# Bank Vole (*Clethrionomys glareolus*) The Bank Vole is a small, furry animal that loves to live in grassy areas and forests. They are quick and enjoy nibbling on seeds and plants. - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Forests ![Bank Vole](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/R%C3%B6telmaus_I.jpg&width=800) Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:R%C3%B6telmaus_I.jpg) ## Appearance The Bank Vole has a stocky body covered in reddish-brown fur, a creamy-white belly, and a tail that is about half its body length. Its small, rounded ears are partially hidden by its fur, giving it a distinctive appearance from a mouse. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Rodentia - **Family:** Cricetidae - **Genus:** Myodes ## Interesting facts - Bank Voles make cozy nests lined with soft moss and leaves deep underground! - Their front teeth never stop growing, so they constantly gnaw to keep them sharp! - They create secret pathways and runways through tall grass for quick travel! - Vole families sometimes share burrows, especially in winter for extra warmth! ## Special abilities - **Burrow Master:** Bank Voles can dig intricate underground tunnels that help them find food and safely escape from predators. - **Keen Climber:** Bank Voles have agile paws that help them climb low branches and shrubs to reach tasty berries or buds. - **Food Hoarder:** Bank Voles collect and store food in hidden caches, helping them survive when food is scarce in winter. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 8-12 cm - **Weight:** 0.015-0.04 kg - **Lifespan:** 1-2 years - **Speed:** 12 km/h - **Litter Size:** 3-8 - **Gestation:** 18-21 days ## Diet & Feeding These tiny omnivores munch on seeds, nuts, insects, fungi, and fresh plants throughout the year. - **Primary Foods:** seeds, nuts, berries, roots, fungi, insects - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Tawny Owl](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tawny-owl) (*Strix aluco*) — A common prey item for this nocturnal bird of prey. - **Eaten by:** Weasel (*Mustela nivalis*) — Often pursued by weasels into their burrows as a food source. - **Eats:** Pedunculate Oak (*Quercus robur*) — Consumes and hoards acorns from this tree, especially in autumn. - **Eats:** [European Beech](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-beech) (*Fagus sylvatica*) — Forages for fallen beech nuts on the forest floor. ## Traits - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Burrowing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/burrowing): Burrowing animals dig tunnels and chambers in the ground, using these subterranean structures for shelter, hunting, or breeding. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low If you see a Bank Vole, watch quietly from a distance and don't try to touch it. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Bank Vole? Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Bank Vole? 8-12 cm ### How much does Bank Vole weigh? 0.015-0.04 kg ### How long does Bank Vole live? 1-2 years ### How fast can Bank Vole move? 12 km/h ### What does Bank Vole eat? These tiny omnivores munch on seeds, nuts, insects, fungi, and fresh plants throughout the year. ### Where is Bank Vole usually found? Forests ### How does Bank Vole hunt? Foraging ## More Mammals - [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*) - [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) - [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*) - [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*) --- Source: [Bank Vole: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bank-vole)