European Water Vole (Arvicola amphibius)

OTHER NAMES: Water Vole, Water Rat
Latin Etymology: Arvicola ("field inhabitant") amphibius ("amphibious")

Adult Water Vole (subspecies A. a. amphibius) at Rainham Marshes, London - July 2010

Featured Subspecies: Arvicola amphibius amphibius
Weight: 200-350g  /  Length: 33cm
UK STATUS NOT EVALUTATED / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Also (incorrectly) named the Water Rat, and thus star of the famous novel "Wind in the Willows", the Water Vole is a reasonably large rodent which lives, as its name suggests, along bodies of water. They live in burrows near ditches ponds and streams or occasionally in nests in reed beds. They unfortunately dramatically declining, in part because of the introduction of American Mink, but also habitat loss.

Related Species:
Order: Rodentia 
Family: Cricetidae
Genus: Arvicola 
SUBSPECIES: A. a. amphibius, A. a. hintoni, A. a. illyricus, A. a. italicus, A. a. jacutensis, A. a. jenissijensis, A. a. kuznetzovi, A. a. martinoi, A. a. meridionalis, A. a. musignani, A. a. ognevi, A. a. persicus, A. a. reta, A. a. stankovici, A. a. tauricus, A. a. terrestris

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - An uncommon resident

 - Seen on several occassions at Rainham Marshes.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus,  IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

European Hamster (Cricetus cricetus)

OTHER NAMES: Eurasian Hamster, Black Bellied Hamster, Common Hamster
Latin Etymology:  Cricetus ("Hamster") cricetus ("Hamster")

Adult European Hamster (Cricetus cricetus) at Miedling Cemetary, Vienna, Austria - October 2024

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 220-460g  /  Length: 20-35cm
NO UK STATUS /  IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered

The largest species of Hamster in the world, and significantly larger than domesticated species, the European Hamster is a grassland specialist that is considered critically endangered due to persecution and the dramatic decline in grassland habitats due to farming. Like domestic species, they store food in their rather substantial cheeks to take it to their burrows.  In recent decades some of their strongholds have ended up being cemetaries where they are able to forage without being disturbed by farming practices.

Related Species:
Order: Rodentia 
Family: Cricetidae
Genus: Cricetus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

AUSTRIA - Austrian: hámster euroasiáticu - "Eurasian Hamster"

Resident in North Eastern Austria

 - VIENNA 2024: Seen in Vienna 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Common Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)

OTHER NAMES: Muskrat
Latin Etymology: Ondatra (Huron name for species) zibethicus ("musky")

One adult and three young Common Muskrat (subspecies ) at Saskatoon Lake, Alberta, Canada - July 2024

Featured Subspecies: Ondatra zibethicus spatulatus
Weight: 0.6-2kg  /  Length: 40-70cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The muskrat is an interesting species in many ways - behaviourally it is something like a miniature beaver, functioning as a habitat architect where they will clear vegetation and burrrow into banks, as well as constructing feeding platforms. Despite this, they are only distant relations, and are in actuality the largest speciess of the Cricetidae, the family containing voles, lemmings and hamsters. They are highly invasive, and while not indiginous to Eurasia, their introduced range  spreads from France through the length of Russia and Japan.

Related Species:
Order: Rodentia 
Family: Cricetidae
Genus: Ondatra 
SUBSPECIES:  O.z.zibethicus, O.z.albus,  O.z.aquilonius, O.z.bernardi, O.z.cinnamominus, O.z.goldmani, O.z.macrodon, O.z.mergens, O.z.obscurus, O.z.occipitalis, O.z.osoyoosensis, O.z.pallidus,O.z.ripensis, O.z.rivalicus, O.z.spatulatus, O.z.zalophus

 - Sighting Locations -

CANADA -Present in most places outside the tundra.
  - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: - Seen in Alberta

UNITED STATES - Found throughout most of the Lower 48 and Alaska except Tundra, Desert and Florida
 - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: Seen in Illinois

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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