The great vole or water vole and their size
The great vole (Arvicola terrestris), also called (Eastern) water vole or earth rat, is the most common in our latitudes. As its name suggests, it is one of the larger representatives of its kind. However, their size varies depending on their habitat: Large voles living in the water are significantly larger than their relatives living on land. Since we tend to have land-loving representatives in our gardens, here are the dimensions for this species:
- Head-torso length: 13 to 16.5 cm
- Tail length: 5 to 9 cm
- Rear foot length: 22 to 27 mm
- Ear length: 12 to 15mm
- Weight: 65 to 130 grams
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For comparison: The water-loving relatives are up to 24cm long and 320g in weight.
The fur of the great vole is usually glossy dark brown, the underside and tail are slightly lighter in color.
The field mouse
This representative of the voles belongs to the smaller species and is one of the most feared pests in horticulture and agriculture.
- Head-torso length: 9 to 12 cm
- Tail length: 2.5 to 3.8 cm
- Rear foot length: 14.5 to 16 mm
- Ear length: 9 to 12 mm
- Weight: 18 to 40 grams
The fur of the field mouse is light brown, the underside whitish-yellow. Here one Comparison between the great vole and the field mouse.
The bank vole or wood vole
The bank vole (Myodes glareolus) is also called the wood vole because it prefers to stay in forests. However, gardens near the forest can still be attractive to them. Weight and size vary greatly depending on the region. However, the following dimensions are common:
- Head-torso length: 7 to 13 cm
- Tail length: 3 to 6.5 cm
- Ear length: 9 to 16 mm
- Weight: 12 to 35 grams
The bank vole got its name because of its red-brown fur on the back. Their abdomen is light and their nose a little more pointed than that of other vole species.
summary
What all voles have in common is their rather rounded body shape and the rounded face with small ears. Their fur is light to dark brown and almost always lighter on the belly side. Compared to rats, they are almost always significantly smaller and leave different traces behind. More about the differences between You can find out about rats and voles in this comparison.