Mouse or vole ID please

[Pete Collins]

This little chap appeared when I was photographing birds in the back garden this afternoon. If I knew what it was, it would be my Mammal of the Day!

I'm guessing it's a Wood Mouse, but I'm not sure if the eyes and ears are big enough (I've been looking through the Gallery). And it's got a hairy tail, not sure if that's right for a Wood Mouse or not.

I'm sure some of you clever people can shed some light on my ignorance.

[shirl]

It's gorgeous isn't it, I am not sure about wood mouse though, it's ears are a bit small and it's little nose is more "squashed" a bit like a vole. Our wood mouse tends to come just as it's going dusk, and it has very large ears and a pointy nose. I am sure there will be a mouse / vole expert out there. Lovely pics though

Shirl

[Pete Collins]

Looking at the photos in the Gallery again, I agree it looks more like some type of vole than a wood mouse. What confused me is that there are two 'wood mouse' photos by Graham (glsammy) in the Gallery that look very similar to this creature - I think they may have been misidentified, as they are different to the other wood mouse photos.

I never have to wait this long for an ID on the wildflowers or birds forums!

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by Pete Collins

Looking at the photos in the Gallery again, I agree it looks more like some type of vole than a wood mouse. What confused me is that there are two 'wood mouse' photos by Graham (glsammy) in the Gallery that look very similar to this creature - I think they may have been misidentified, as they are different to the other wood mouse photos.

I never have to wait this long for an ID on the wildflowers or birds forums!

That's very possible Pete! I'm afraid I don't know my mice types at all well. The more I look at mine the more I think they could be Bank Voles..

I've had another good look at mine, and Pete is right. They're Bank Voles. I'll get their Id changed. Anyone know where there's a moderator around??

[Adam Cheeseman]

Bank Vole.

Cheers,

Adam

[Pete Collins]

Cheers, thanks very much Graham and Adam.

I'm afraid I'm shamefully ignorant about mice and voles (at least I knew it wasn't a shrew). I'd seen it run across the garden a couple of times earlier in the day when I'd been sitting indoors, but I was amazed when it popped up right where I was focussing my camera when I was photographing birds later on. I'd put some bird feed on a bough of the apple tree where the bird feeders hang, and some had spilled or been blown onto the ground. I was taking shots of a chaffinch there, when the vole suddenly appeared.

Anyway, thanks again for the ID.

[Dogghound]

Yes indeed a Bank Vole Clethrionomys glareolus, Distinguished from field vole by longer tail amoungst other things.

[Zetaine]

Originally Posted by Pete Collins

This little chap appeared when I was photographing birds in the back garden this afternoon. If I knew what it was, it would be my Mammal of the Day!

I'm guessing it's a Wood Mouse, but I'm not sure if the eyes and ears are big enough (I've been looking through the Gallery). And it's got a hairy tail, not sure if that's right for a Wood Mouse or not.

I'm sure some of you clever people can shed some light on my ignorance.

Aha!!! I have a similar being to this who pops into my garden throughout the day [she tends to lunch!] and I also cannot tell what she/he is. Very wee, only a couple of inches long at most, moves like wildfire, very short tail and grey and brown in colour. Moves waaaaaaaaay too fast for me to get a pic, but if anyone can direct me to a possible pic that I could use as identification I'd be really grateful.

[vole-woman]

Greyish-brown could be wood mouse or field vole. How big are the ears?

Lovely pics.

[Pete Collins]

Originally Posted by vole-woman

...

Lovely pics.

Thanks vole-woman!

This is an old thread, so I'll update it by saying that we have seen a bank vole in the garden once or twice since then.