The field vole is grey-brown above, and play grey below. It has shaggier fur than the similar bank vole and a proportionally shorter tail (less than 30% of its body length). Voles have blunter, rounder faces, smaller ears and eyes, and shorter tails than mice. Did you know?

How many field voles are there in the UK?

With a population of 75 million, the field vole is one of the UK’s most common mammals. Hidden among the vegetation of grassland,… The kestrel is a familiar sight hovering over the side of the road, looking out for its favourite food: small mammals like field voles.… The weasel is a small Mustelid, so is related to the stoat and otter.