Water Vole Consultants.

We are water vole consultants with years of experience carrying out water vole surveys of watercourses of all sizes.

We have prepared water vole method statements for numerous sites that have been approved by the Environment Agency. We have carried out extensive translocation work including trapping, identichipping and radio tagging for research purposes.

Our company holds a stock of traps for the purpose of translocation water voles, we have also carried out a large number of smaller, localised water vole exclusions with success.

The information below is some general information on water voles that will aid you in understanding the species and working out when you may need a water vole consultant to help you.

General Water Vole Information

The water vole is the largest of the British voles. It lives in a series of holes or burrows at the waters edge and can be found along the banks of ditches, streams, rivers, lakes and canals. Although water voles live in colonies, the breeding females are territorial, each defining their contiguous territory with latrines during the breeding season. This lasts from March to October.

The water vole is herbivorous, feeding primarily on the lush aerial stems and leaves of waterside plants growing along side the watercourse. Its activity is normally confined to the area within two metres of the watercourse. Bankside vegetation in this area is not only essential for food but also for cover from predators.

The water vole population has been on the decline in recent years. This is partially due to loss of suitable riverside habitats but also due to the increasing population of predators, particularly the escaped American mink. Population decline has been dramatic and has accelerated over the last seven years. Surveys carried out by the Vincent Wildlife Trust show a loss of 67% of occupied sites and of 88% of the remaining population in the last seven years.

As a result, the water vole has recieved limited legal protection since April 1998 when it was included in Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Section 9(4) of the Act protects the water vole's place of shelter or protection but does not protect to water vole itself. This recognises the significant impact that habitat loss has had.