Bank Vole vs cloaked bulrush

Myodes glareolus compared with Scirpus pallidus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bank Vole	cloaked bulrush
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Liliopsida (Monocots)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Poales (Grasses)
Family	Cricetidae	Cyperaceae
Genus	Myodes	Scirpus
Species	Myodes glareolus	Scirpus pallidus

Conservation Status

Bank Vole

LC — Least Concern

cloaked bulrush

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bank Vole	cloaked bulrush
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bank Vole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (Canada).

cloaked bulrush

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Found in Canada.

Bank Vole

Bank Vole (Myodes glareolus) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Cloaked bulrush refers to a wetland sedge species in the genus Scirpus or closely related genera in the family Cyperaceae, characterized by flowering spikelets partially enclosed or concealed by subtending bracts giving the inflorescence a 'cloaked' appearance. Bulrushes of this type are emergent aquatic plants found in freshwater marshes, fens, lake margins, and wet meadows across temperate regions of Europe, Asia, and North America. They produce robust, cylindrical or triangular stems rising from creeping rhizomes, with clusters of small, scale-covered spikelets that release wind-dispersed achenes. Scirpus and related genera play important ecological roles in wetland ecosystems, providing habitat and food for waterfowl, wading birds, and invertebrates, while stabilizing shorelines and filtering nutrients from agricultural runoff. The dense root systems of bulrushes trap sediments and contribute organic matter to wetland soils. Many wetland sedge species face pressure from drainage, water level manipulation, eutrophication, and invasive species competition, making conservation of naturally functioning wetland habitats critical for their persistence.