Water vole

Scientific name: Arvicola amphibius

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Stocky, robust rodent with dark brown to black fur, smaller rounded ears, and a shorter tail than rats. Adults are noticeably larger and heavier-bodied than brown rats, with a blunter snout and furry tail.

Size and weight

Adults typically weigh 30–100 g with body length 12–22 cm. Males are generally slightly larger than females.

Habitat

Water voles inhabit wetland margins including riverbanks, canal edges, reed beds, and ditches with dense riparian vegetation. They require soft substrate for burrowing and areas with rank grass, sedges, and other aquatic plants.

Distribution

Found across Europe from Britain to the Urals and from Scandinavia to the Alps. In Britain and western Europe they favour lowland waterbodies, while eastern populations occupy marshes and river systems across a broader range.

Diet

Water voles are herbivorous, feeding on sedges, rushes, reed shoots, and grasses year-round; they also consume bark, roots, and aquatic plants in winter when surface growth is limited.

Behaviour

Primarily nocturnal and crepuscular, though active in daylight during peak seasons. Solitary and territorial, with individuals maintaining burrow systems; they are strong swimmers and spend significant time both in and out of water.

Hunting tips

Look for characteristic signs including burrow entrances near water margins, latrines with dark rod-shaped droppings, and well-worn runs through vegetation. Approach quietly along waterways during low-light hours, moving into the wind. Focus on reed bed margins and undercut banks where fresh feeding signs (chewed plant stems, stripped bark) indicate active presence.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 1 country in Huntify.

Finland

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.