Water Vole
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Superfamily: Muroidea Family: Cricetidae[1] Subfamily: Arvicolinae Genus: Arvicola Species: A. amphibius[2]
Binomial name
Arvicola amphibius (Linnaeus, 1758)

This article deals with the European Water Vole. For the article concerning the American species known as Water Vole, see Water Vole (North America)

The European Water Vole (Arvicola amphibius or A. terrestris) is a semi-aquatic mammal that resembles a rat. In fact, the water vole is often informally called the “water rat”.^[3] Some authorities consider the Southwestern Water Vole in the same species, but it is now generally considered a distinct species.^{[2] [4]} Water voles have rounder noses than rats, deep brown fur, chubby faces and short fuzzy ears; unlike the rat their tails, paws and ears are covered with hair. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 536 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1227 × 1373 pixel, file size: 889 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Water Vole Arvicola terrestris (stuffed) in Bristol Museum, Bristol, England. ... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn3. ... Least Concern (LC) is an IUCN category assigned to extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of sweat glands, including those that produce milk, and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex... Suborders Sciuromorpha Castorimorpha Myomorpha Anomaluromorpha Hystricomorpha Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously-growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing. ... Families see text Muroidea is a large superfamily of rodents. ... Subfamilies Arvicolinae Cricetinae Neotominae Sigmodontinae Tylomyinae Valid name: Muridae Illiger, 1815 [1] Cricetidae is a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. ... Genera see text Arvicolinae is a subfamily of rodents that includes the voles, lemmings, and muskrats. ... [[{{{diversity_link}}}|Diversity]] {{{diversity}}} Binomial name {{{binomial}}} Trinomial name {{{trinomial}}} Type Species {{{type_species}}} Species Arvicola sapidus Arvicola terrestris [[Image:{{{range_map}}}|{{{range_map_width}}}|]] Synonyms {{{synonyms}}} The water voles are large voles in the genus Arvicola. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Carl Linnaeus, Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 13, 1707[1] – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[2] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... Year 1758 (MDCCLVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... Binomial name Microtus richardsoni (De Kay, 1842) The Water Vole, Microtus richardsoni or Arvicola richardsoni, is the largest North American vole. ... For other uses, see Vole (disambiguation). ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of sweat glands, including those that produce milk, and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex... Species 50 species; see text *Several subfamilies of Muroids include animals called rats. ... Binomial name Arvicola sapidus Miller, 1908 The Southwestern Water Vole or Southern Water Vole, Arvicola sapidus is a large amphibious vole is found in most of France and south-westwards through Spain and Portugal. ...

In the wild, they survive for 5 months on average, most do not survive a second winter. In captivity, they survive for a maximum of 5 years.

Description

Water voles reach 5–9 inches in length (120–235 mm) plus a tail of 55%–70% of this. Adults weigh from 6–12 ounces (160–350 g), juveniles weigh less but must reach around 5–6 ounces (140–170 g) to be able to survive their first winter.

Species name

The binomial applied to the Water Vole is either Arvicola amphibius or A. terrestris. The confusion stems from the fact that Linnaeus described two species of Water Vole on the same page of the same work. Those two forms are now almost universally considered the same species. Musser and Carleton (2005) recognized A. amphibius (Linnaeus, 1758) as technically correct because the first source to unite the two forms that Linnaeus had treated separately into a single species chose A. amphibius as the valid name. Since A. amphibius and A. terrestris are literally tied in when they were named, priority is determined on the basis of the decision of the first reviewer. This reviewer used A. amphibius to refer to both forms. The name currently in use in Britain is A. terrestris.

Range

The water vole Arvicola amphibius, also known as the Northern water vole, is found in much of Great Britain, northern and central Europe and in parts of Russia.^[2] For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...

There is another water vole found in northwestern United States, and southwestern Canada. Some sources classify the North American water vole as a separate species, either Microtus richardsoni or Arvicola richardsoni. Binomial name Microtus richardsoni (De Kay, 1842) The Water Vole, Microtus richardsoni or Arvicola richardsoni, is the largest North American vole. ...

Habitat

Water vole, Ore Mountains, Germany

In Britain, water voles live in burrows excavated from the banks of calm rivers, ditches, ponds, and streams. They also live in reed beds where they will weave ball shaped nests if no suitable banks exist in which to burrow. In Europe and Russia, they may venture into woods, fields, and gardens. They live under the snow during the winter. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Winter scene in the Ore Mountains. ...

Diet

Water voles mainly eat grass and plants near the water. At times, they will also consume fruits, bulbs, twigs, buds, and roots. In Europe, when there is enough food to last water voles a long time, water vole "plagues" can take place. Water voles eat ravenously, destroying entire fields of grass and leaving the fields full of burrows, during these plagues. For other uses, see Fruit (disambiguation). ...

