What is the name of the water rat? Sea rat: description, habitat, photos and reviews

Arvicola terrestris Linnaeus, 1758
Order Rodents - Rodentia
Hamster family - Cricetidae

Status. Category 3 - a vulnerable species in Moscow with a reduced number.

Spreading. In the Moscow region. - widespread, common in most regions. it's a new look. Within Moscow in 1985-2000. The water vole was recorded in 28 natural and natural-anthropogenic territories, including the middle part of the city - Sokolniki Lake, GBS and LOD (1). In 2001-2010 its habitat has been established in Losiny Ostrov, the Izmailovsky forest, on the Kosinsky Black (1) and Svyatoy (2) lakes, in the Maryinskaya (3) and Brateevskaya floodplains (1), the valley of the Yazvenka river (1, 3), near Saburovsky Bay. , south of Znamensky-Sadkov (1), in the Setun river valley in 2003 (4), Mnevnikovskaya (1, 3) and Krylatskaya floodplains, Serebryany Bor, ++ +Tushinskaya Chasha (1), Skhodnya river valley in Kurkino (5.6), on the Filinsky swamp, Dolgoprudnensky V-BK, in the floodplains of the Altufevskaya River and the Chermyanka River (1). In all these territories, as a rule, it lives in local areas

Number. In general, the number of species in the city is quite significant, but certain territories it is not numerous, and on some only single individuals are recorded. Relatively large groups exist only in the Kosinsky Black and Svyatoy lakes, in the valley of the Yazvenka river, the Mnevnikovskaya floodplain and the valley of the Skhodnya river.

Habitat features. In Moscow it lives mainly on natural areas, where there are swampy and bushy river floodplains, oxbow lakes and other reservoirs with well-developed riparian vegetation, including old drainage ditches. In the warm season, it lives near the water, where it makes burrows on dry banks, and on low and swampy shores it builds ground spherical nests from grass or settles in the cavities of rotten trunks fallen trees; Single individuals or broods are usually found.

Does not withstand pollution of reservoirs by storm drains and bank protection. As in natural conditions feeds on various near-aquatic plants - the succulent bases of leaves and stems of forest reeds, cattails, reeds, etc. Can tolerate active recreational use coastal zones, if wetlands with semi-aquatic vegetation are preserved within their boundaries.

IN autumn-winter period in small groups, up to 8-10, lives in marshy areas of river floodplains, where under the snow it feeds on green shoots and rhizomes of reeds, eats the tender bark and branches of willow and aspen. In autumn and spring it can make significant migrations and even crosses built-up areas along watercourses with natural banks. It is an indicator of low-polluted rivers and reservoirs with well-developed near-water vegetation.

Negative factors. Pollution of small rivers by storm runoff. Park improvement of river floodplains, accompanied by strengthening of banks and destruction of near-water vegetation. Unregulated recreational use of coastal zones and the resulting degradation of near-water vegetation. There is a shortage in the natural areas of Moscow of wetlands suitable for wintering water voles with the necessary reserves of plant food.

Security measures taken. The main habitats of the species are located in protected areas - in the Losiny Ostrov NP, Izmailovo, Kosinsky, Tsaritsyno (Yazvenka River Valley NP), Moskvoretsky, Tushinsky (Tushinskaya PP). Bowl"), PP "Valley of the Skhodnya River in Kurkino", PP "Serebryany Bor". It is planned to form the Federal Law “Brateevskaya Floodplain” and “Long Ponds”, the Forest Law “Valley of the Chermyanka River”, the establishment of the PPR “Filinskoe Bog” and “Kosinsky Lakes”,

ZU "Saburovsky Bay" and several ZU in the habitats of the species in the Mnevnikovskaya and Krylatskaya floodplains. Change the view state. After 1985, the distribution and number of water voles both in individual natural areas and throughout the city decreased significantly. In 2001-2010 this trend has continued. In no less than 4 previously known habitats, the water vole has reliably disappeared. The species is listed in the Red Book of Moscow with KR 3.

