Voles are between 7 and 24cm tall. That seems to you a very wide interval? The reason for this is that vole does not denote a specific animal, but an entire family of mice. Here you will learn three types of voles that cause most damage in the garden and their size.
The large vole is the largest member of the family
The large vole or water vole and its size
The large vole (Arvicola terrestris), also called (eastern) water vole or ground rat, is most common in our latitudes. As its name suggests, it is one of the larger members of its species. However, its size varies depending on its habitat: aquatic voles are significantly larger than their terrestrial relatives. Since the land-loving representatives are more common in our garden, here are the dimensions for this species:
- Head-torso length: 13 to 16.5 cm
- Tail length: 5 to 9 cm
- Rear foot length: 22 to 27 mm
- Ear length: 12 to 15mm
- Weight: 65 to 130 grams
For comparison: The water-loving relatives grow up to 24cm long and weigh 320g.
The fur of the large vole is usually shiny dark brown, with the underside and tail being a little lighter in colour.
The field mouse
This representative of the vole belongs to the smaller species and is one of the most feared pests in gardening and agriculture.
- Head to body length: 9 to 12 cm
- Tail length: 2.5 to 3.8 cm
- Rear foot length: 14.5 to 16 mm
- Ear length: 9 to 12 mm
- Weight: 18 to 40 grams
The fur of the field mouse is light brown, the underside is whitish-yellow. Here is a comparison between the large vole and the field mouse.
The bank vole or wood vole
The bank vole (Myodes glareolus) is also called the forest vole because it prefers to stay in forests. However, gardens near the forest can still be attractive to them. Weight and size vary greatly by region. However, the following dimensions are common:
- Head to body length: 7 to 13 cm
- Tail length: 3 to 6.5 cm
- Ear length: 9 to 16 mm
- Weight: 12 to 35 grams
The bank vole got its name from its reddish-brown back fur. Their abdomen is light-colored and their nose is slightly more pointed than that of other vole species.
summary
All voles have in common the rather round body shape and the round face with small ears. Their fur is light to dark brown and almost always lighter on the ventral side. Compared to rats, they are almost always significantly smaller and leave different tracks. You can learn more about the differences between rats and voles in this comparison.