Question about banks and bank voles

[Lemars]

I've never seen a bank vole. The one I might have glimpsed several years ago disappeared much too quickly for any hope of identification.

The other day, I was walking along a track which had clearly been in use for many, many years (probably a previous cart track - the sides were about 4- 5 foot high and only a carts-width apart). It was FULL of holes and tunnels and tracks - mainly just under root-level from the overhanging trees.

I've seen many tracks and I've seen many holes, but I'd never seen anything like this before. I wondered if anyone could come up with an idea of what could have created this prolific colony ?
And it's miles away from where I live, so I doubt I'll be going back on stand-by duty in the near future.
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[Dogghound]

Yes this certainly looks like the work of bank voles, although they do tend to have several entrance and exit holes often to the same chamber which can be misleading. You also tend to get quite a bit of erosian on banks like this causing parts to fall away through the middle of tunnels sections making it look like more enterances. These look moderately shallow too, which is a good sign they're bank voles. Woodmice tend to have only one entrance and exit point and occur together within a single nest during the winter, rather than the lose colonies we associate with bank voles, so its unlikely that they would create so many entrances, they also tend to nest very deep. Yellow-necked mice tend to be less social so are unlikely to ever occur in those densities and the lack of suitable ground cover also restricts the likelihood of it being this species.

[Lemars]

Wow - thank you Doghound. That was a very comprehensive answer and if ever I go over that way again, I may well stand guard instead of just passing through.
It's good to have made a reasonable guess, anyway. You should SEE the extent of those tunnels !

C

[vole-woman]

Pop a bit of grated apple down and see what pokes its head out.

[Lemars]

shall do - thank you Vole-woman

C