Not to be confused with its widespread cousin, the rat, the water vole is the largest British vole and one of our most endangered species. We have been working to highlight the vole's decline and boost populations for a number of years.
Water voles are found in much of Europe, east Siberia and Mongolia. They prefer lowland areas and are not often sighted in Scotland. Water voles spend most of their time within two metres of their burrows and tend to occur in rural areas rich in dense vegetation.
This affords the voles some protection from the searching eyes of their predators, mainly mink, which have contributed to the water vole's decline. Slow-flowing, deep water such as canals, lakes and streams suit the voles, who do not have the webbed feet of most water-dwelling animals.