Head to head
Field Vole vs Common Vole
Field Vole
VS Common Vole
The field vole and common vole are close relatives in the genus Microtus, both small grassland herbivores that feed owls and foxes, but they differ in range, burrows, and relationship with farming.
| Field Vole | Common Vole | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Microtus agrestis | Microtus arvalis |
| Range | Much of Europe and northern Asia, including the British mainland | Continental Europe and western Russia, absent from the British mainland but present on Orkney |
| Habitat | Rough grassland, moorland, and woodland edges | Grassland and farmland |
| Diet | Grasses, leaves, and stems, and roots and bark in winter | Grasses, herbs, cereals, and roots |
| Burrows and runways | Well-worn grass runways linking burrows and nests | Burrow systems with many entrances, grouped into colonies |
| Population swings | Numbers rise and crash over a cycle of a few years in parts of northern Europe | Numbers can erupt in some years into outbreaks that damage crops and grassland |
| Farming and people | Not specifically documented | Regarded as an agricultural pest in places, and the Orkney population is thought to have been carried there by people |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Field Vole vs Common Vole: common questions
Is the common vole found in Britain?
Not on the British mainland, but a form lives on the Orkney Islands, where it is thought to have been carried by people long ago, while the field vole does live on the British mainland.
Which vole is an agricultural pest?
The common vole, whose numbers can erupt in some years into outbreaks that damage crops and grassland.
Where do the field vole and common vole live?
The field vole lives in rough grassland across Europe and northern Asia, while the common vole lives on grassland and farmland in continental Europe and western Russia.