Water Vole Survey in Scotland

The Water Vole, Arvicola terrestris, is legally protected by Section 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 because of it's widespread decline due to habitat fragmentation and mink predation. This protection means it is illegal to injure or kill Water Voles or destroy their burrows.

A Water Vole survey undertaken by the Wildlife Survey unit would:

• Collate available desk records from the Local Biological Records Centre
• Identify the presence of Water Voles within a given area
• Define the number of burrows, latrines and feeding stations present
• Provide an estimate of the population size
• Define measures needed to be taken to ensure legal compliance

All survey methodology follows the methods detailed in the WildCru's The Water Vole Conservation Handbook (3rd edition).

Water Vole (Arvicola amphibius)

Unusual Water Vole burrow system under now melted snow