Field vole

The Field Vole has a head and body length of 8 – 13 centimetres, its tail is around one third of its body length. Field voles are the main food of barn owls, forming 90 percent of their diet.

They particularly like overgrown fields with damp tussocky grass. It is very similar to the Bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus), however, the latter has red-brown fur, a longer tail and more prominent ears than the field vole.There is an Orkney vole (Microtus arvalis), found only on the Orkney Islands in Scotland and the Channel Island of Guernsey.

They are usually absent from cropped arable land.Field voles food is primarily succulent grass stems and green leaves, however, roots, bulbs and bark are also eaten, particularly in winter when fresh vegetation is hard to find.Field voles are active by day and night.

Found along our waterways, it is…The chestnut-brown bank vole is our smallest vole and can be found in hedgerows, woodlands, parks and gardens. A shortage of voles has an effect on the number of young barn owls reared. Discover the many amazing animals that live on our planet.As an important food source for owls and some other predators, their population peaks and falls in a 3 – 5 year cycle. Other predators include foxes, stoats, weasels, kestrels and snakes.Field voles breed during March to October, however, they may continue breeding into December. However, according to The Mammal society, a recent population estimate put the number of Field voles in Britain at 75,000,000 individuals. The Field vole is common and widespread throughout its range but the global population size of this species is unknown. Some predator populations also increase as the vole populations increase. Males can breed at 40 days of age, females at 28 days. It is active day and night and eats seeds, roots and leaves.

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They have a mouse-like nose, but it is slightly blunter. Young voles are born in a nest of dry grass, usually hidden in a thick grassy tussock.

The Field Vole pre-breeding season population is estimated to be in excess of 75 million.

Although slow to awaken in spring, by late…Ways to get involved and help wildlife and support your Wildlife Trust.

The young are born in a nest made of shredded grass, but most will not live long as the species is an important food source for numerous predators.

They are therefore able to produce 2 – 7 litters of 4 – 6 young per year.

Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC), and its numbers remain stable. Each vole makes runways among the grass stems, usually centred on a tussock where it nests.Although Field voles dig burrows, they usually build nests above ground at the base of grass stems, sometimes protected by a stone or log.

Bank vole (Myodes glareolus) Red/brown on top, unlike yellowish or grey/brown of field vole. Field Vole Description. The Wildlife Trusts is a movement made up of 46 Wildlife Trusts: independent charities with a shared mission.We need to create Living Landscapes where wildlife habitats are bigger, better managed and more joined-up, to help wild animals and…These wild, open landscapes stretch over large areas and are most often found in uplands. Further up the food chain, it forms an extremely important part of the diet of many predators, such as kestrels, weasels and barn owls. Field Voles are covered in fur which is yellow/brown to greyish in colour. It is ideal prey for owls…The beautiful barn owl is, perhaps, our most-loved owl. It is like the field vole however, it is deeper brown in colour and is a little longer and heavier.The Field Vole pre-breeding season population is estimated to be in excess of 75 million.The Field Vole has a head and body length of 8 – 13 centimetres, its tail is around one third of its body length. They prefer mainly open, grassy habitats with dense ground cover. Hidden among the vegetation of grassland, heathland and moorland, it is not as easily spotted as the similar bank vole.

They fight noisily, uttering loud squeaks and angry chattering noises. A field voles weight can vary greatly from 14 – 50 grams. Their underparts are white and they have small eyes.Field voles inhabit grassland, meadows and marshland. Females produce 4 – 6 young after a gestation period of 18 – 20 days. With its distinctive heart-shaped face, pure white feathers, and ghostly silent…With a population of 75 million, the field vole is one of the UK's most common mammals. Similar size to field vole (around 9-12cm) but tail proportionately longer than that of field vole, being 50% length of head & body, whilst field vole is 30% (this is the main distinctive feature … Field voles breed rapidly and one female can produce as many as six litters of up to eight young in a single year. A field voles weight can vary greatly from 14 – 50 grams.

The life span of a field vole is around 2 years.Field voles are common and widespread and are therefore not considered to be an endangered species.

They have a mouse-like nose, but it is slightly blunter. The young have grown their fur by 10 days old and are weaned at around 16 days. They can be aggressive and each one has its own small territory which it fiercely defends from other voles. When this happens, competition for space and food and increased aggression leads to less successful breeding, with the result of a population decline.The fluctuations in populations usually occur in 3 – 5 year cycles, as aforementioned.

Attend an event, fundraise, volunteer, campaign, wildlife…The water vole is under serious threat from habitat loss and predation by the non-native American mink. They make small underground cavities in which grass is stored for the winter.Field voles are one of the most numerous British mammals and because they are heavy breeders, populations in a favourable habitat often increase their populations to thousands and is known as a ‘vole plague’.