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Typically, water voles are chestnut-brown in colour, so I’m trying to establish whether these might actually be melanistic voles — a darker form more commonly associated with Scotland than the East of England. I’ll be interested to see what advice comes back to help clarify this.
Either way, water voles are an endangered species, with numbers having declined by around 90% since the 1970s. American mink are a major predator of water voles, while habitat loss has also played a significant role in their decline.
I know I have at least two, as I’ve seen them together at the same time, and I’m hoping there may be more living around my pond. I’ve also spotted one in a nearby drain, which is probably how they “upgraded” their accommodation and moved into the more desirable habitat!
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