Application of Habitat Suitability Assessment as an Alternative Approach to Predicting Water Vole Populations on Large Sites

Water vole survey methods normally require detailed searches for field signs to establish presence and to provide likely population estimates. However, due
to financial reasons or time limitations, this methodology may be difficult to implement on very large sites containing a complex network of water features. We report on an alternative approach to surveying water voles on such sites, based on assessment of key habitat features. This approach was validated using point searches for field signs and also latrine counts on selected 100 m stretches, supported by statistical analysis. We found that the habitat score is a good predictor of water vole presence and the higher the habitat score, the greater the number of latrines (implying higher density of water voles)