Self-development 

Water voles: description, photos, methods of control. Water vole (rat)

More precisely, the most close-up view of this family.

The animal has size from 16.5 to 22 cm(of which the tail is 6-13 cm) and body weight from 180 to 380 grams.

The body is massive, with a large head and a blunt muzzle, small almost invisible ears. The tail is round, long, covered with fine hair.

In winter the coat is thick and long, in summer it is short and sparse. Rats living in different regions differ in the type of fur they have. different places habitat or different ages.

Back color - dark brown, with various shades, the belly is dirty white. Sometimes they meet completely black animals.

The toes on the front paws are short, ending in long, slightly curved claws. The hind legs are extended. Swims great.

Vivid photos of the earth rat:




Distribution and reproduction

The ground rat can be found in the European part of the country, in the Caucasus, in Siberia (except for the regions Far North). A large number of rodents are concentrated in the south of Siberia and Central Asia.

For life selects damp places- along the banks of reservoirs, swamps and damp meadows. When the population is high, it can colonize gardens, fields and orchards.

During floods, it migrates, moving to drier and more convenient places to live.

REFERENCE! Often lives in populated areas, settling on personal plots and creating passages in thin walls and under floors.

IN southern regions under comfortable conditions, the ground rat can reproduce all year round. In other places, the process occurs from spring to autumn, two or three times.

The number of individuals in the offspring depends on the lifespan of the animal - the older the female, the more cubs she can bear. The offspring are bred underground, in a separate equipped place.

When they reach the age of one month, the young begin to live independently.

Under optimal conditions, the number of ground rats increases several times, and their number can reach 400 animals per hectare fields.

Lifestyle

Rodent exhibits activity all year round , spends almost all of its time underground in winter. By time of day, the greatest activity is concentrated in the evening and at night.

It emerges from the hole only for a short period of time, moving away a short distance - as a rule, while eating plants on the ground.

During the hottest summer and winter clogs holes from the inside. The earth produced when digging passages is thrown to the surface, forming small flat heaps different sizes and at different distances from the exit point.

Underground passages are located 10-15 cm from the ground surface. The nest usually consists of an extensive network of labyrinths, a nesting chamber and several storehouses with supplies.

REFERENCE! If moles live near the habitat of an earthen rat, then they can use the moles’ ready-dug passages to quickly get to the roots and tubers.

Differences from other rodents

From earthen distinguished by soft wool and a shorter tail without ring scales.

They differ from the smaller size of the underground passages, which also have irregular shape. Also, rats do not hibernate in winter.

Traces are similar to fingerprints, but have longer length step - 6-8 cm.

Harm to a human farmer and ways to combat it

Burrowing holes, it immediately eats all the food it encounters. The ground rat destroys alfalfa most of all, and also causes significant damage to rice during the ripening period, cotton, wheat, barley, and some melons, including watermelons and melons.

Also harms young trees, gnawing them underground at the root collar or seriously gnawing the bark - it especially often “gets” bird cherry, apple trees, and willow.

Eats small animals - field mice, crayfish, mollusks, insects and others. Swims deftly and climbs trees, destroying birds' nests.

It can settle in human dwellings, where it eats food and feed. Can gnaw through adobe walls and make passages under the floor.

Natural enemies of the ground rat are dogs, cats, jackals, foxes, weasels and many others. predatory species, as well as birds - owls, eagles, hen harriers.

REFERENCE! Control methods are different, and they can be divided into radical, when the goal is the complete destruction of the rodent, and humane, if you need to drive the rat out of its habitat.


Initially, all methods are divided into:
  • Mechanical devices- this includes all kinds of traps, traps, scarers;
  • Animals- several cats in an area where earthen rats live will not be able to catch the entire population, but they can scare away the rodents and force them to leave their habitat;
  • Chemical substances- spraying of poisonous gases is used: carbon monoxide, chlorine, or substances are sprayed onto the soil, licking which the rat will die.

Radical methods- traps and poisons are used when there is not much time to scare away. However, it is worth keeping in mind that rats are smart animals and will not approach the mechanism if they see that someone has died in it.

In addition, radical methods can also harm other animals and plants nearby.

Humane methods involve repelling rodents:

  • Ultrasonic repellers- installation of ultrasound-generating devices on the site. It happens that some rodents do not react to it, and also adapt to a constant irritant;
  • Smoking- substances that produce caustic are placed in burrows bad smell. This could be singed wool, bunches of wormwood or mint. One interesting solution is to plant black elderberry on the plot, the roots of which release cyanide into the soil, poisonous to rats;
  • Filling holes with water- earth rats swim well, however, they will have to leave such a habitat.

IMPORTANT! There is no need to hesitate when you find an earthen rat on your property; you must choose how to get rid of it yourself, but you should not leave things to chance - the more time passes, the larger their population becomes, which means it will be more difficult to completely get rid of the rodents.

Conclusion

The earth rat is a dangerous rodent that lives on the banks of rivers, swamps, as well as in vegetable gardens and fields. Lives underground, where it digs labyrinthine passages.

Destroys plantings rice, barley, wheat, cotton, young trees. Methods of controlling rodents are varied and are divided into radical (traps, poisonous gases and bait) and humane (repellents, damage to burrows).

Video

You can see it well in the video ground rat in water:

Summer is not only a season of vacations and relaxation, for many people it is a time of hard work in the gardens. Plowing, planting, watering, weeding, weed control - all this takes a lot of effort and time from gardeners. And how disappointing it can be when, after such labor, part, or even the majority, of the harvest is irrevocably spoiled. Who did it and how, many can only guess. Today we will talk about one little one, an inconspicuous little animal, which can create very big troubles for you and your crop.

Water rat or as it is also called - water vole

At first glance, this is a small, harmless animal - its weight is about two hundred grams, and its size reaches only 25 centimeters. The water rat has a small, blunt muzzle and a massive body. Voles are usually gray with a brown tint, but rarer black specimens are also found. The fur of these rodents is so dense and thick that it is quite difficult to see the body and ears behind it. Based on their name, these creatures live near bodies of water - streams, rivers, swamps - here are their main habitats. Water voles are excellent swimmers and excellent divers.

During high water, the vole prefers to move to nearby fields, orchards, and vegetable gardens, and, settling there, digs holes for itself, thereby causing enormous damage to these areas. Vole burrows are always very long, shallow, and have a complex structure.

Feeds water rat mainly because it grows near the reservoirs in which it lives: reed shoots, reeds, sedges, cattails - all this is consumed by the rodent in very large quantities, since it has very low nutritional value. If a garden is chosen as the water rat’s habitat, then it feeds on almost everything that grows on it - vegetables, herbs, fruit tree bark, berries, flower roots. All this is also eaten in large quantities. If a whole brood of voles has settled in the garden, they can destroy the entire crop.

In one season, a water rat can produce 3-4 broods, each brood can have from 5 to 7 cubs! As early as a month, vole cubs switch to the “adult diet” and join in the destruction of crops. And some of the cubs become capable of reproduction after 7–8 months . All these factors lead to very rapid flooding the garden with water voles.

The water rat is a very thrifty rodent - for the winter it makes quite good supplies for itself - you can often stumble upon a water vole’s “warehouse”. These warehouses deserve special attention: all the tubers in them are neatly stacked and they are all the same size and ideal shape.

So how to save your area from the attack of water voles?

Methods for controlling water vole

Mousetraps for fighting water rats are very weak, and they are not capable of destroying large flocks. The same can be said about traps. Of course, if you don’t yet have a large “squad” of voles on your property, then you can try installing a trap or mousetrap - it certainly won’t make things worse. If you have a rat-catcher cat, you can use it to catch a water rat.

One of effective methods is a so-called arc trap, which was created specifically for capturing fur-bearing animals. You will need to find the exit from the water vole’s hole and set a trap near it, at a depth of about 25 centimeters.

There are also a number of baits, from which water vole dies:

  • 20 gr. rosin + 20 gr. powdered sugar + 15 gr. Boers. Baits should be placed in the evening near water vole burrows.
  • 25 gr. mix gypsum with 40 gr. flour and a couple of drops vegetable oil. In the stomach of water voles, the gypsum begins to harden and the rodent dies. The bait is laid out overnight and burned the next morning. The next day, the procedure is repeated until all the voles are destroyed.
  • Poisoned grain.
  • Mix sugar, malt and quicklime in equal proportions. Place a saucer of water next to the bait. After a water vole eats the bait, it will immediately become thirsty. A mixture of quicklime and water in the stomach of a water vole will cause its death.
  • Mix gypsum and fried bran with lard (one part of gypsum and bran to two parts of lard). From the resulting mixture you need to roll small balls and place them in places where water voles accumulate.
  • Grated vegetables: carrots, zucchini, pumpkin, potatoes. They should also be placed in areas where pests are concentrated. This bait is effective only in the spring.
  • Specialized chemical bait. They can be found at any retail outlet specializing in a variety of poisons.

