Arvicola terrestris

Once common and widespread, this species has suffered a dramatic decline in both numbers and distribution. This is thought to be mainly due to a loss in their habitat. Water voles are found mainly along slow moving rivers with plenty of vegetation that they can use for cover and for food. It is the largest of all the British voles. They are social animals that live in colonies extending along watercourses constructing complicated tunnel systems in the banks with entrances both above and below the waterline. Water voles are herbivorous, feeding largely on the stems and leaves of waterside plants. The watervole in the photos below was photographed at Carsington Water in Derbyshire, May 2005.