# Water Vole (*Arvicola sapidus*) Water voles are small, furry animals that love to live near rivers and ponds. They are great swimmers and have cute little faces! - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands, rivers, and ponds - **Also known as:** Arvicola amphibius ![Water Vole](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771425804/objects/4483.jpg) ## Appearance The Water Vole has dense brown fur, a stout body, and a blunt nose. Unlike a rat, it possesses small, rounded ears almost hidden in its fur, and a short, furry tail. Its appearance is well-adapted for life near water. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Rodentia - **Family:** Cricetidae - **Genus:** Arvicola ## Interesting facts - A water vole family can have five litters in just one year! - Their teeth never stop growing, so they gnaw plants to keep them short! - They make secret paths in tall grass, like mini highways! - Water voles can create underwater entrances to their burrows! ## Special abilities - **Bank Builder:** Water Vole has powerful claws and teeth that help them dig intricate tunnel systems and burrows into riverbanks for shelter and safety. - **Green Grazer:** Water Vole can eat many kinds of plants, like reeds and grasses, because of its specialized digestive system, that helps them thrive on a plant-based diet. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 16-24 cm - **Weight:** 0.16-0.35 kg - **Lifespan:** 1-2 years - **Speed:** 10 km/h - **Litter Size:** 4-6 - **Gestation:** 20-22 days ## Diet & Feeding Mostly eats plants like grasses, sedges, and roots found near water. - **Primary Foods:** Grasses, Sedges, Reeds, Roots, Water Plants - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Eurasian Otter](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eurasian-otter) (*Lutra lutra*) — Otters are skilled hunters of aquatic mammals. - **Eaten by:** [Stoat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/stoat) (*Mustela erminea*) — Stoats are swift predators hunting small rodents. - **Eaten by:** [Barn Owl](https://www.snappit.app/explore/barn-owl) (*Tyto alba*) — Owls hunt them from the air, especially at dusk. - **Eats:** Slender Tufted Sedge (*Carex acuta*) — They frequently feed on the leaves and stems of sedges. - **Eats:** [Common Reed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-reed) (*Phragmites australis*) — Water voles often consume new shoots and stems of reeds. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [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. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Water voles are gentle creatures. Always watch animals from a safe distance and don't try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Water 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 Water Vole? 16-24 cm ### How much does Water Vole weigh? 0.16-0.35 kg ### How long does Water Vole live? 1-2 years ### How fast can Water Vole move? 10 km/h ### What does Water Vole eat? Mostly eats plants like grasses, sedges, and roots found near water. ### Where is Water Vole usually found? Wetlands, rivers, and ponds ### How does Water 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: [Water Vole: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/water-vole)