No.063 · Mammals · Common
Skomer vole
Clethrionomys glareolus skomerensis
A bold, chestnut-brown vole found nowhere in the world except Skomer: an island subspecies of the bank vole, larger and tamer than its mainland cousins.
When to look
April to October, mostly at dawn, day and dusk.
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Time of day
- Dawn
- Day
- Dusk
- Night
- Best time
- Daytime on Skomer, April–September, along paths and stone walls.
- Where in the game
- the Pembrokeshire coast (island)
- Size
- Larger and bolder than the mainland bank vole, which is 8–12 cm head and body (Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales; PTES)
- Lifespan
- Mainland bank voles live up to about 18 months (PTES); no Skomer-specific figure was found
- Status
- An island subspecies of the bank vole (Myodes glareolus skomerensis), found only on Skomer
Diet
Mostly plant food such as grass, roots, seeds and fruit, plus insects and earthworms (as for mainland bank voles, PTES)
Habitat
Bracken, grassland, walls and burrows across the whole island
Breeding
Mainland bank voles have litters of 3–5 between April and October (PTES); Skomer-specific timings were not found
Field signs
- A chestnut-brown vole on the path with a short tail and blunt nose
- Runs and tunnels through bracken and short turf
- Nibbled plants and small heaps of droppings
- Active by day as well as night, so often seen from the path
Did you know?
- It is a unique subspecies that has evolved on Skomer and is larger and bolder than its mainland cousins (Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales).
- Skomer has no rats, mink or stoats, so the voles are not used to ground predators and are quite tame.
- Skomer's only land mammals are the vole, wood mouse, rabbit and two shrews, plus bats (Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales).
Moments worth waiting for
- Vole on the path
A chestnut vole pops out of the bracken, sits up on the path and eyes you with no fear at all.
Photo tip
Sit still on the path near a wall or bracken patch, wide-angle lens with a remote if you can, or a 100–300 mm lens from a low position. Voles will often come very close, so avoid sudden moves and never offer food.
Be a good naturalist
Skomer's voles are wild animals in a National Nature Reserve: do not feed them, chase them or move anything they use for shelter, and never leave food waste, which upsets the island's balance. Stay on the paths.
The law
Skomer is a National Nature Reserve managed by the Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales, which keeps rats and other ground predators off the island; the vole has no separate legal listing that could be found