Necessary measures to preserve the species. Priority creation of the Federal Law “Maryinskaya Floodplain”, “Brateevskaya Floodplain” and “Long Ponds”, PPR “Filinskoe Bog” and “Kosinsky Lakes”, establishment of planned conservation areas in known habitats of the species. Development and implementation of effective measures to reduce the level of pollution of small rivers and floodplain reservoirs flowing through protected areas. Preservation of oxbow lakes and semi-aquatic vegetation during the improvement of river valleys and allocation of landfills in places suitable for wintering and summer habitat of water voles. Streamlining the recreational use of coastal zones in permanent habitats of the species.

Information sources. 1. Data from B.L. Samoilov. 2. V.I. Bulavintsev, l.s. 3. Data from G.V. Morozova. 4. Carrying out an inventory of natural objects.., 2003. 5. Data from O.O. Tolstenkov. 6. Reconnaissance survey.., 2004. Authors: B.L. Samoilov, G.V. Morozova.

The water rat, also known as the European vole, belongs to the hamster family. A rodent can be called differently. Natural environment habitats are areas in close proximity to bodies of water. Less common in fields, meadows, vegetable gardens, and orchards. It approaches human lands during floods, fires, and with the onset of cold weather.

Description of appearance

Water rats are similar to the common muskrat. The appearance characteristics are determined by the ridged body, shortened muzzle, small, almost invisible ears, and fluffy fur. The fur is smooth, silky, and much longer than that of an ordinary rat. It makes the legs appear short.

What does it look like water rat, experts know, others confuse it with rodents familiar to humans. Below is a photo of a water rat where you can clearly see the differences.

The eyes are small. Diagnosed by the presence of yellowish incisors in the middle part. The length of a water rat's tail is ½ of 2/3 of its body. Somewhat shorter than . It has a round cross-section, is covered with short hair, ends in bare skin, and has a visible brush 0.5 cm long at the tip.

The body length of a water rat depends on its habitat and geographic location. In one territory there are animals with a body from 110 to 260 mm. The rodent weighs 120-330 g. Average weight animal 140-250 g. The sea rat in the photo below has more large sizes. The river rat in the photo has a more rounded shape and a short body.

The wool has a significant layer of down. The appearance of the rodent does not change depending on the season. The color is one-color - in gray, brown, black tones. Some individuals have white stripe at the tip of the tail.

On a note!

The furry animal did not escape the attention of people. Fur is used for sewing outerwear, hats for women. The products are shiny, neat, and warm.

Habitat

The vole is found throughout the world. Water rats live in forests, fields, steppes, and deserts. They prefer habitats closer to water. They know how to swim well, they like coolness, but not cold.

Many people are interested in where the water rat lives. Some representatives of humanity are trying to find fur-bearing animals in order to sew expensive products, while others are trying to destroy them.

The waterfowl rat builds burrows in the ground. Builds numerous passages and underground passages. It breeds there, feeds its offspring, and overwinters. With the coming unfavorable conditions– flood, lack of food, moves to drier areas. Periodically returns to water.

On a note!

In most cases, underwater rats prefer to be found near swamps. Standing water freezes quickly with the onset of cold weather. By mid-autumn the animal begins to look for a more suitable habitat for wintering. Human lands are attracted by the loose soil, warmth, and abundance of food.

Animal nutrition

It’s not hard to guess what the water rat eats. Animal despite being cute appearance, is a predator. In terms of feeding, it is practically no different from an ordinary domestic rat. Maybe in large quantities eat grain crops, cereals, vegetables, gnaw trees, and are not averse to feasting on other small mice.

Scientists have noticed that the vole population increases once every 8 years. Individuals begin to populate all areas suitable for life, causing damage to agriculture and gardens. Behind warm season an adult reproduces 2 offspring. By autumn they have time to grow up and cause pests on a par with adults.

Harm to humans

The water rat feels great in grain fields and gardens. When there is a large population, the damage can be colossal. The animal does not so much eat the grain as spoil the fields. Digs numerous passages, holes, leaves a mound of earth on the surface. The stems fall and intertwine with each other. Grain disappears on the ground, loses its properties and presentation.

The crop pest can ruin the harvest of carrots, beets, and potatoes. Only legumes, onions, and garlic are not attractive. Avoids these beds. In gardens, young and old trees suffer from the water rat. The animal gnaws the bark, destroys seedlings, and feasts on the fruits.

