Vesiroti / Water Vole Traditional Cache
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The European Water Vole is often informally called the Water Rat. Water voles have rounder noses than rats, deep brown fur, chubby faces and short fuzzy ears; unlike rats their tails, paws and ears are covered with hair.
In the wild, they survive for 2 years on average; most do not survive a second winter. In captivity, they normally start to deteriorate in condition as they approach their third year, becoming thinner and losing much of their fur; they nearly all die during their third winter.
Water voles reach 140–220 millimetres (5.5–8.7 in) in length plus a tail of 55–70 millimetres (2.2–2.8 in) of this. Adults weigh from 160–350 grams (5.6–12.3 oz), juveniles weigh less but must reach around 140–170 grams (4.9–6.0 oz) to be able to survive their first winter.
Water voles live in burrows excavated within the banks of rivers, ditches, ponds, and streams. Burrows are normally located adjacent to slow moving, calm water which they seem to prefer. They also live in reed beds where they will weave ball shaped nests above ground if no suitable banks exist in which to burrow. In Europe and Russia, they may venture into woods, fields, and gardens. They live under the snow during the winter.
Water voles mainly eat grass and plants near the water. At times, they will also consume fruits, bulbs, twigs, buds, and roots. In Europe, when there is enough food to last water voles a long time, water vole "plagues" can take place. Water voles eat ravenously, destroying entire fields of grass and leaving the fields full of burrows, during these plagues
Water voles are expert swimmers and divers. They do not usually live in large groups. Adult water voles each have their own territories, which they mark with faecal latrines located either near the nest, burrow and favoured water's edge platforms where voles leave or enter the water.. They may attack if their territory is invaded by another water vole.
The water vole is not legally protected in Estonia. You can find „one“ near Utria waterfall in Ida-Viru County, Estonia.
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