Wild Wednesday - Water vole
Water voles are the largest species of vole in Britain and are sometimes mistaken for brown rats, as they are a similar size, and can be found in a similar habitat throughout Britain. They are also commonly known as the water rat.
Some facts: they have dark chestnut-brown/black fur, a blunt muzzle (nose and mouth) and short round ears, a hair-covered tail about half the length of its head and body. On average, they have a short lifespan of just 5 months. Their diet consists of grasses and waterside vegetation, a huge 227 plant species have been identified in their diet!
You may hear a characteristic ‘plop’ when they enter the water and you can see much of the body showing above the surface of the water, but they can also swim under the water. They tend to be more active during the day than at night.
Found along well vegetated banks of slow flowing rivers, ditches, dykes, lakes and mixed woodland.
Sadly, the water vole is an endangered species in England due to serious threat from habitat loss.
Water voles dig large burrow systems into the banks of waterways. These have sleeping chambers at various levels in the steepest parts of the bank and usually have underwater entrances to give the animals a secure route for escape, if there are threats from other species.
They usually have three or four litters a year, depending on the weather. In mild springs the first of these can be born in March or April, though cold conditions can delay breeding until May or at late as June.
There are about five young in a litter, which are born below ground in a nest made from vegetation, mainly grasses and rushes. Although blind and hairless at birth, young water voles grow quickly, and are weaned at 14 days.
Read more here: Water vole | The Wildlife Trusts