How much do water voles eat?

An adult water vole weighs between 200-350g on average, and will consume approximately 80% of its body weight every day.

What are the predators of water voles?

Mammals including Mink, Weasels, Foxes and domestic Cats, along with Adders are the most common predators of the Water Vole on dry land, with Owls and other Birds Of Prey hunting them from the air, and large Fish species such as Pike, being their most common aquatic predator.

Do water voles come out in the day?

Water voles live in colonies but string themselves out along a watercourse. Water voles are active during the day. They do not hibernate over winter but do spend more time in their burrows, often cohabiting with members of the same colony and so are less visible above ground.

Do water voles eat fruit?

Water voles mainly eat grass and plants near the water. At times, they will also consume fruits, bulbs, twigs, buds and roots.

What time of day do water voles come out?

“Lawns” of closely cropped grass, occasionally with piles of chopped food, may surround burrow entrances. Water voles tend to be active more during the day than at night. Male voles live along about 130 metres of water bank, while females have ranges about 70 metres long.

How long do voles live for?

Voles are extremely prolific, with females maturing in 35 to 40 days and having 5 to 10 litters per year. Litter size ranges from 3 to 6 young. However, voles seldom live longer than 12 months. Voles are mostly herbivorous, feeding on a variety of grasses, herbaceous plants, bulbs, and tubers.

What is the lifespan of a water vole?

Lifespan: 5 months on average. Maximum longevity in captivity is 2 years. Origin & Distribution: Native. The water vole is found throughout Britain, though it is less common on higher ground.

What time of day are water voles most active?

What time do water voles come out?

Find water voles Active from April to September, spring is often the best time of year to see them because bankside vegetation is shorter so water voles are more easily seen.

Are water voles a pest?

How does pest control affect water voles? The water voles common name is the ‘Water rat’. This and their large size means that they are commonly mistaken and accidentally destroyed as rats. Damage to water voles can also occur when rat control methods are used carelessly.

How far do water voles travel?

If there is insufficient new habitat, young water voles may have to undertake a perilous journey of some miles to find new homes. You can help by making sure that you provide at least 2 metres of lush, uncut bankside vegetation (ideally 5 metres), wherever possible, so that they can move into areas nearby.

Do voles infest houses?

Also known as field mice, voles usually invade the yard and damage vegetation. Voles prefer eating plant materials and generally don’t do well indoors. As such, they rarely enter the house.

What kind of food do water voles eat?

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.

What do you look for in a water vole?

Look out for the signs of water voles, such as burrows in the riverbank, often with a nibbled ‘lawn’ of grass around the entrance. Water voles like to sit and eat in the same place, so piles of nibbled grass and stems may be found by the water’s edge, showing a distinctive 45 degree, angled-cut at the ends.

What do water voles do to the grass?

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.

How much land do water voles need to breed?

They will need at least two metres (ideally five metres) of uncut bank-side vegetation until the end of the breeding season. This is vital, as a water vole needs to consume the equivalent of 80% of its body weight in food each day and a breeding female double that amount.