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England - Bank vole or Field vole? (1 Viewer)

purpleturtle

Well-known member
Hi,
This is the biggest (10cm ish) of the family of voles living in our garden rockery in Lancashire.
My books dont seem very clear as to the difference between a Field vole and a bank vole. Any ideas?

Also....picture 3 is a much smaller (and tamer) specimen which we found in Northumberland recently.
Is it the same species, even with the size difference?
The small tame one is just about 5 cm long.

Thanks
Neil
 

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Hi Neil,

My sightings of voles are usually very brief, well done on your fieldcraft skills or being lucky ;) - the only way I can tell a Bank Vole is on tail length, about a third or more of body length, I guess; I think all other voles in my area have shorter tails (if I'm right in ths assumption - I may be way out) so I'd plump for Bank Vole on the first two photo's. The third one - I've no idea ...

Cheers,

Andy.
 
it seems to me to be a field vole aka "short tailed vole". it should be greyish brown with a tail about a third its body length whereas a bank vole's tail is about 1/2 its length and has reddish brown fur. ( more likely the third pic?)
 
Thanks guys

Thanks guys,

The tail length does seem to be diagnostic (bank vole with the longer one). The fur can seem different shades in different light.

The voles in our garden sometimes seem more reddish sometimes but the tails are short. The wee tame one from Northumberland did have a longer tail.

They are easy to photograph as they follow the same trails time and time again...so all I do is sit still in wait!

Regards

Neil
 
Had a bunch of the field voles earlier in the spring and summer , spent many an early morning watching from the bathroom window as they ate the fresh shoots in the neighbours garden , unfortunately we now just have a lot of fat owls .......

Ashley
 
Last edited:
Hi there!
Excellent photos! I'm pretty sure all three photos are of bank voles. Bank voles have a slightly longer tail and their hair is a reddish colour. Field voles have darker brown hair, they also have a shaggier longer haired appearance so their ears are often less prominent. The snout of a field vole is also blunter.
I'm guessing picture three is a young bank vole being that much smaller, juvenile bank voles are grey-brown in colour before the first moult which also seems apparent in the photo. Again the tail is quite long.

Ade
 
More rodents

I found a vole in our compost bin. I'm afraid the photo is not half as good as Neil's. Also a mouse (ditto).

Ken
 

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