#0046 · 🦊 mammals

European Water Vole

🇳🇱 Woelrat ·Arvicola amphibius

LCleast concern 🦊 Mammals 📍 in the Netherlands

7 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences

1. © heikkih · CC BY-NC 4.0
2. © Jakob Fahr · CC BY-NC 4.0
3. © Paul Lewis · CC BY 4.0
4. © Jakob Fahr · CC BY-NC 4.0
5. © Bernd Bäumler · CC BY-NC 4.0
6. © Jakob Fahr · CC BY-NC 4.0
7. © BiteYourBum.Com Photography · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

what is it?

The European water vole or northern water vole ( Arvicola amphibius , included in synonymy: A. terrestris ), is a semi-aquatic rodent. It is often informally called the water rat , though it only superficially resembles a true 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.

base stats

NL sightings 7iNaturalist, research grade
worldwide 2,559iNaturalist observations
threat LCleast concern

Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).

fun facts

Spotted 7 times in the Netherlands on iNaturalist: the #45 most seen of the mammals in NL.
2,559 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
Scientifically named in 1758 (268 years ago).