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European water vole

Mammals

The European water vole is a semi-aquatic rodent in the family Cricetidae, often informally called the water rat even though it only superficially resembles a true rat. It has a rounder nose, deep brown fur, a chubby face and short fuzzy ears, and unlike a rat its tail, paws and ears are covered in hair; its uniform dark brown coloring, slightly paler underneath, helps camouflage it in vegetated wetland habitat. Adults measure 14 to 22 centimeters long with a tail roughly half that length, and weigh between 60 and 386 grams depending on age and condition. It is found across most of Europe, Russia, West Asia and Kazakhstan, is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, and in the wild typically survives about five months, though captive individuals can live up to two and a half years. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Classification
Diet
Herbivore 1
System (Realm)
Freshwater 2
Relationship to People
Agricultural or Structural Pest 3
Living or Extinct
Yes 4
Scientific Name
Arvicola amphibius 4
Conservation Status
Least Concern 2
Comparison
CITES Appendix
Not Listed 3
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Cricetidae, Taxa
Source European water vole (Wikidata)

In Biome

River, Biomes
Source Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Arvicola amphibius

In Ecosystem

Moorland, Ecosystems
Source European water vole (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014)
2. European water vole (Wikipedia)
  • Infobox: status
    LC
  • System/realm (stated plainly in the entity own recorded description)
    It has a rounder nose, deep brown fur, a chubby face and short fuzzy ears, and unlike a rat its tail, paws and ears are covered in hair; its uniform dark brown coloring, slightly paler underneath, helps camouflage it in vegetated wetland habitat.
  • In Ecosystem: Moorland, Habitat
    As well as frequenting typical lowland wetland habitats dominated by rank marginal aquatic vegetation, water voles are also just as at home in areas of upland 'peatland' vegetation where they utilize suitable small ditches, rivers, and lochs surrounded by moorland up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) asl (e.g., northern Scotland).
View the Source
3. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Arvicola amphibius
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
  • Economic Importance for Humans: Negative Impacts
    Negative Impacts crop pest
  • Conservation Status: CITES
    CITES No special status
  • In Biome: River, Habitat Regions, biome: rivers and streams
    rivers and streams
View the Source
4. European water vole (Wikidata)
Wikidata
  • Wikidata Q27016 (P225 taxon name)
  • Statements section, conservation status (P141)
    IUCN Red List conservation status (Wikidata property P141): least concern.
  • Child Taxon Of: Cricetidae, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
View the Source
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