Bank Vole vs common vole

Myodes glareolus compared with Microtus arvalis

Key Differences

• Bank Vole is Least Concern while common vole is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bank Vole	common vole
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order same	Rodentia (Rodents)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family same	Cricetidae	Cricetidae
Genus	Myodes	Microtus
Species	Myodes glareolus	Microtus arvalis

Evolutionary Relationship

Bank Vole and common vole share a common ancestor at the Family level: Cricetidae.

Conservation Status

Bank Vole

LC — Least Concern

common vole

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bank Vole	common vole
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 vole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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 vole

common vole (Microtus arvalis) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden