Voles are between seven and 24cm tall. Does that seem like a very wide interval? The reason for this is that the term vole does not refer to a specific animal, but to an entire family of mice. Here you will learn about three types of voles that most often cause damage in the garden and their size.
How big is a vole?
The size of voles varies depending on the species: large vole (13-16.5 cm), field mouse (9-12 cm) and bank vole (7-13 cm). The tail, ears and hind feet are different lengths in each species and the weight also varies.
The large vole or water vole and its size
The large vole (Arvicola terrestris), also known as the (eastern) water vole or ground rat, is the most common in our latitudes. As its name suggests, it is one of the larger representatives of its species. However, its size varies depending on its habitat: Large voles that live in water are significantly larger than their relatives that live on land. Since we tend to have land-loving representatives in our garden, here are the dimensions for this species:
- Head-torso length: 13 to 16.5 cm
- Tail length: 5 to 9 cm
- Hinfoot length: 22 to 27 mm
- Ear length: 12 to 15mm
- Weight: 65 to 130 grams
For comparison: The water-loving relatives grow up to 24cm long and weigh 320g.
The fur of the large vole is usually shiny dark brown, the underside and tail are slightly lighter in color.
The Field Mouse
This representative of the voles is one of the smaller species and is one of the most feared pests in horticulture and agriculture.
- Head-torso length: 9 to 12 cm
- Tail length: 2.5 to 3.8 cm
- Hinfoot length: 14.5 to 16 mm
- Ear length: 9 to 12 mm
- Weight: 18 to 40 grams
The field mouse's fur is light brown, the underside is whitish-yellow. Here is a comparison between the large vole and the field mouse.
The bank vole or forest vole
The bank vole (Myodes glareolus) is also called the forest vole because it prefers to stay in forests. However, gardens near the forest can still be attractive for them. Weight and size vary greatly depending on the region. However, the following dimensions are common:
- Head-torso length: 7 to 13 cm
- Tail length: 3 to 6.5 cm
- Ear length: 9 to 16 mm
- Weight: 12 to 35 grams
The bank vole got its name because of its reddish-brown back fur. Their abdomen is light and their nose is slightly more pointed than that of other vole species.
Summary
What all voles have in common is the rather rounded body shape and the rounded face with small ears. Their fur is light to dark brown and almost always lighter on the belly side. Compared to rats, they are almost always significantly smaller and leave different tracks. You can find out more about the differences between rats and voles in this comparison.