A few important conditions

Finally, we’ll tell you how to find out if all the rodents in your area have disappeared.

Holes need to be found, leading from the holes to the surface, and trample them underfoot. If the hole remains untouched for several warm and fine days, it means the hole is empty and the rat has died. And if the hole opens again, it’s worth putting bait here.

We wish you abundant harvests and no attention from pests!

The water rat, also known as the European vole, belongs to the hamster family. A rodent can be called differently. Natural environment habitats are areas in close proximity to bodies of water. Less common in fields, meadows, vegetable gardens, and orchards. It approaches human lands during floods, fires, and with the onset of cold weather.

Description of appearance

Water rats are similar to the common muskrat. The appearance characteristics are determined by the ridged body, shortened muzzle, small, almost invisible ears, and fluffy fur. The fur is smooth, silky, and much longer than that of an ordinary rat. It makes the legs appear short.

Experts know what a water rat looks like, but others confuse it with rodents familiar to humans. Below is a photo of a water rat where you can clearly see the differences.

The eyes are small. Diagnosed by the presence of yellowish incisors in the middle part. The length of a water rat's tail is ½ of 2/3 of its body. Somewhat shorter than . It has a round cross-section, is covered with short hair, ends in bare skin, and has a visible brush 0.5 cm long at the tip.

The body length of a water rat depends on its habitat and geographic location. In one territory there are animals with a body from 110 to 260 mm. The rodent weighs 120-330 g. Average weight animal 140-250 g. The sea rat in the photo below is larger in size. The river rat in the photo has a more rounded shape and a short body.

The wool has a significant layer of down. The appearance of the rodent does not change depending on the season. The color is one-color - in gray, brown, black tones. Some individuals have a white stripe at the tip of the tail.

On a note!

The furry animal did not escape the attention of people. Fur is used to sew outerwear and hats for women. The products are shiny, neat, and warm.

Habitat

The vole is found throughout the world. Water rats live in forests, fields, steppes, and deserts. They prefer habitats closer to water. They know how to swim well, they like coolness, but not cold.

Many people are interested in where the water rat lives. Some representatives of humanity are trying to find fur-bearing animals in order to sew expensive products, while others are trying to destroy them.

The waterfowl rat builds burrows in the ground. Builds numerous passages and underground passages. It breeds there, feeds its offspring, and overwinters. With the coming unfavorable conditions– flood, lack of food, moves to drier areas. Periodically returns to water.

On a note!

In most cases, underwater rats prefer to be found near swamps. Standing water freezes quickly with the onset of cold weather. By mid-autumn the animal begins to look for a more suitable habitat for wintering. Human lands are attracted by the loose soil, warmth, and abundance of food.

Animal nutrition

It’s not hard to guess what the water rat eats. Animal despite being cute appearance, is a predator. The way of eating is practically no different from usual pet rat. Maybe in large quantities eat grain crops, cereals, vegetables, gnaw trees, and are not averse to feasting on other small mice.

Scientists have noticed that the vole population increases once every 8 years. Individuals begin to populate all areas suitable for life and cause damage agriculture, gardens During the warm season, an adult reproduces 2 offspring. By autumn they have time to grow up and cause pests on a par with adults.

Harm to humans

The water rat feels great in grain fields and gardens. When there is a large population, the damage can be colossal. The animal does not so much eat the grain as spoil the fields. Digs numerous passages, holes, leaves a mound of earth on the surface. The stems fall and intertwine with each other. Grain disappears on the ground, loses its properties and presentation.

The crop pest can ruin the harvest of carrots, beets, and potatoes. Only legumes, onions, and garlic are not attractive. Avoids these beds. In gardens, young and old trees suffer from the water rat. The animal gnaws the bark, destroys seedlings, and feasts on the fruits.

On a note!

If there are grain and vegetable storage facilities, it prefers to settle in these places. It winters safely, and with the onset of spring it makes its way closer to swamps, rivers, and other environments.

Water - leptospirosis, fever, tularemia, vector-borne diseases. Can eat the infected body of a dead animal, bringing infection to humans. The issue of pest control concerns not only crops, but also health.

