Animal of the Month

1. Water voles can easily be confused with brown rats, as they are of similar size and colour and have similar long tails.
   
   
2. Water voles are vegetarians.
   
   
3. Water voles have been found to eat at least 227 different types of plants.
   
   
4. They dig systems of burrows in stream or river banks and sleep underground. The burrows have exits above ground and beneath the water.
   
   
5. They have as many as four litters a year, with an average of five young in each litter.
   
   
6. The number of water voles is dropping in Britain because of pollution, loss of habitat and poison.
   
   
7. Their front feet have four toes, and their back feet have five.
   
   
8. They can live for up to 18 months in the wild.
   
   
9. Water voles are active by day and by night.
   
   
10. In Russia, water voles are hunted for their fur.

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