Water vole or fibbing hubby?

[northender]

My husband claimed to have seen a large rat like creature 'trundling' from our garden across the back field to a pond. On seeing a pic of a water vole he swears this was the visitor. I have been finding small cylindrical droppings by my pond on a regular basis, they are about 3/4 inch long. If this is a water vole how can I prove it, when is the best time to sneak out and get a glimpse??!!

[ForestPaul]

Cylindrical droppings 3/4" long sounds like a rat to me, not a water vole.

[Naturenutz]

first and last light are good times to spot many animals.All you need to do is sit quietly and see what comes by.

[Tobyh]

You could also try putting out some apple to try to coax it to an area you can see and maybe spend a few seconds longer than it would normally.

Good luck!

TobyH

[vole-woman]

Have a look at my blog for pics of water vole droppings versus rat: About a Brook: Voles Getting Busy Click to enlarge the photos.

If the poo is trampled, and left prominently in piles, it might be the water vole marking its territory. Look for rounded ends rather than pointy - just like guinea pig droppigs, actually. Think tic-tac shaped.

If you find burrows, they're likely to be grazed or nibbled round the entrance and tidy, ie not with spoil heaps outside.

And let us - and your local wildlife trust - know! W-vs are getting so rare, and they now enjoy full legal protection.

[vole-woman]

Also look for piles of chopped stalks where the vole has been feeding.

[Kayleigh]

Put some bread out see if your water vole looks like this.

YouTube - Rat in the garden 2
YouTube - Rat 1

this is a big piece of bread the rat is attempting to run away with.