On a note!

If there are grain and vegetable storage facilities, it prefers to settle in these places. It winters safely, and with the onset of spring it makes its way closer to swamps, rivers, and other environments.

Water - leptospirosis, fever, tularemia, vector-borne diseases. Can eat infected dead body animal, brings infection to humans. The issue of pest control concerns not only crops, but also health.

Getting Rid of a Water Rat

Human efforts are directed more toward expulsion than destruction. Use inhumanely and dangerously. Domestic cats, dogs, and other animals that are natural enemies rats The exceptions are large fields, premises - barns, storage facilities. There you can fight with rat poison.

Traps are not suitable for use in open areas. The product performs well in barns, storage facilities, and cellars. They even use glue traps where possible.

The main task is to expel them from the garden, field, garden or prevent entry.

• Fence your plot of land or garden with a fence with small gaps, concrete the bottom or lay a row of bricks. The water rat will not undermine the ground.
• In the garden, plant legumes, onions, garlic, and peppermint in different areas. Rodents cannot tolerate these odors.
• Wormwood, tansy, chamomile, and peppermint are scattered across the beds.
• When holes are found, rags soaked in kerosene, gasoline, naphthalene, and acetone are stuffed into the hole. To make the smell last a long time, place the rag in a plastic bag and make a small hole in it.
• The wool is set on fire and placed near the hole. This smell drives out pests almost immediately.
• Scatter balls of burdock around the garden. Water rats are afraid of the weed because of its thorns. It sticks tightly to the fur, restricts movement, and causes a lot of inconvenience.
• Sprinkle wood ash. It irritates the skin and causes upset if it enters the stomach. Constant poor health forces the rodent to leave the intended territory.
• Trees are coated with lime in combination with copper sulfate. In the fall, a belt is constructed from different materials, pine branches, plastic bottles, roofing felt, etc.

The fight against rodents is underway folk ways. The main task is to expel them from the territory and prevent re-entry. There is no point in destroying fur-bearing animals recklessly.

If you have a garden plot, you have probably encountered pests in it. And the first of them - various kinds rodents. Mice, moles, gophers... Whoever ruins our gardens! One of the most common pests is the water vole, also known as the water rat. What are these animals and what danger do they pose?

Water voles: appearance and distribution

Water voles are sometimes called water rats or mice, but, strictly speaking, they have a very indirect relationship with these rodents, despite their external resemblance to them. These animals actually belong to the hamster family, although they bear little resemblance to the familiar domestic hamsters. Water voles look about the same as common voles, but they are noticeably larger. An adult can reach 15–25 cm, with the tail making up most of its length.

Water voles prefer to live in wetlands

This animal has thick, fluffy dark gray fur from the beginning of its short muzzle to the base of its tail, which is covered with hair and has a small tassel at the end.

You can meet the vole almost throughout the entire territory of Eurasia - right up to Siberia and the North Caucasus. Most of all, she likes marshy areas and the banks of reservoirs, but fields, meadows and even vegetable gardens are also excellent for their life. These animals are very tenacious and prolific, so nothing threatens their spread.

Water vole can breed up to eight times in one year

However, the latter is hardly one of the good news - people associated with agriculture, know voles firsthand and it is not in vain that they strive to exterminate them. These rodents spoil cereal crops and gnaw trees, causing significant damage. Voles do not attack people and when they meet, they will most likely try to hide. However, if you catch an animal with your bare hands, it may bite you. But it is better to avoid such an experience: rodents spread leptospirosis, tularemia, Omsk hemorrhagic fever and other dangerous diseases.

Damage caused by voles

If your country cottage area located in rural areas, especially near rivers, lakes and swamps, prepare for uninvited guests. Water voles, despite their name, live well in drier areas, including farms, vegetable warehouses, granaries, home gardens and vegetable gardens.

