Bank vole

Scientific name: Myodes glareolus

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Bank voles are small rodents with reddish-brown to chestnut upper fur, grey-brown flanks, and white underparts; they have notably larger ears and eyes than field voles. Adults show no pronounced sexual dimorphism in coloration.

Size and weight

Body length 8–10 cm; weight 17–35 g, with males typically 2–4 g heavier than females.

Habitat

Bank voles inhabit deciduous and mixed woodlands, hedgerows, scrub, and grassland margins across temperate Europe. They prefer areas with dense ground cover, leaf litter, and access to shelter, typically from lowland to montane zones up to 2,000 m elevation.

Distribution

Distributed from Britain and France east to the Urals and south to the Alps and Balkans. They favor woodland edges and dense herbaceous cover within their range.

Diet

Bank voles feed on seeds, berries, fungi, insects, and green vegetation, with a seasonal shift toward mast (beech and oak seeds) and winter stores in autumn.

Behaviour

Active day and night with peaks at dusk and dawn; solitary and territorial outside breeding season. They move rapidly through runways and leaf litter, and create extensive burrow systems.

Hunting tips

Look for small runway networks in grass and leaf litter, and droppings (2–4 mm, rounded) near burrow entrances. Approach quietly along hedge bases and woodland margins during low-light hours. Focus on transition zones between dense cover and open ground where voles forage most actively.

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.