Introduction

The water vole, or ‘water rat’ as it is often mistakenly called, was formerly one our most familiar and abundant riverside mammals. This mistaken identity may perhaps be due, in part, to the popular character of ‘Ratty’ in Kenneth Grahame’s ‘Wind in the Willows,’ but the historical familiarity of this animal is also reflected in the numerous other local names for the species, including ‘waterdog,’ ‘water mole’ and ‘earth hound.’ In Gaelic, it is known as ‘radan uisge’ or ‘lamhallan.’

Sadly, Ratty is now one of our most threatened native mammals. The species has undergone a dramatic decline, particularly during the latter part of the twentieth century. Two national surveys undertaken in 1989-90 and 1996-98 have revealed that voles have been lost from many areas where they were formerly common.

This web-based publication aims to provide land managers and others interested in conserving water voles with an overview of the species in Scotland, the threats that it faces and, most importantly, advice on the management practices that are considered beneficial and may help to reverse the decline. Ideally, all of the management suggestions herein would have been rigorously field-tested over a number of years for efficacy. The reality is that the plight of the water vole is such that we cannot afford to wait for the results of such long-term experiments before taking action, and so the advice is based on the best information that is currently available. As our knowledge increases some of the advice will be refined and modified. Feedback from practitioners is therefore welcomed, so that future revised editions can incorporate as much of the collective experience gained as possible.