How much larger can a male water vole's home range be than a female's?
Answer
Males can stretch up to 300 meters, females 150 meters max
Although water voles live in small family units, they exhibit strong territoriality, especially among breeding females. Female water voles defend relatively small territories, which might only cover 30 to 150 meters along the watercourse boundary. In contrast, the males maintain significantly larger home ranges that are capable of stretching up to 300 meters. These male ranges often overlap with the territories defended by several females, illustrating a difference in territorial defense strategy linked to sex.
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