Found a Field (Short Tailed) Vole

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Field Voles usually remain quite active through winter so wont sleep through the worst weather, they usually feed on grasses so there is not normally the need to cache their food as they have plenty through the year, unlike species like wood mice (even bank voles to an extent in northern countries) which cache nuts etc. As long as their is high grass to create cover then they should be fine. They often eat alot more bark during the winter, but again this is not cached but eaten direct from the tree.

I was informed once (by a very knowledgeable person) that water voles cache vegetation in their burrow and do spend a lot of time asleep through the winter - different species though of course.

[Dogghound]

Yes field voles will cache but due to the nature of their diet its something that is not as vital as it is to other rodents. Yes water voles, bank vole and field vole are all different in behaviour. For example caching food is done at different levels by each species. More so in the case of the bank vole. I shouldnt think it would have a detrimental affect on a field vole though.

[Gill Catton]

its all very interesting

[Dogghound]

With rodents alot of this kind of thing is down to diet etc, due to grass having less nutritional value than nuts means that a field vole has to be more active in looking for food than a bank vole for example. Yes its very interesting indeed.

[C8]

I think i'll do as the Wildlife hospital says and keep it a few days to make sure it's def ok. Then i've found a spot for it in a overgrown field with a stream at the bottom, it's the only one the farmers left to nature so it'll be fine, we've got foxes and barn owls but that's nature.

I want to return it and have no desire to keep it unless it's at a big disadvantage. I was told that Field voles only live through one winter due to the harshness of the weather and prey. So if i get it a little chubby then it should be fine! we'll just have to watch this space i guess.

[Dogghound]

Yes usually few survive to the second autumn due to predators etc. About 2.5% survive to 15 months old or older.