Mice & Voles

Mice and voles are superficially similar, but taxonomically diverse, small mammals that are abundant throughout Europe. They're all rodents (i.e., members of the Rodentia order of mammals) but are classified into different families. Dormice are assigned to the Gliridae, voles to Cricetidae, and mice to the Muridae. Globally, about 41% of all known living mammal species are rodents, making it the most diverse order with some 2,100 species. Britain is home to 17 species of rodent, nine native and the remaining eight introduced. Initially, Wildlife Online will look to cover eight species: the hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius); the edible dormouse (Glis glis); the bank vole (Myodes glareolus); the water vole (Arvicola terrestris); the harvest mouse (Micromys minutus); and the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus).

Some of these species (particularly mice) are considered pests for their penchant for feeding on seeds and sometimes entering houses, but they can also be important seed dispersers, helping woodland regeneration. They also form the base for many food webs.