Which location preference guides the water vole's summer feeding strategy?
Answer
Emergent vegetation growing up from the water or along the bank edge
The water vole's feeding behavior is strongly oriented toward vegetation that is actively growing either directly out of the water or immediately adjacent to it along the bank. They concentrate their efforts on consuming the stems and leaves of these emergent plants. Although they are semi-aquatic, their digestive system is optimized for processing this type of high-fiber flora rather than plants that are completely underwater or strictly terrestrial. This preference ensures they are consuming the tender, actively growing parts of grasses, sedges, and rushes, which are easier to process than strictly aquatic flora.
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