Western water vole
| Western water vole | ||||||||||||
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Western water vole ( Arvicola sapidus ) |
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| Arvicola sapidus | ||||||||||||
| Miller , 1908 |
The western water vole ( Arvicola sapidus , syn .: Arvicola tenebricus , Microtus musiniani ) is a rodent from the genus of the water voles ( Arvicola ) in the family of the root (Cricetidae). The species is endemic to southwest Europe.
description
With a body length of 17 to 22 centimeters, a tail length of 9.8 to 14.4 centimeters and a weight of 150 to 300 grams, it is on average larger than the very similar Eastern water vole ( Arvicola amphibius ). The tail is relatively longer, the snout more pointed and the fur darker. It has 40 chromosomes, the Eastern water vole only 36 chromosomes.
Occurrence and way of life
She lives in France, Spain and Portugal. The western water vole is closely tied to rivers and swamps with dense vegetation. She is diurnal and nocturnal and swims well. Their changes can be seen clearly in the vegetation. Their construction in the embankments has an underwater entrance and sometimes a ventilation duct. The nest can also be hidden above ground in bulbs of grass, marsh plants or hollow willows. The duct system is sometimes branched and spread out. Sometimes she builds up supplies. The western water vole is not very loud and whistling sounds can be heard occasionally. The food mainly consists of aquatic plants, but rarely also uses animal food. Between March and October, the female gives birth to two to eight young three to four times. She is not very sociable and lives in small family groups. In contrast to the Eastern water vole, which is known for its root-feeding, damage from this species is not known.
Others
Until the early 20th century, the western water vole was a common ingredient in paella, which is particularly widespread in Valencia .
literature
- Frederik H. van den Brink: The mammals of Europe west of the 30th degree of longitude. 2nd, revised edition. Paul Parey, Hamburg et al. 1972, 2nd edition 1972, ISBN 3-490-00218-0 .
- Anthony J. Mitchell-Jones, Giovanni Amori, Wieslaw Bogdanowicz, Boris Krystufek, PJH Reijnders, Friederike Spitzenberger, Michael Stubbe, Johan BM Thissen, Vladimiŕ Vohralik, Jan Zima: The Atlas of European Mammals. Poyser, London, 1999, ISBN 0-85661-130-1 , pp. 220-221.
Web links
- Western water vole with an enlargeable distribution map in the IUCN Red List
- Photos with further information (Spanish)