Water Voles in Eden Park?

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Guy
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Water Voles in Eden Park?

Post by Guy » September 12th, 2022, 4:24 pm

I don't have a photo to share because it moved to quickly but I'm hoping someone can confirm my ID or give me another option. I was up in Eden Park on Hood yesterday and besides the many many frogs that call Eden Park home there was a very fast moving small (3-4") rodent swimming in and under the water in the many water channels there. Often disappearing into the bank then reappearing.

Is there anything it could be besides a Water Vole?
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hiking log & photos.
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bobcat
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Re: Water Voles in Eden Park?

Post by bobcat » September 13th, 2022, 8:27 am

There are three possibilities, all suited to that habitat (although I myself have not seen any of these around Mt. Hood and have only ever seen #2):

1. Water vole (Microtus richardsonii)
2. American water shrew (Sorex palustris)
3. Pacific water shrew (Sorex bendirii)

If you got any kind of a good look at the facial profile, you should be able to decide whether it was a vole or a shrew. Distinguishing between the two shrew species based on fleeting glimpses would be much more difficult. Both water shrews are larger than the other shrew species we have.

Shrew tails are about equal to body length, while vole tails are about 1/2 body length. Your measurement is more shrew size, assuming you're excluding the tail (the voles are bigger), but it could have been a young vole.

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Guy
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Re: Water Voles in Eden Park?

Post by Guy » September 13th, 2022, 8:54 am

Many thanks Bobcat, I was hoping you would see this post.

I can see now that it was definitely one of the shrew species but I could not tell you which one. I'm temped to go back now and see if I can get a photo.

Location where I was watching it.
Image
Guy.
hiking log & photos.
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bobcat
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Re: Water Voles in Eden Park?

Post by bobcat » September 13th, 2022, 9:16 am

An S. bendirii sighting would be worth reporting, especially if you can get a good photo. Those are rare!

* I corrected relative tail length and Latin name (S. bendirii) in my first post

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