What is the approximate duration of the water vole gestation period?
Answer
About 20 to 22 days
The reproductive strategy of the water vole is characterized by speed and high frequency to counteract high natural mortality rates. The entire gestation period, the time from conception until birth, is very short, typically lasting only about 20 to 22 days. This rapid turnaround, combined with the biological feature of postpartum estrus—where the female is ready to mate again almost immediately after giving birth—allows a single female to potentially produce between two and five litters within a single breeding season spanning from early spring through late autumn.
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