Small depressions (burrows) will appear in your area if water voles appear there

With the onset of cold weather, these rodents necessarily migrate from frozen bodies of water. Your site is perfect for voles' burrows, and your plantings are perfect for feeding them. The pest will happily eat your crop and ask for more. At the same time, it will also gnaw the stems and roots in your flower garden. Moreover, fruit trees will also be in danger: voles grow teeth very quickly, and in order to grind them down in a timely manner, they are forced to constantly chew something hard. Tree bark seems to them the most suitable dental material. Naturally, trees deprived of bark subsequently die. This is exactly the fate that can befall your apple and cherry trees.

Video: rodent nutritional features

Ways to control water voles

Few villagers or summer residents are willing to share their harvest with rodents. Therefore, people try to get rid of them as soon as possible. It’s good if a trained mouse-cat or ferret lives in your house. These predators are able to catch those pests that managed to run into the area, and also force others to avoid your garden.

Mouser cats (especially calico cats) are considered the best vole hunters

But what if your pet is not interested in hunting or you don’t have one at all?

Chemicals against voles

One of the most popular and affordable options is to use pesticides against voles, and kill others along with these rodents. Manufacturers usually produce universal rodenticides. They are very easy to use: just buy them in a store and act strictly according to the instructions. As a rule, it is proposed to place such rat poison next to rodent burrows. It is not difficult to detect them: the places where the animals come to the surface look like piles of earth rising in the middle of the grass or garden bed. Poison is usually mixed into the bait. The vole eats it and then dies from poisoning.

There is another use case chemicals. In the spring, you can place cotton wool or dry grass treated with poison near the holes. The voles drag it into their homes to furnish the “interior,” while the poisoned dust falls on the fur of the pests, after which it is licked off by them.

Photo gallery: popular rodenticides

Mouse poison is a poisonous rodent repellent that guarantees 100% mortality for water voles
Rat Crash - the original highly effective rodenticide
Help Boyscout - a product used indoors, but also suitable for garden plots Efa - a poisonous bait for rodents The Rodentoff product can also be produced in the form of ready-made houses with poison

There are two serious arguments against the use of rodenticides in the garden. Firstly, this method is not suitable if you or your neighbors keep pets. Your pet can either fall for a poisonous bait or get poisoned by catching and eating a vole that has tasted the chemicals. Secondly, poisoning animals is still very cruel. Think about it, wouldn’t you really feel sorry for a small furry animal writhing in terrible agony? However, if your answer is negative, then, of course, it’s worth a try.

Folk ways to get rid of the problem

Folk remedies against voles can be divided into two large groups according to the principle of action. The first is poisoning animals using household chemicals. The bait is made by the gardener with his own hands from products such as bread, vegetable puree, cheese. Then a toxic component is added to them, for example, zinc phosphide or arsenous calcium and sodium. Most often used in its “pure” form wood ash, in mixtures - flour with gypsum or sugar with quicklime. It is also suggested to mix finely chopped wine cork with vegetable oil and bread crumbs. All this leads to poisoning or indigestion in the rodent, and then to its death.

Second group folk remedies aimed at scaring away animals. Here you can use the following options:

• Smell of chemicals. Many people advise soaking pieces of rags or cotton wool with strong-smelling household liquids and plugging voles’ passages with them. Typically, gasoline, kerosene, turpentine and Vishnevsky ointment are used for impregnation. The strong smell repels rodents.

Burnt wool. It is believed that garden pests, including voles, cannot tolerate this smell. Some gardeners burn the corpses of captured rodents and place the charred remains in the burrows of those who are still alive. But it’s enough to just singe pieces of some unnecessary, old fur and put them on it - the effect will be the same.

Fresh manure. Another option to add to the collection of unpleasant odors. It is recommended to put the product in rodent burrows, blocking all the exits that can be found on the site.

Unpleasant sounds. In the area of ​​vole burrows, 1.5–2-meter hollow stems of reeds or ordinary reeds are dug deep into the ground glass bottles. In windy weather, these improvised “pipes” begin to vibrate and make sounds that frighten the animals.

The bottles are dug into the ground with the neck up so that the wind can easily penetrate inside.

Vegetation barrier

A great way to scare away water voles and prevent the appearance of new ones is to properly plant garden crops and plant special anti-rodent plants. For this different kinds legumes (beans, beans, peas), Bell pepper, onions and garlic should be planted around vegetable beds that you want to protect from pests.

