Cairngorms National Park, Scotland UK Mammals

A small, common rodent of grassland, heather and moor edges that experiences strong population cycles influencing predator numbers. In the Cairngorms field voles are abundant in damp grass and heath, supporting stoats, foxes and raptors.

Compact, brown-grey body with a very short tail, small rounded ears and blunt muzzle; look for narrow surface runways in grass and clipped feeding patches. Predator droppings with fur often indicate heavy vole presence.

Common Confusions

• Bank Vole Myodes glareolus Bank voles have redder fur, a slightly rounder face and longer tail relative to body; they prefer woodland edges over open moorland.
• Wood Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus Wood mice have larger eyes and ears, longer tails and jump more; field voles have stubby tails and smaller ears.
• Shrew Sorex araneus Shrews have pointed noses and insectivorous dentition; voles are seed/grass eaters with blunter faces.
• Harvest Mouse Micromys minutus Much smaller and arboreal among crops and tall grasses; field voles are heavier and ground-based.
• Young Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus Rabbits are far larger and hop; voles are small, rapid and produce runways.