Getting Rid of a Water Rat

Human efforts are directed more toward expulsion than destruction. Use inhumanely and dangerously. Domestic cats, dogs, and other animals that are natural enemies of rats can suffer from poisoned bait. The exceptions are large fields, premises – barns, storage facilities. There you can fight with rat poison.

Traps, not suitable for use on open area. The product performs well in barns, storage facilities, and cellars. They even use glue traps where possible.

The main task is to expel them from the garden, field, garden or prevent entry.

  • Protect your land plot, garden with a fence with small gaps, concrete at the bottom or lay a row of bricks. The water rat will not undermine the ground.
  • In the garden, plant legumes, onions, garlic, and peppermint in different areas. Rodents cannot tolerate these odors.
  • Wormwood, tansy, chamomile, and peppermint are scattered across the beds.
  • When holes are found, rags soaked in kerosene, gasoline, naphthalene, and acetone are stuffed into the hole. To ensure that the smell lasts for a long time, the rag is placed in plastic bag, make a small hole in it.
  • The wool is set on fire and placed near the hole. This smell drives out pests almost immediately.
  • Scatter balls of burdock around the garden. Water rats are afraid of the weed because of its thorns. It sticks tightly to the fur, restricts movement, and causes a lot of inconvenience.
  • Sprinkle wood ash. It irritates the skin and causes upset if it enters the stomach. Constant poor health forces the rodent to leave the intended territory.
  • Trees are coated with lime in combination with copper sulfate. In the fall, a belt is made from different materials pine branches, plastic bottles, roofing felt, etc.

The fight against rodents is underway folk ways. The main task is to expel them from the territory and prevent re-entry. There is no point in destroying fur-bearing animals recklessly.

Water vole, or rat. The sizes are large (body length up to 250 mm). Along with the signs of adaptation to digging common to many other voles, it reveals some features of specialization for the amphibian lifestyle, which, however, does not reach the degree characteristic of the muskrat. The eyes are of moderate size, not shifted upward; The outer ear is small. The internal outgrowths of the upper lips behind the incisors are significant, densely covered with hair, but do not grow together and do not completely isolate the incisors from the oral cavity.

The tail reaches 2/3 of the body length, is not flattened, weakly covered with short, coarse hair. The tail is rounded in cross section. The first fingers on both limbs are not shortened. The third finger on both limbs is longer than the fourth, the inner (first) fingers are not shortened; claws of moderate length. The soles are bare, with well-developed calluses, with comb-like fringes of thick hair on the sides. The color of the upperparts is uniform, dark brown, sometimes almost black. The hairline is well differentiated into a thick thin underfur and a relatively coarse spine. Seasonal fur dimorphism is weakly expressed. The outer ears are small in size. The internal outgrowths of the upper lips behind the incisors are of considerable size, densely covered with hair, but do not grow together and do not completely isolate the mouth from the oral cavity. Both males and females have specific lateral cutaneous glands. 4 pairs of nipples.

The structure of the skeleton of the limbs and their girdles, as well as the skull, is basically the same as that of gray voles. They differ from them in having a slightly shortened iliac part. pelvic bone, relatively longer femoral and attached part of the fibula, as well as the foot and hand. The skull is characterized by relatively widely spaced zygomatic arches, highly developed frontoparietal ridges and postorbital projections of the anterior edges of the temporal bones. The incisive foramina are shortened due to their narrowing and fusion in the posterior sections. The auditory tympani are small, thin-walled, and the spongy bone tissue in their cavity is poorly developed. The angular process of the mandible is relatively small; The structure of the articular head varies depending on whether it is predominantly burrowing (northern and mountain forms) or predominantly semi-aquatic ( southern forms) lifestyle; the same differences affect the proportions of individual parts of the limbs and the details of the structure of the incisors and molars. Cement deposits in reentrant corners are always well developed; additional education the anterior upper molars are absent at the posterior ends. The posterior end of the lower incisor penetrates further into the articular process than in most gray voles. The alveolus of the last molar (M3) is more strongly developed and isolated from the mandibular bone. The angular process of the lower jaw is small. The cheek teeth have no roots and grow throughout the animal's life. There are 36 chromosomes in the diploid set.

