Bank vole

Description

With a snout-vent length of seven to more than 13 cm, this relatively small mouse species has a tail length of 3 to 6.5 cm and weighs between 12 and 35 grams. The species shows size and weight differences of up to 300 percent between populations of different regions.

The dorsal fur is reddish brown to foxy red, sometimes yellowish. The flanks are brownish to grey-brown and usually cream-coloured. The belly coat is whitish to grey. The undercoat is grey. The paws are pale. The black fur at the end of the tail is slightly longer than the rest of the fur on the tail and clearly separated from it in colour. The ears are large to medium sized at nine to 16 mm.

Habitat

Its habitat is formed by beech and mixed forests, hedges and bushes close to forests, and wetlands. It is also often found near watercourses. Gardens close to forests are also accepted as habitats. There, the bank vole also builds its nests in little-used barns, storage sheds, garden huts or other wooden structures. Indications of an existing nest include foliage, dry moss cushions and twigs that have been brought in and deposited by the bank voles.

The text is a translation of an excerpt from Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rötelmaus). On wikipedia the text is available under a „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ licence. Status: 20 August 2021