Bank voles are small with small eyes and ears. Myodes glareolus have been characterized as omnivorous (Ostfeld 1985) and herbivorous (Macdonald 2001). Females tend to favour dominant males. Not to be confused with: the field vole. Bank voles are not a particularly vocal species but will emit a limited range of squeaks when communicating using high frequency ultrasound which humans cannot hear. Females reach sexual maturity after six weeks and males after eight. 2000. 2001; Prevot-Julliard et al. 2001; Oksanen et al. Does risk of predation by mammalian predators affect the spacing behavior of rodents? Bank voles are small chestnut-brown rodents with a cream-coloured underbelly and a short hairy tail. Ultrasound communication is used during mating between males and females. 2001; Yoccoz et al. In good quality deciduous woodland habitats that can provide all of the bank vole’s requirements their home range may be as small as 50m2 with males generally occupying larger territories than the females. They produce three to four litters of between three and five young per year. Currently the bank vole is not protected under any international, European or Irish legislation. Due to their small size they are extremely sensitive to any adverse changes in their environment for example an increased use of pesticides or herbicides in some habitats may directly kill bank voles or reduce the supply of insects on which they are totally dependent. In birds, naked and helpless after hatching. Many small predators rely on bank voles as prey. The home range becomes smaller and the central ranges of different territories become farther from each other (Koskela et al. Mammal Review, 30: 131-139. Young bank voles will disperse soon after weaning to establish their own territories with pups born early in the season reaching sexual maturity before the summer’s end allowing them to breed themselves in the same season of their birth. Flowerdew, J., G. Gardner. Female territories average 0.7ha, while male territories are larger, averaging 0.8ha (Macdonald 2001; Koivula et al. Bank voles produce three to four litters of between three and five young per year. 294344) and in Scotland (No. By 1990 the bank vole had crossed the Shannon river and can now be found in county Galway and other areas of Connaught. Pups weigh 1-10g at birth, which makes up a total of 22-28% of the female’s weight. 1998. The pups are weaned at the age of 20-25 days (Macdonald 2001; Oksanen et al. Registered in England No. It uses its large ears to listen out for its many predators, such as the fox and kestrel. We want to make sure everyone in the UK has the chance to plant a tree. Some deciduous trees also may be present. Effects of food addition on the seasonal density-dependent structure of bank vole, *Clethrionomys glareolus*, populations. 1999). gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate), Proceedings of the Royal Society, London B, New World rats and mice, voles, hamsters, and relatives, http://www.cites.org/eng/resources/fauna.shtml, http://www.redlist.org/search/search-basic.html, http://endangered.fws.gov/wildlife.html#Species, © 2020 Regents of the University of Michigan. Macdonald, D. 2001. The bank vole is a good form of natural pest control as they eat large numbers of insects and their larvae throughout the year. Disclaimer: Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes). However, the species will be affected by damage and destruction to hedgerows and woodland, which represent important habitat. 2001). "IUCN" (On-line). During pregnancy and lactation, females require 30-130% more energy (Ostfeld 1985). Few species of trees are present; these are primarily conifers that grow in dense stands with little undergrowth. Search in feature SC038885). It eats fruit, nuts and small insects, but is particularly keen on hazelnuts and blackberries. (Bellamy, et al., 2000; Flowerdew and Gardner, 1978; Horne and Ylonen, 1996; Horne and Ylonen, 1998; Jonsson, et al., 2000; Koskela, et al., 1998; Koskela, et al., 1997; Macdonald, 2001; Oksanen, et al., 1999; Oksanen, et al., 2001; Prevot-Julliard, et al., 1999; Yoccoz, et al., 2001). This terrestrial biome also occurs at high elevations. 1997; Ostfeld 1985). at http://endangered.fws.gov/wildlife.html#Species. the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic. American Naturalist, 126: 1-15. Average lifespan is 0.5-2 years, with most individuals not lasting more than one breeding season (Macdonald 2001; Ostfeld 1985). The Animal Diversity Web team is excited to announce ADW Pocket Guides! The increase in the numbers of domestic and feral cats in Ireland could be having an adverse effect on the bank vole population especially in more rural locations. Bank voles are omnivorous mammals eating a wide range of foods such as berries, bulbs, seeds, fruits and fungi, while they will also hunt for insects, snails, larvae and earthworms. Bank voles prefer habitats which offer plenty of dense undergrowth like those found in deciduous woodlands, hedgerows, copses and overgrown ditches, they will only inhabit coniferous forests that have not fully matured and contain a thick shrub layer. Litter sizes vary but usually consist of three to five pups with breeding females likely to have up to five litters in a year. Convergent in birds. Their muzzle is blunt and rounded. In the summer and fall food is cached. Heritabilities of dominance-related traits in male bank voles (*Clethrionomys glareolus*). VAT No. Coniferous or boreal forest, located in a band across northern North America, Europe, and Asia. Bank voles don’t hibernate, so you can spot them all year round. 2001). living in the northern part of the Old World. Look for them along woodland edges and hedgerows. They are also sometimes known to be cannibalistic. Koskela, E., T. Mappes, H. Ylonen. Bank voles are ever wary of danger, so most sightings are just a fleeting glimpse. Their reproduction rate may be high but natural losses offset this meaning they rarely reach pest proportions, when they do they can cause damage in gardens and young forestry populations when control measures may be necessary. Gestation lasts from 17 days with optimal nutrition, to 24 days if the female becomes pregnant while lactating during postpartum estrus (Macdonald 2001; Koskela et al. Keep in touch with the nature you love without having to leave the house. Bank voles are very active and agile animals, and are frequently seen - they even visit bird tables. having the capacity to move from one place to another. 1996. Images © protected Woodland Trust. Proceedings of the Royal Society, London B, 268: 661-666. The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students. The Woodland Trust and Woodland Trust Nature Detectives logos are registered trademarks. In mountainous regions and the northern part of its range it occurs in coniferous woodland at altitudes of up to 1,800 metres (5,900 ft). April 10, 2002 An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants. Grants DRL 0089283, DRL 0628151, DUE 0633095, DRL 0918590, and DUE 1122742. Journal of Animal Ecology, 66: 341-349. reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female. 2000; Flowerdew and Gardner 1978). Breeding can occur all year if there is enough food available but it usually starts in April and ends in September. Contributor Galleries a wetland area that may be permanently or intermittently covered in water, often dominated by woody vegetation. Also, don’t confuse with mice, which are not as stoutly built as voles and have very long, hairless tails. Southern, H., V. Lowe. We are restoring, planting and protecting woods and trees to help maintain the biodiversity so vital to all of our native wildlife. Oecologia, 122: 4877-492. The average number of pups per litter is 4-8 (Oksanen et al. Registered office: Kempton Way, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG31 6LL. 1999. 1998). Fish & Wildlife Service" (On-line). Female bank voles (*Clethrionomys glareolus*) prefer dominant males; but what if there is no choice. As parturition nears, females become more aggressive and each female's territory decreases in size. Taxon Information Juveniles will have a more grey to brown fur colouration. 2001. 1998; Koskela et al. The average gestation length is 21 days (Macdonald 2001). Journal of Animal Ecology, 70: 713-720. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control. While females defend territories that may overlap with other females, males defend larger territories that overlap with the territories of several females.