Description
Book SynopsisAn essential guide to assist those surveying for water voles, whether as a professional ecological consultant, a researcher or simply an interested amateur. This book provides detailed descriptions of all the habitats used by water voles, including ideal habitats as well as less typical places, with annotated photos to help the surveyor home in on just the right areas to look. It also contains a comprehensive photographic reference guide to assist in the correct identification of water vole field signs, and explains how to distinguish them from those of similar species. Tips on where and how to search for field signs are also provided, along with guidance on how best to record survey data.
Trade ReviewThe book is very much my type of book and it will make a great reference addition to my office bookshelf. All too often in my opinion, photographs get a back seat in ecology related literature... nothing beats a book that the field based individual such as me can relate to.
-- Simon Booth, photographer and professional ecologist
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements
1. Introduction
A bit of background
Personal experience
Legal protection in the UK
Competence
2. Habitat
Where do you find water voles?
What does ‘ideal’ habitat for water voles look like?
Habitat requirements
Dry areas for burrows or above-ground nests
Herbaceous vegetation as food and cover
Water
How to assess likely value of habitat
Water voles in terrestrial habitat
3. What does a water vole look like?
4. Looking for field signs
Different field signs
When to search
Where to search
How to search
Other factors to consider
Health, safety and biosecurity
5. Droppings and latrines
Characteristics of water vole droppings
Latrines
How many droppings constitute a latrine?
What can latrines tell us?
Terrestrial, or fossorial, water voles
Rat droppings
Field vole and bank vole droppings
DNA analysis
6. Feeding remains
7. Burrows
Characteristics of ‘active’ water vole burrows
Burrows of similar species
Detailed examination of burrows
8. Nests
9. Other field signs
Footprints
Runs through the vegetation
10. Other species
Droppings
Footprints
11. Recording the information
What information needs to be recorded?
How to record the information
What happens next?
Bibliography
Index