Some vegetable crops are real enemies of water voles

It is worth planting fragrant herbs under the trees, around the bushes and in the flower garden. Wormwood, mint, celandine, elderberry and (it is even popularly called a rat racer) will cope best with the task of scaring away voles. Coriander, chamomile, wild rosemary and lovage are also suitable.

Photo gallery: grasses against voles

Chamomile is a classic remedy for pest control. The roots of black elderberry emit a mammal repellent. hydrocyanic acid, therefore, water voles will not settle near the plant Wormwood is a universal plant that repels both insects and some animals Celandine is able to fight numerous pests of the garden and vegetable garden
To repel water voles, it is recommended to plant black root, one of the popular names of which is “mouse eater.”

Prevention of occurrence

Now you know many ways to combat voles, but it would be best if they did not appear in your garden at all, wouldn’t it? There are a number of specific preventive measures that should be taken for this:

• Harvest. It should be carried out promptly and carefully: there should be no remains of vegetables and root crops, spoiled fruits and tops on the beds. All this needs to be either thrown away or buried in compost.
• Plant processing. To prevent damage to the trunks of garden trees, coat them with a solution of lime and copper sulfate. You can also build a protective “belt” for them from roofing felt, plastic or branches of thorny plants.
• Digging. In the fall, when you close the dacha season, be sure to dig the beds deeply. This will help the earth rest, destroy rodent burrows, and destroy some insect pests.
• Cleanliness and tidiness. Take care of your garden plot. Make sure that weeds, fallen leaves, carrion and other things do not accumulate in the beds and under the trees. organic waste. Put it all in compost, for which be sure to set aside a fenced area somewhere in the far corner. In addition, the remains of grass and tops should not lie in the boundaries, and water should not be allowed to stagnate.
• Cats. Even if your cat is a lazy fat cat who doesn't care about mice, his scent can repel voles. Let your pet run around the garden. If you don’t have a cat, you can imitate its presence by scattering cat litter around the area. This product is saturated with a subtle odor, which rodents will also perceive as an alarm signal.

Vole family (Microtidae).

In Belarus, the water vole is an ordinary, widespread species, found throughout the territory, reaching its highest numbers in the southern regions. The main habitat of the water vole is western Polesie; it is less common in the floodplains of the Dnieper, Drut, Berezina, Sozh, Neman and even less often in the basin Western Dvina, which is due to varying degrees of swampiness in the floodplains of rivers and lakes. The animals studied belong to the typical subspecies A. t. terrestris. For the south of Belarus, another subspecies is indicated, perhaps even a species - A. t. schermani. Previously it was not indicated for Polesie. There is a contact zone between these subspecies across Belarus, which requires additional research.

Body length 13.5-21.5 cm, tail 6.3-12.8 cm, hind foot 2.3-3.3 cm, ear 1.3-1.9 cm. Body weight 80-180 g. Externally resembles a rat. The body is massive, clumsy, the limbs are relatively short. The third toe on the fore and hind limbs is longer than the fourth. The soles of the paws are without hair, with the exception of the comb-like edge of hard thick hair around the edges. The tail is covered with sparse, hard and short hair. The head is large, the ears barely protrude from the fur. Internal outgrowths upper lips quite large, covered with hair, but not fused together and not completely isolating the incisors from the oral cavity.

There are 16 teeth. Cheek teeth have no roots and grow throughout life.

The hairline is quite high, silky, thick and soft, with a sharp division into guard and down hairs. There are specific skin glands. The color of the back is reddish-brown, dark brown, sometimes dark chocolate or black; on the sides it is lighter with a gray-rusty tint. The color of the chest and belly is gray-lead, with a weak or well-defined rusty admixture. Specified for the south of Belarus A. t. schermani is the smallest, dark-colored form with poorly developed reddish tones in the color of the top and sides, a clearly two-color tail, and a bare calcaneal tubercle.

It differs from rats by its short ears, slightly protruding from the fur, from muskrats by its round tail, and from gray voles by its larger size.

Lives in colonies along meadow and swampy floodplains, lake shores, swamps, alder forests, thickets of rivers and their tributaries. In typical habitats, the water vole makes highly branched burrows with several exits, sometimes opening under water, as well as short feeding burrows. When digging holes, it throws out heaps of earth similar to molehills, but they are flatter and contain the remains of plants.

