Water voles

Survey hedgerows The lengthening days bring with them temperamental weather, swinging from showers to glorious sunshine that sparkles on waterways and bounces off fresh green growth. They also announce the start of People’s Trust for Endangered Species’ survey season. This time of year offers the chance for people across the UK to get involved in …

In 2022, nine organisations took part in a trial investigating the effectiveness of using floating rafts to detect water voles by providing them floating platforms for their latrines (droppings). Water voles are naturally inquisitive, and it didn’t take long for them to explore the rafts and use them as artificial feeding platforms where they would …

Country-wide effort needed to save Britain’s fastest declining mammal Forget the Easter Bunny, this Easter is all about water voles! Wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) is calling for volunteers across England, Scotland and Wales to take part in their national water vole survey, which starts on Good Friday. Immortalised by Ratty in …

Isabel Fry has been out surveying water voles as part of the National Water Vole Monitoring Programme, which PTES runs every year. Find out more about the programme and get involved here. Found along our waterways, water voles are similar-looking to the brown rat, but with a blunt nose, small ears and furry tail. Sadly, …

Britain’s water voles are in trouble. The arrival of non-native American mink and loss of suitable habitat have led to them becoming one of our fastest declining mammals. The key to halting the decline and conserving this species is understanding where water voles currently are, where they are doing well, and crucially, where they have …

From the arboreal to the aquatic Fifteen species of rodent make up about a quarter of the wild terrestrial mammal species in Britain. They’ve filled a wide range of niches, from the arboreal (red squirrels and hazel dormice) to the aquatic (water voles and beavers), and many are familiar urban neighbours. Most conspicuous are red …

Immortalised as Ratty in The Wind in the Willows, water voles are a key part of our natural heritage. They were once a common sight along our waterways, but have rapidly disappeared from much of the landscape, experiencing one of the most serious declines of any British mammal over the last century. Landowners are particularly …

Water voles hold the unfortunate title of being the UK’s fastest declining mammal. Once a common and widespread species in Britain, a recent report has revealed an estimated 30% decline in water vole distribution across England and Wales between 2006 – 2015. However, there is some evidence that conservation work, including strategic habitat restoration and …

National Water Vole Monitoring Programme starts 15 April 2018. We are calling on all wildlife enthusiasts to help monitor signs of the UK’s disappearing water voles as part of our annual National Water Vole Monitoring Programme. Affectionately portrayed as Ratty in childhood favourite Wind in the Willows, water voles were once a common sight along …

The results are in! We are delighted by the response to the first year of our National Water Vole Monitoring Programme, with 188 sites surveyed and data submitted online. This was well over our initial target to survey 100 sites in the first year, so a big thank you to everyone who took part and …