How many different plant species have British water voles been documented consuming?
Answer
Over 227 different species
The diet of the water vole is overwhelmingly herbivorous, demonstrating a surprisingly broad palate for a semi-aquatic mammal. Researchers monitoring the species across Britain have documented an extensive range of consumed flora. This palate is so wide that they have been recorded consuming over 227 different species of plant throughout the country. While their spring and summer diet focuses on soft vegetation like reeds and sedges, in colder months they shift to tougher items like roots, bulbs, and bark, occasionally supplementing this with invertebrates.
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