Breeding

The mating period lasts from March into late autumn. The female vole's pregnancy lasts for approximately 21 days. Up to 8 baby voles can be born, each weighing around one fifth of an ounce. The young voles open their eyes three days after their birth. They are half the size of a full grown water vole by the time they are weaned. This article is about human pregnancy in biological females. ...

Behaviour

Water Voles are expert swimmers and divers. They do not usually live in large groups. Adult water voles each have their own territories, which they mark with a secretion from their bodies. They will attack if their territory is invaded by another vole. Secretion is the process of segregating, elaborating, and releasing chemicals from a cell, or a secreted chemical substance or amount of substance. ... For other uses, see Vole (disambiguation). ...

Conservation

The water vole population in the UK has fallen from its estimated pre-1960 level of around 8 million to 2.3 million in 1990 and to 354,000 (other source: 750,000) in 1998. This represents a 90-95% loss. It is still declining dramatically, the most recent estimate for 2004 is around 220,000. This decline is mainly caused by the American Mink, an aggressive predator of the vole, together with unsympathetic farming and watercourse management which destroyed parts of the water vole's habitat. Binomial name (Schreber, 1777) The American Mink is a trademark of the American Legend Cooperative The American Mink, Mustela vison, is a North American member of the Mustelidae family found in Alaska, Canada and most of the United States. ... Habitat (which is Latin for it inhabits) is the place where a particular species live and grow. ...

Consequently, the water vole is the UK's fastest declining mammal and efforts are under way to protect the water vole and its habitat from further destruction. Though much of the official focus on water vole conservation in the UK is on large areas of reed bed which support dense but localised and isolated populations, the largest areas supporting healthy populations of water voles are large conurbations such as Birmingham and London and some upland areas where American Mink are scarce. Across the UK the Wildlife Trusts are undertaking many practical projects to conserve and restore water vole populations. A reedbed in summer In nature, reedbeds are basically ’temporary’ habitats. ... This article is about the British city. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The logo of the Wildlife Trusts The Wildlife Trusts partnership, or simply The Wildlife Trusts, is a partnership of 47 local wildlife trusts in the United Kingdom plus the Isle of Man and Alderney. ...

Water voles have recently returned to Lindow Common nature reserve in Cheshire, UK, after many years of absence.^[5] The reserve rangers credit this to conservation management, which included thinning of woodland. Lindow Common is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) located on the western edge of the town of Wilmslow, Cheshire in the northwest of England. ...

There are also indications that the water vole is increasing in numbers in UK areas where the European otter has made a return.^[6] The otter predates on the American Mink. Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) Range map The European Otter, Lutra lutra, also known as the Eurasian River Otter, Common Otter, and Old World Otter, is a European member of the Mustelidae or weasel family, and is typical of freshwater otters. ...

Trivia

• A water vole named Ratty is a leading character in the children's book Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame: the locality used in the book is believed to be Moor Copse.

• In the movie and comic novel, Cold Comfort Farm, by Stella Gibbons, one of the characters, Urk, refers to the subject of his unrequited love, Elfine Starkadder, as his little water vole. Throughout the story Urk spends a lot of time talking to the water voles on the farm.

The Wind in the Willows is a classic of childrens literature by Kenneth Grahame. ... Kenneth Grahame Kenneth Grahame (March 8, 1859 – July 6, 1932) was a Scottish novelist. ... Moor Copse Nature Reserve[1], in the civil parish of Tidmarsh with Sulham[2] in the English county of Berkshire, is a recently expanded nature reserve[3] by the River Pang, owned by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust. ... Cold Comfort Farm is a comic novel by Stella Gibbons, published in 1932. ... Stella Dorothea Gibbons (5 January 1902—19 December 1989) was an English novelist and poet. ...

References

1. ^ Note: according to Amori (1996) it will be transferred from family Muridae to Cricetidae.
2. ^ ^{a b c} Amori (1996). Arvicola terrestris. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.
3. ^ Freeston, Helen (1997). Tales of the Riverbank—How to spot 'Ratty' (previously "Water Volewatch 97"). Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. Retrieved on 2006-08-23.
4. ^ Amori (1996). Arvicola sapidus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 23 August 2006.
5. ^ Macclesfield Borough Council's Countryside and Ranger Service. News from Lindow. Retrieved on 2006-08-23.
6. ^ Otters 'prompt vole resurgence'. BBC (2006-09-10). Retrieved on 2006-09-11.

• Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. Pp. 894-1531 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.

Subfamilies Deomyinae Gerbillinae Lophiomyinae Leimacomyinae Murinae Muridae is the largest family of mammals. ... Subfamilies Arvicolinae Cricetinae Neotominae Sigmodontinae Tylomyinae Valid name: Muridae Illiger, 1815 [1] Cricetidae is a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. ... The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 235th day of the year (236th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... , Macclesfield is a market town in Cheshire, England with a population of about 50,688 (2001 census for Macclesfield urban sub-area). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 235th day of the year (236th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• General information on Water Voles

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Arvicola terrestris