At first glance, voles and rats look similar. On closer inspection, however, there are both visual and behavioral characteristics that make it very easy to distinguish between the two animal species. We explain what they are.

Rats don't raise mounds of earth around their holes

Family vole and rat

Neither the term "rat" nor the term "vole" designates a single animal, but a family of animals. If you spot a "rat" in the garden, it is usually a brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) and if a vole nibbles on your vegetables, it is probably a water vole (Arvicola terrestris) behind it. Therefore, the following will compare these two animals.

Optical differences of vole and rat

One fact makes it easy to tell voles from rats: rats are a good twice the size of eastern water voles. Also, their tails are usually almost as long as their bodies, while voles' tails are only about half the length of the rest of their bodies.

Vole (eastern water vole) brown rat
head torso length 13-16.5cm 18-26cm
tail length 1/2 the body length roughly equal to body length
ears small, round, 12-15 mm small, round, 17-23 mm
coat color Light to dark brown on top, abdomen and tail much lighter grey-brown, reddish or dark brown, underside mostly of the same colour

Differences in behavior of vole and rat

Voles and rats can be distinguished based on the damage: While voles dig tunnels in the lawn and eat roots from below, rats dig deeper tunnels under paving stones or near the house and feast on just about everything: compost is particularly popular with them. Rats tend to ignore fresh roots and vegetables. Holes in the wall are definitely from rats, damage to garden plants from voles

Other differences in behavior are:

Vole (eastern water vole) brown rat
activity crepuscular and nocturnal crepuscular and nocturnal
gears mole-like hills, many entrances underground earthworks with storeroom
defecation behavior Droppings at the entrance, vole droppings small, shiny, thick Feces everywhere, rat feces sausage-shaped, dull
social behavior loner living in large groups
nutrition roots and vegetables omnivore

Rat hole versus vole hole

Because of the difference in size, it's clear that a rat hole is slightly wider than a vole hole. Voles raise mole-like mounds at the entrance, while rats show the mere rat hole. In addition, voles like to build numerous entrances, while rats usually only create two entry holes.

tips

Regardless of whether you have a vole or rats in the garden, there is always a need for action. Find out how to get rid of voles here.

Category:

Animals in the garden