Similarities between the field mouse and the great vole
The large vole, also known as the (Eastern) water vole or earth rat, belongs to the vole family, just like the field vole. What they have in common is their rounded body and small, rounded ears. They are also similar in their brown fur color with the lighter abdomen. Both species cause a lot of damage in the garden, although not necessarily in the same way. Nevertheless, the field vole can be easily distinguished from an adult large vole.
also read
- Mole or vole in the garden? - How to find out the difference
- 3 species of vole and their size
- Chase voles away gently
Differences between the great vole and the field mouse
The field mouse has a head-trunk length of 9 to approx. 12 cm, the large vole, on the other hand, is between 13 and 24 cm (aquatic species) or 13 to 16.5 cm (on land species), depending on the species. Thus, the great vole is always bigger than a field mouse.
A direct comparison between field mouse and vole
| Big vole | Field mouse | |
|---|---|---|
| Head to torso length | 13 to 24 cm | 9 to 12 cm |
| Tail length | 1/2 of the body length | 1/4 or 1/3 of the body length |
| weight | 65 to 320 g, depending on the type | 18 to 51 g |
| Coat color | dark brown to brown, light underside | yellowish brown to brown, light underside |
| nourishment | Herbivores, especially roots | Herbivores, especially above-ground parts of plants |
| Gait shape | oval, relatively broad | narrow gullies, many mouse holes close together |
background
The voles family
Vole does not refer to an animal but to an animal family that includes over 150 species. These include the field vole, the large vole or water vole, various types of lemmings, the muskrats and the bank vole that lives in the forest. There are voles in Europe, Asia and America and dig annoying passages to get vegetables and roots. Their mounds are often similar to those of moles or Rats mistaken.
