Bank Voles

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Scientific name: Clethrionomys glareolus

Size: Length from nose to base of tail is approximately 80mm.  The tail is a further 60mm long

Distribution: Found throughout England, Scotland, Wales and many of the Islands.  Absent from Northern Ireland

Months seen: All year round

Habitat: Found in hedgerows, banks and verges, especially in deciduous woodland

Food: Nuts, seeds and berries

Special features: This is the smallest vole found in the UK.  It has very prominent ears and a chestnut-brown coat.  Bank Voles can be distinguished from mice by their shorter, blunt, almost hamster-like noses.

Bank Voles live in underground chambers, accessed via a tunnel with an entrance hole about 3cm in diameter.  Inside the chambers they keep a store of food.

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