Our Elusive Water Voles
By Kerry Williams
Communications Officer - Conservation
If you’re on a reedbed ramble at Rye Harbour and hear a ‘plop’, you might have just missed one. Although active during the day, Water Voles are extremely shy and quiet. Given both their rarity and secrecy, it’s a wonder how anyone even knows they are there. So, here are a few tips.
Voles vs. Rats
As a semi-aquatic rodent, Water Voles (pictured above) are often referred to as ‘water rats’. From the corner of your eye, you could mistake one for a Brown Rat (pictured below), but they are quite different. Water Voles have a blunt nose, a furry tail and small ears. Rats have pointier faces, long hairless tails, and rounded ears. And although I have nothing against Rats, Water Voles are super cute.
Food caches
Water Voles will sit in one place to eat, so a cache of riverside nibbled grass stems can be a give-away. These may often lie outside a discrete riverbank burrow. Continuing the ratty-confusion-theme, Brown Rats exhibit similar nibbly behaviours. However, Water Voles munch grasses at a neat 45-degree angle, whereas Rat teeth marks are a bit more erratic.
Latrines
It’s tricky to mention identifiers without talking about poo. Collections of small, rounded, cigar or tic-tac shaped droppings, known as latrines, are what to look out for along the water's edge. These tidy deposits are a calling card for territory marking. Although the droppings are scentless, the Voles will rub their hind legs on their scent glands and stamp on the droppings to leave a scent, resulting in layers of trampled latrines. A glamorous task. Rat droppings are flat at one end and pointy at the other and tend to be left at intervals rather than in piles.
But it’s not all idyllic grass-nibbling and poop-stamping; our Water Voles are at risk. Threatened by pollution, climate change, habitat loss due to intensification of agriculture and development, and predation by invasive non-native American Mink, our Water Voles are up against it. Having once been found in nearly every waterway in England, this native species has declined by a staggering 90% since the 1970s. A protected species in the UK, Water Voles are now listed as Endangered on the Great Britain and England Red List for mammals.
It can all sound a bit bleak, but there is good news ahead. The Waterlife Recovery Project is making great steps to protect this species by monitoring and managing the UK population of American Mink. Our Rye Harbour Nature Reserve is working on similar efforts, primarily to protect ground nesting birds, but also safeguarding the resident Water Voles.
And there are things you can do too. By keeping your pets out of waterways, you can prevent pollution of our precious rivers by pet flea treatments. By taking your litter home, you can prevent the over-filling of bins and spilling of rubbish into vital Water Vole habitat. With careful choices regarding how you buy your food, you can support local wildlife friendly farming practices.
To help monitor the Water Vole population, wherever you are based, you can record sightings on iRecord, which can be accessed via the website or by downloading the app. These records are verified and shared with the Sussex Biodiversity Records Centre, who hold species data for the county.
By taking action to support healthy rivers, balanced ecosystems, and robust monitoring we can contribute to bringing our Water Voles back from the brink of extinction to their rightful place in our flourishing waterways.
Comments
Great to know about the efforts being made to protect these animals, who have suffered from our shameful misuse of water.
26 Jun 2025 10:27:00
And the volunteer led Manhood Wildlife and Heritage Group looks after the iconic species which is thriving on the Manhood Peninsula. The group published the Water Vole BAP for the Manhood Peninsula 2011-2020; updated with assistance from Portsmouth Water, 2021-2030; and A 4 notes for Landowners and farmers. For copies see website.
26 Jun 2025 10:47:00
On water vole ID: thanks for this article but feel that ti could have been much better with more pictures of a pile of grass cuttings at 45 degrees so one can see the total effect. Likewise, a picture of fresh faeces on a latrine could really help observers. Different size of rat and vole faeces could also help in ID or picture with both side by side. Thanks for reading this. Christopher
26 Jun 2025 10:52:00
My vet told me that flea and worming tablets for my dog are better for the watery environment. Is that true or wishful thinking?
26 Jun 2025 11:07:00
Sussex Wildlife Trust:
Hi James - good question! We are not veterinary trained so always recommend following the advice of your vet for queries like this - however research has shown that the oral tablets are better for our watercourses as less of the chemical is leached into the water. The best way to avoid the problem is to keep your dog out of the river.
This is a great piece.
Look also at the work of the Waterlife Recovery Trust that is eradicating mink in England: https://www.waterliferecoverytrust.org.uk/
26 Jun 2025 11:08:00
By ‘careful choices regarding how you buy your food’ do you mean organic? Thank you
26 Jun 2025 11:43:00
Sussex Wildlife Trust:
Hi Alice, wildlife friendly farming and locally grown produce are great ways to work in harmony with nature. You can find more info on this here: Farming | The Wildlife Trusts. Organic farming uses less pesticides, which is good for wildlife, but it's not guaranteed that all organic farm necessarily also use other nature-friendly methods, and there are many non-organic farms who have very good wildlife friendly methods too.
Yes, got great photos of water vole at Arundel WWT recently. Not seen one there for 10yrs. Pray nothing will get it or it’s family.
26 Jun 2025 13:29:00
Excellent information which contrary to my original opinion of my knowledge, I actually knew little about these creatures which I have often seen when enjoying my rural trips, for which I thank you – keep up the good work.
26 Jun 2025 14:53:00
walking with my sister last July, we saw a family of young water voles playing alongside the small stream in Alexandra Park, Hastings.
They disappeared very quickly on seeing us, but it was a treat to see!
26 Jun 2025 14:54:00
Water voles are to be preserved as part our Sussex ecosystem. I value memories of tracing them on the Manhood peninsula.
26 Jun 2025 18:27:00
For over 5 years our local residents in E and W Wittering have been campaigning against Barrett’s building an estate of 300 homes on top quality arable land with a rife running along the boundary Hale Farm rife has a successful breading colony of watervoles how can we protect this unique habitat. Barratts have lost their appeal last year but intend to appeal again Their original ecology survey supported this
26 Jun 2025 19:01:00
Great to see the efforts to preserve habitat and raise awareness of water voles – they were so common when i was exploring riverbanks as a child in the 1960s.
26 Jun 2025 21:27:00
Very interesting and informative
27 Jun 2025 07:52:00
Beautiful little creatures. Please continue to increase their numbers; in a nationwide campaign. And please stop Barrett homes, which in the past has won an award for nature friendly housing, but not when it comes to protecting water voles, it seems; how hypocritical..
29 Jun 2025 16:54:00
It was brilliant to see these delightful water voles and their habitat and learn more about them.
30 Jun 2025 16:15:00
There were Water Voles in centre of Storrington in the little river behind Brewers Yard – I saw time agp
10 Jul 2025 17:31:00