Water Vole
Arvicola amphibius
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Type
MammalStatus
Protected
EndangeredSeason
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter Anywhere along the canal, particularly where there's more undergrowth. Look at the water's edge for burrows. Whitehouse Nature Reserve is a good place to look.
Famously known as 'Ratty' from Kenneth Grahame's novel The Wind in the Willows, the Water Vole is similar in appearance to the Brown Rat, with chestnut-coloured fur, but it has a blunt nose, small ears and a furry tail.
While the biggest of vole species, it's still only 14-22cm in length, with a long tail around two thirds of its body length.
Listed as endangered, the Water Vole is under serious threat from habitat loss and predation by the American Mink. It lives along waterways, and has been spotted on the Montgomery Canal.
However, this small, shy semi-aquatic mammal is notoriously hard to see and it's usually easier to look out for signs of its presence, such as burrows with entrances at the water's edge.
If you see one, we'd love for you to record your sighting to help us conserve these creatures.
Look out for small piles of nibbled grass and stems with a 45-degree angled cut; rounded, tic tac-shaped dropping in latrines (Water Vole loos) might also be spotted.