September 2005 The Water Vole has become one of Britain's rarest mammals. Its population has declined dramatically from about 8 million in 1960 to about 220,000 in 2004. The main cause has been the farming and subsequent escape of American Mink which is a major predator of the Water Vole, combined with poor management of waterways in some areas.
It looks a bit like a rat but has a rounder nose, short ears and a furry tail. They build their burrows in the banks of slow-moving rivers and feed on grasses and plants.
There is a page on this species on Wikipedia.
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