At the end of August - September, when there is less food and shelter in wetlands, water voles partially migrate to adjacent fields, gardens and orchards. Here they make complex wintering burrows with supplies for the winter and live until spring. During the years of mass reproduction, evicted water rats cause considerable damage. In gardens, they build winter nests in the root system of fruit trees, usually apple trees, gnaw the succulent bark from the roots, and most often gnaw them completely root system at the very trunk. In the spring, such a tree falls from its own weight. In the fields, rats dig holes in potato crops, eat tubers, and spoil beets, corn and other crops.

Residential burrows, about 3 m long, have a nesting chamber located at a depth of up to 1 m. In heavily swampy places where digging burrows is prohibited, the animals make their homes in high hummocks, rotten stumps and hollows of fallen trees. Sometimes in thickets of sedge and reeds they make spherical nests and huts. Where voles live, there are many paths trodden among the thickets.

The vole is active (with interruptions) around the clock. The animals swim and dive well. They can climb sloping trees and bushes, where they often escape during floods.

Of all the mouse-like rodents found in Belarus, the water vole has the highest migratory activity. For this species, 5 types of migrations are distinguished, differing in nature and the reasons that cause them: feeding migrations, dispersal migrations, concentration migrations, migrations of displacement by competitors, migrations of displacement by floods. Feeding migrations can be of the nature of seasonal evictions, when animals leave their habitats for 1, 2, 3 seasons, up to the beginning of the breeding season, arrange temporary shelters and shelters in places of eviction, or be short-term (daily), when animals leave their habitats for feeding and regularly return to burrows and huts in the main biotopes. The distance of daily feeding migrations reaches 1.5-2 km, seasonal migrations exceed 5 km.

In summer, the water vole feeds mainly on green food, consisting of coastal and floating plants (reed, cattail, arrowhead, reeds, sedges, horsetails, pondweed, egg capsules). They prefer the basal parts of stems, leaves, rhizomes, flowers; they also love seeds, buds and bark of young trees and shrubs. Eats food in certain places, where trampled areas are formed, the so-called “feeding tables” with the remains of chewed plants. Occasionally, the animals obtain mollusks, insects (diving beetles, dragonflies) and other animal food. In autumn, after the herbaceous vegetation dies, voles switch to feeding on tubers, rhizomes and other underground parts of plants. They make significant reserves for the winter. In winter, voles make long passages under the snow and gnaw the bark of trees, sometimes causing great damage to orchards.

The water vole is highly fertile. In the conditions of Belarus, the animals reproduce throughout the warm period of the year, bringing 2-4 litters with 2-10 cubs (6-7 on average) in each. The first pregnant females appear in May, the last in August. Pregnancy lasts about 3 weeks. Peak breeding usually occurs in June. Young voles develop very quickly and some of the young first broods, starting from 1.5-2 months of age, begin breeding in the same year. As a result of mass reproduction, in some years there are sharp “outbreaks” in numbers, and then hordes of animals rush into the fields in the fall, causing significant damage to crops of potatoes, root crops, grains, eating fruits and seeds, and also damaging seedlings of fruit trees.

A feature of the biology of the water vole is very high fluctuations in numbers over time with large intervals between them having the character of deep depressions. The last, very large outbreak in Belarus, which had the character of mass reproduction, was noted in 1956-1959. It should be noted that the areas of mass breeding of the water vole are relatively limited in area and local in nature, while the depression of recent years has affected almost the entire territory of Belarus. High fertility determines the rapid recovery of water vole numbers after depressions and high population density, especially in the southern regions. The causes and mechanisms of depression have not been studied enough.

The water vole is of commercial importance. Its skins are secondary fur raw materials. Vole fishing is permitted year-round. They feed on them carnivorous mammals and birds.

Water voles are carriers of pathogens dangerous to animals and humans infectious diseases- tularemia, leptospirosis, etc.

It's pretty large rodent- its body length is 14–22 cm, tail 7–12 cm (about half the body length, well pubescent), body weight from 70 to 180 g. The fur is dark and lush.