Water voles are widespread in floodplains and wetlands of watersheds of the northern part of the Eurasian continent, from forest-tundra and southern parts tundra up to and including desert steppes; in the mountains - to subalpine meadows. South to the north coast Mediterranean Sea, Asia Minor and Western Asia, the northern and southeastern parts of Kazakhstan (here, apparently, it does not occur west of the watershed of the Chu and Ili pp.), Northwestern China, the Altai-Sayan mountainous country and northern Mongolia. East to the river. Irkut, western Baikal region and Verkhoyansk ridge.

Biology. The most typical habitats are floodplains, banks of various types of lakes, irrigation canals and other natural and artificial reservoirs, raised and floodplain swamps. It settles in meadows, thickets and swampy small forests, along the banks of forest streams, in fields and vegetable gardens, and even in buildings. It rises into the mountains to subalpine meadows to an altitude of up to 2800 m above sea level. The seasonal change of habitats is well expressed, especially in the forest zone, where for the winter the animals migrate from the banks of reservoirs to floodplain meadows or bushes. In deltaic parts large rivers with a well-developed floodplain, the change in habitats is particularly influenced by the flood regime.

The water rat lives in burrows, and in the warm season and during floods - in ground and above-ground nests. Permanent (brood) burrows are usually shallow, feeding passages are laid at a depth of 10-15 cm, chambers, including nesting ones, are located to a depth of 1 m. Surface earthen discharges are often similar to those of a mole. Autumn and winter period life is characterized by active digging activity. In the warm season and during floods, underground or above-ground nests are made from grass and other plant materials. Before the upper layers of the soil freeze, the soil is thrown to the surface during digging, forming, in particular, the characteristic snow-covered earthen “sausages”; after freezing, the unused part of the passages is clogged with earth.

The breeding season continues throughout warm season years, and in mild winters mass reproduction was observed already in February (Volga floodplain). During the breeding season, the female brings at least 4 and up to 6 litters; in the lower reaches of rivers with a spring flood regime, there may be a break in reproduction for a period of high flood water levels. The average number of cubs in a litter is 6-8. The duration of pregnancy is about 40 days.

Number subject to sharp fluctuations, and mass reproduction often occurs; They are especially typical for populations of floodplains with a well-defined flood regime, as well as lakes, the level of which varies greatly from year to year (Northern Kazakhstan); however, for these places, as well as for most of the territory of the taiga zone, mass reproduction is uncharacteristic. Years of high floods are years of decline; the latter is also facilitated by high summer temperatures combined with drought, which make most of the meadow areas of the floodplain unsuitable for habitation and reproduction.

Like other voles, it is a herbivorous species, but its food constantly contains animal food: remains of mollusks, insects, small fish etc. The seasonal change of feed is well expressed. In the warm season, these are juicy, green parts of aquatic and coastal plants - reeds, cattails, arrowheads, sedges, water lilies, as well as many types of meadow grasses. IN winter time The water vole switches to feeding on underground parts of plants, as well as the bark and shoots of willows, poplars, and bird cherry. The stocking instinct in the water rat is less developed than in many gray voles, and more strongly developed in animals in the north and east of the distribution area. Reed rhizomes are especially often stocked, and among cultivated plants - potato tubers.

Geographical variability and subspecies. Geographical variability is significant, but its general patterns have not been sufficiently clarified, since it is superimposed by ecological and biotopic variability, which is especially clearly manifested in characters associated with the degree of adaptation of animals to a semi-underground lifestyle. These signs are more distinct in populations from the western (Western Europe) and northern (European North) parts of the range, as well as in voles of some mountainous regions (the northern slopes of the Main Caucasian ridge). In the direction from west to east and from north to south, the size of the animals increases. The most distinct are the small water voles of the continental Western Europe with well-defined signs of adaptation to digging. For this reason, many consider them as a separate species. For a significant number of other subspecies, many of the characteristics that characterize them are only age-related or signs of personal variability, the former being especially pronounced in them.

Economic importance. Water vole fur is used as a secondary feedstock. Sometimes they seriously damage forest nurseries, orchards, and vegetable gardens, especially those located in river valleys. Carriers of tularemia infection and

Arvicola terrestris Linnaeus, 1758
Order Rodents - Rodentia
Hamster family - Cricetidae

Status. Category 3 - a vulnerable species in Moscow with a reduced number.

