Water Vole

SWT Ecology Services provides Water Vole Surveys for private homeowners, developers and multi-disciplinaries, as well as public organisations and landowners in Surrey and across the South East.

About Water Vole Surveys

The sweet, humble and rather timid Water Vole is a much-loved British mammal that is a vital element of river ecosystems in the UK. The Water Vole can be found along waterways, munching their way through vegetation on the water’s edge with its blunt, rounded nose, small ears and furry tail. Easily mistaken for brown rats, Water Voles do have various similarities, though they are smaller with chestnut-brown fur. Water Voles have experienced a steep decline in numbers due to habitat loss and predation by the American Mink in recent years.

A Specialist Water Vole Survey will be required if a development is planned that could potentially harm or disturb Water Voles.

Water Vole habitat is varied and includes features such as rivers, streams, marshes, reedbeds or wet moorland. There is an elevated risk of Water Voles being present in these habitats and potentially harmed/disturbed. This type of survey will be essential in the planning permission process if suitable habitat for Water Voles is identified.

If there are features in a habitat such as silty shore banks for burrowing, wide swathes of soft vegetation flowing from the banks leading into the water, or slow-flowing water of various depths, there is enough reason to request a survey for the site.