• Habitat biotope. Floodplains, lakes, swamps.
• What does it eat? Aquatic and coastal, meadow plants, root crops.
• Ecology of the species. In summer it lives in burrows near water, in autumn it migrates to drier meadows and crop fields, where it overwinters. Sets up “feeding tables” - places where he brings and eats cut plants. For the winter it stores up to several kilograms of rhizomes and potatoes. It breeds two to three times a year from May to August. There are from 2 to 10 cubs in a litter. It is a source of human infection with tularemia.

With the exception of voles, it is larger than all other voles, as well as mice. It is very widespread, traces of its activity can be found almost throughout Russia, except for the Far North and Transbaikalia.

From spring and all summer, this animal stays near reservoirs, near swamps, next to fields, along quiet river creeks and oxbow lakes. In some places, its closest neighbors may be the muskrat, which often settles along the banks of rivers, and in addition, smaller ones. So when identifying its paw prints and other traces of activity, you should be especially careful not to confuse these traces with the traces of other semi-aquatic animals.

This rodent lives in simple burrows ending in a nesting chamber located 10–15 cm from the ground surface. The passages dug by him have oval shape. At the same time, the height of the passages is greater than their width - this makes it possible to distinguish water vole burrows from underground galleries, which also have an oval shape, but their width exceeds their height. This animal also settles inside swamp hummocks or in rotten trunks, arranging large nests of dry grass inside them.

Feeds water rat(this is also what this vole is called) is the succulent parts of semi-aquatic plants. She swims cut stems of sedges, reeds, arrowheads and other plants to the shore and eats them on feeding tables - small trampled areas at the water's edge.

Its feeding table is similar to that of a muskrat, but usually smaller in size. In addition, from the paw prints or at least from the droppings left here, one can say with confidence who and the animals used this area. Dark olive water rat droppings look like large oval grains about 10x5 mm in size. In terms of the size of individual grains, it is significantly inferior to muskrat droppings, although in other respects it is very similar to it, and is noticeably larger than the droppings of other voles.

Inspecting the feeding tables of a water rat, you can notice that this animal, like the muskrat, eats only the lower whitish part of the stems, the most juicy and tender. It is also known that sometimes the water rat eats shellfish, insects, and small fish.

The lower surface of the left pair of paws of a water vole; above - front paw

In autumn, animals leave reservoirs and move to drier places - fields, gardens or forest edges. Here they dig complex burrows and store tubers and roots of wild and cultivated plants in them. Sometimes they damage gardens and spoil fruit trees by gnawing on the bark.

It is often written in books that the tracks of water voles are similar to the tracks of other voles, but larger. However, given the size of the paw prints of water rats, it is more logical to compare them with the tracks of rats, rather than small rodents. The supporting surfaces of the legs of this animal are somewhat longer and wider than those of an equal-sized animal, but noticeably smaller than those of an adult pasuk.

Only 4 toes are well developed on the front paw. They are quite long, with strong claws. The hind foot is five-fingered, but the shortest finger of this rodent is not the inner (1st), but the outer (5th), and it is not visible on all prints. Water rats have well-developed plantar tubercles, which are clearly imprinted on the tracks.

The size of the sole of the front foot is 1.8 × 1.3, the back one is 3.2 × 1.5 cm. The front foot leaves a four-fingered imprint on soft ground with widely spread fingers pointed at the ends, the imprint of the hind foot is also four-fingered. Very clear prints even on good soil happen infrequently. But usually the plantar tubercles are clearly visible on the tracks.

Tracks of a water vole: a, b - tracks of tracks when the animal moves, respectively, in short leaps and steps; c - prints of four paws; g - litter

The water rat, like other rodents, can move in different gaits, but most often it moves in short leaps, 20–30 cm long. At the same time, the classic trapezium, as in the tracks of mice and rats, when the hind legs are lifted significantly higher than the front ones, is usually not visible in the tracks of a water rat.

Based on the arrangement of the paws, its four-beams are more reminiscent of footprints. The tail leaves a mark on the snow in the form of a narrow strip behind the paw prints only on some tracks. In warm, snowless times, even on soft, damp sand, most prints do not show traces of the tail.