Spreading. In the Moscow region. - widespread, common in most regions. it's a new look. Within Moscow in 1985-2000. The water vole was recorded in 28 natural and natural-anthropogenic territories, including the middle part of the city - Sokolniki Lake, GBS and LOD (1). In 2001-2010 its habitat has been established in Losiny Ostrov, the Izmailovsky forest, on the Kosinsky Black (1) and Svyatoy (2) lakes, in the Maryinskaya (3) and Brateevskaya floodplains (1), the valley of the Yazvenka river (1, 3), near Saburovsky Bay. , south of Znamensky-Sadkov (1), in the Setun river valley in 2003 (4), Mnevnikovskaya (1, 3) and Krylatskaya floodplains, Serebryany Bor, ++ +Tushinskaya Chasha (1), Skhodnya river valley in Kurkino (5.6), on the Filinsky swamp, Dolgoprudnensky V-BK, in the floodplains of the Altufevskaya River and the Chermyanka River (1). In all these territories, as a rule, it lives in local areas

Number. In general, the number of the species in the city is quite significant, but in some areas it is not numerous, and in some only single individuals have been recorded. Relatively large groups exist only in the Kosinsky Black and Holy lakes, in the valley of the Yazvenka river, the Mnevnikovsky floodplain and the valley of the Skhodnya river .

Habitat features. In Moscow it lives mainly on natural areas, where there are swampy and bushy river floodplains, oxbow lakes and other reservoirs with well-developed riparian vegetation, including old drainage ditches. IN warm time lives near the water for years, where it makes burrows on dry banks, and on low and swampy shores it builds ground spherical nests from grass or settles in the cavities of rotten trunks of fallen trees; Single individuals or broods are usually found.

Does not withstand pollution of reservoirs by storm drains and bank protection. As in natural conditions feeds on various near-aquatic plants - the succulent bases of leaves and stems of forest reeds, cattails, reeds, etc. It can tolerate active recreational use of coastal zones if wetlands with near-aquatic vegetation are preserved within their boundaries.

In the autumn-winter period, in small groups, up to 8-10, they live in marshy areas of river floodplains, where under the snow they feed on green sprouts and rhizomes of reeds, eat the tender bark and branches of willow and aspen. In autumn and spring it can make significant migrations and even crosses built-up areas along watercourses with natural banks. It is an indicator of low-polluted rivers and reservoirs with well-developed near-water vegetation.

Negative factors. Pollution of small rivers by storm runoff. Park improvement of river floodplains, accompanied by strengthening of banks and destruction of near-water vegetation. Unregulated recreational use of coastal zones and the resulting degradation of near-water vegetation. There is a shortage in the natural areas of Moscow of wetlands suitable for wintering water voles with the necessary reserves of plant food.

Security measures taken. The main habitats of the species are located in protected areas - in the Losiny Ostrov NP, Izmailovo, Kosinsky, Tsaritsyno (Yazvenka River Valley NP), Moskvoretsky, Tushinsky (Tushinskaya PP). Bowl"), PP "Valley of the Skhodnya River in Kurkino", PP "Serebryany Bor". It is planned to form the Federal Law “Brateevskaya Floodplain” and “Long Ponds”, the Forest Law “Valley of the Chermyanka River”, the establishment of the PPR “Filinskoe Bog” and “Kosinsky Lakes”,

ZU "Saburovsky Bay" and several ZU in the habitats of the species in the Mnevnikovskaya and Krylatskaya floodplains. Change the view state. After 1985, the distribution and number of water voles both in individual natural areas and throughout the city decreased significantly. In 2001-2010 this trend has continued. No less than 4 times earlier famous places habitat, the water vole has reliably disappeared. The species is listed in the Red Book of Moscow with KR 3.

Necessary measures to preserve the species. The priority is the creation of the Federal Law “Maryinskaya Floodplain”, “Brateevskaya Floodplain” and “Long Ponds”, the PPR “Filinskoe Bog” and “Kosinsky Lakes”, the establishment of planned conservation areas in known habitats of the species. Development and implementation of effective measures to reduce the level of pollution of small rivers and floodplain reservoirs flowing through protected areas. Preservation of oxbow lakes and semi-aquatic vegetation during the improvement of river valleys and allocation of landfills in places suitable for wintering and summer habitat of water voles. Streamlining the recreational use of coastal zones in permanent habitats of the species.

Information sources. 1. Data from B.L. Samoilov. 2. V.I. Bulavintsev, l.s. 3. Data from G.V. Morozova. 4. Carrying out an inventory of natural objects.., 2003. 5. Data from O.O. Tolstenkov. 6. Reconnaissance survey.., 2004. Authors: B.L. Samoilov, G.V. Morozova.