Page 50 - World of Animals - Issue #36

The burrowers

A water vole’s burrow

Water voles dig underground
escape routes to avoid being eaten Although commonly
mistaken for rats,
It’s not easy being a water vole. The already meagre water voles belong to a
five-month lifespan of these small, defenceless rodents completely different family
is regularly cut short by a wide range of powerful of rodents, Cricetidae
predators, including cats, foxes, hawks, owls, weasels
and mink.
Living in such hazardous hunting grounds, water
voles treasure their burrows as a safe place to hide.
They excavate underground homes in the banks of
rivers, ponds and streams, providing a useful escape
route from predators. Being talented swimmers, water
voles are also able to enter their burrows through
underwater entrances.
If they happen to be spotted by a predator while
foraging for their favourite water-dwelling grasses and
plants, water voles will make a beeline for their holes.
These provide a snug haven from most predators.
However, one animal, the American mink, is slender
and agile enough to enter their burrows. A fast decline
in water vole populations has largely been attributed to
this invasive species.
Farming and watercourse management have also
been cited as reasons for water voles’ increasing rarity.
They are currently the UK’s fastest declining mammal,
although the recovery of European otters in British
waters has helped somewhat. These carnivores are
a useful ally against the encroaching American mink,
attacking the smaller mustelids to defend their habitats.

Entrance
Lawn Water voles enter
A telltale sign of water their burrow via
vole occupation, lawns of a small, circular
closely cut vegetation near entrance above
Food store the burrow entrance show ground. Other
Finding food throughout winter where water voles have entrances can be
can be tough for water voles. been repeatedly grazing. found underwater,
Their burrows contain a food and are used as
store to prevent starvation bolt holes when
during cold weather. swimming.

Nest
A ball-shaped nest of grass and
other plant material provides a
cosy place for the water vole to
sleep within the burrow.

50

044-052_The Burrowers.indd 50 20/07/2016 14:51