Rat or other creature?

vole-woman · #11 (**permalink**) 02-10-2009, 02:03 PM

2 inches across is too small for rat. Rats often leave spoil heaps outside their burrows, so that can be a way of telling. If it's vole (and it might well be), look carefully at the blades of grass round the burrow entrance, because they're sometimes nibbled at a slant or in a V shape.

erehwon · #12 (**permalink**) 02-10-2009, 05:20 PM

Thanks for everyone's help and suggestions. So it looks like the consensus is that I have a vole. Much better than a rat!

It's a bit of a pain that the hole is near the back door but I'm just happy it's not a rat. I'll be much kinder to Mr Vole!

Martin

shirl · #13 (**permalink**) 02-10-2009, 05:23 PM

I would agree it is quite small for a rat burrow, so vole would be a good guess, especially with what could be grazing around the edges. We have voles, shrews and mice in the garden and they really are not a problem and even if they were there is no way I would kill them. They are the reason we have kestrels and owls hunting in the garden.

Shirl

vole-woman · #14 (**permalink**) 02-10-2009, 06:57 PM

Oh yes, you should definitely be kind to your voles.

Merrow · #15 (**permalink**) 02-10-2009, 08:13 PM

I love this place! Where else would there be a member called 'vole woman' - fantastic

erehwon · #16 (**permalink**) 02-10-2009, 08:29 PM

I haven't seen anyone called Rat Man. Perhaps I should change my name.

Red Squirrel · #17 (**permalink**) 02-10-2009, 09:04 PM

We have dozens of holes about this size in the grass ( about three acres ) and assume they are vole holes. Owl food I'm afraid.

eeyore · #18 (**permalink**) 02-10-2009, 09:32 PM

btw erwhon we are talking about these little fellas, a bank vole Clethrionomys glareolus

]Bank Vole - Clethrionomys glareolus - Wildlife Photography

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not one like vole womans avatar which is a water vole (ratty in wind in the willows) and a totally different species

thunder · #19 (**permalink**) 02-10-2009, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSeagull

As far as I know you can live with voles and they do not pose any threat, unlike the rat which carry disease, to humans.

I'm afraid that is not true - voles carry leptospirosis, just as rats do, and a number of other not very nice diseases.

Not trying to do the voles down, just don't want people to be complacent about the risks of small rodents.

henrya

vole-woman · #20 (**permalink**) 03-10-2009, 09:59 AM

I believe water voles on the continent dig up lawns and fields - I've heard they're a devil for eating bulbs - but not in this country. As eeyore says, it's most likely a bank vole.

Just out of interest, does anyone know if mice dig holes in lawns? Eg woodmice?