Water vole art print

Description

Water vole art print

A5 art print of a Water vole

The bottom of the print includes the mammal’s English and Latin names:
Water vole – Arvicola amphibius

Suggested mount & frame size for this A5 print:
8 x 10 inch (200 x 250 mm approx)

Other semi-aquatic mammals art prints include: Beaver art print, Grey seal art print and Otter art print,

About the Water Vole

Water voles have glossy brown or black fur and a blunt muzzle with small, black eyes. Their ears are rounded and almost hidden, and they have a dark, slightly furry tail. They are mostly active during the day, sitting on their hind feet and feeding on grass stalks held in their front paws. If they are disturbed, they dive into the water with a characteristic ‘plop’ sound. When they swim, their head and back are visible.

Water voles have undergone one of the most serious declines of any wild mammal in Britain during the 20th century. The intensification of agriculture in the 1940s and 1950s caused the loss and degradation of habitat, but the most rapid period of decline was during the 1980s and 1990s as American mink spread. Between 1989 and 1998, the population fell by almost 90 per cent!

Read more about the water vole and the People’s Trust for Endangered Species

Did you know?

Water voles are the largest species of vole in Britain and are sometimes mistaken for brown rats, which can be found in a similar habitat. They are also sometimes commonly known as the water rat or water dog. The beloved ‘Ratty’ in Kenneth Grahame’s classic children’s tale, The Wind in the Willows was actually a water vole. Despite being sometimes referred to as a ‘water rat’, there is no such thing – there are brown rats, black rats and water voles.