Bank Vole vs Common Lake Sedge

Myodes glareolus compared with Carex lacustris

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bank Vole	Common Lake Sedge
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	Carex
Species	Myodes glareolus	Carex lacustris

Conservation Status

Bank Vole

LC — Least Concern

Common Lake Sedge

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bank Vole	Common Lake Sedge
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).

Common Lake Sedge

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Canada and United States.

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.

Common Lake Sedge (<em>Carex lacustris</em>) is a robust emergent sedge in the family Cyperaceae, classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It is native to Canada and the United States, where it typically grows in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes, with a particular association with shallow water and the margins of lakes, ponds, rivers, and marshes. This tall, coarse sedge typically forms dense colonies along shorelines and in wet meadows, providing important habitat structure for waterfowl, amphibians, and invertebrates. Its fibrous root systems and rhizomatous growth help stabilize shoreline sediments and contribute to water quality by filtering nutrients. Common Lake Sedge is a characteristic species of North American freshwater wetland communities and is frequently used in ecological restoration projects targeting riparian and lacustrine habitats. Its stable population and broad North American range support its Least Concern assessment. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.