The bank vole is a small rodent common across Europe and into parts of Asia. Scientifically known as Myodes glareolus, this species is a frequent, though often unseen, inhabitant of the countryside. As a member of the vole family, it shares certain characteristics with its relatives but possesses unique features and behaviors.
Identifying a Bank Vole
The bank vole is characterized by its stout body and a reddish-brown coat of fur on its back, which contrasts with its paler, grayish underside. Adults measure between 8 and 12 centimeters in length, not including the tail. Its tail is an identifying feature, as it is relatively short—about half the length of its body—and covered in a thin layer of fur.
Its head is rounded with a blunt snout, and the ears are small and often partially hidden in the fur, unlike the prominent ears of a house mouse or wood mouse. These features, combined with its small, dark eyes, give the bank vole a more compact and robust appearance than its murine cousins.
Natural Environment and Diet
The bank vole thrives in areas with dense ground cover, such as woodlands, hedgerows, and the vegetated banks of rivers and streams. These habitats provide protection from predators and an abundance of food. The voles construct complex and shallow burrow systems with nests woven from grass, moss, and other plant materials.
This rodent is an omnivore with a diet that shifts depending on the season. It primarily feeds on plant matter, consuming seeds, fruits, roots, and buds, and will cache supplies for the winter. The diet also includes insects, earthworms, and other small invertebrates found in the rich leaf litter and soil.
Reproduction and Lifespan
The bank vole has a rapid reproductive strategy. The breeding season runs from spring to autumn, during which a female can produce multiple litters. Each breeding cycle is brief, with a gestation period of approximately three weeks, and a litter consists of four to eight pups.
Young voles mature rapidly, with females becoming capable of reproduction in just a few weeks. This high reproductive rate is balanced by a short lifespan in the wild, which averages between one and two years. Most individuals do not survive for more than a single breeding season, a common trait for small prey animals.
Relationship with the Ecosystem and Humans
In its natural habitat, the bank vole serves as a food source for a wide array of predators. Owls, weasels, foxes, and various birds of prey depend on voles to sustain their populations, making it a foundational species in the local food web.
The bank vole is the natural reservoir for the Puumala virus. This virus can be transmitted to humans through the inhalation of aerosolized particles from the vole’s urine, feces, or saliva. This causes a mild form of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome known as nephropathia epidemica, though the virus does not appear to cause significant illness in the voles themselves.