How many water voles are left in the UK 2021?

How many water voles are left in the UK 2021?

Population size & distribution GB population of 875,000. Water voles were formerly widespread and common in England, Wales and Scotland, ranging from Cornwall to the extreme north-east of Scotland. They are still widespread but have undergone one of the most serious declines of any mammal in Britain.

Where do water voles live?

Water voles usually live beside bodies of water, where they feed on grasses and herbs growing on the banks. They dig their burrows here too. Water voles prefer sites with steep or stepped bank profiles into which they can burrow to create nest chambers above the water table.

Are water voles protected in UK?

Water voles are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is an offence to intentionally: kill, injure or take them. possess or control them (alive or dead)

How do you find a water vole?

Sometimes mistaken for brown rats, which can be found in a similar habitat, the water vole can be identified by their silky, yellowish-brown to dark brown coat, blunt nose, rounded body and long tail. The brown rat is larger with a pointer nose.

Where can I find water voles in the UK?

The water vole is found throughout Britain, though it is less common on higher ground. It is infrequently recorded from parts of northern Scotland and is absent from Ireland. Water voles occur mainly along well vegetated banks of slow flowing rivers, ditches, dykes and lakes.

Where are water voles found in the UK?

Are water voles endangered UK?

Conservation status Protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. Priority Species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework. Water voles are listed as endangered on both the Great Britain and the England Red List for Mammals.

When should water voles be surveyed?

The water vole breeding season runs from April to September. This is the ideal time to carry out a water vole survey as the water voles will be highly active and leave many signs, such as latrines (conspicuous piles of droppings) which can be used to confirm their presence during a survey.

What is the water vole Map project?

Led by The Wildlife Trusts and delivered by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, the project was established in 2008 by the UK Water Vole Steering Group as a way to collate water vole survey records, map the distribution of this species and identify important areas for water vole conservation.

How many water voles have been released in Northumberland this year?

Northumberland Wildlife Trust has undertaken two releases of a total of 570 water voles across Kielder Forest during 2017 – a vast area of 650 square kilometres after a 30-year absence in the largest reintroduction to one place ever attempted in the UK. There are two releases planned for summer 2018, of a further 500 water voles.

Are water voles on the decline?

Overall across the county, no decline of water voles has been detected through recent surveys. A recovery has been noted in the Cambridge area, with the first records on the main River Cam for many years found in 2011. Populations in the Fens are also holding up, but American mink remain a continued threat.

How can the nvwdmp help with water vole conservation?

The Wildlife Trusts believe that the maps produced through the NVWDMP can inform a more strategic approach to the conservation of water vole. They should, for example, be used in ecological network mapping to inform local plans, such as through the Nature Recovery Network approach which is being established in England.