Two voles tonight, a large one and a smaller, darker one. The bigger vole didn't want to share the food, but there wasn't any serious scrapping such as goes on during mating time (I've seen the water 'boil' with fighting voles). So I think this might have been a parent and juvenile, especially as they both seemed to use the same burrow. Or perhaps some burrows are communal? 
4 comments:
Hi Kate
I have posted a reply twice now to your question on my blog about burrows and then it keeps dissappearing!Lets see if yours works better than mine. I have seen month old young going into the maternal burrow when the female would have been pregnant or nursing a new litter but haven't seen any older voles sharing a burrow in the breeding season. I guess territories are breaking down at this time of year. I have passed your question on to Hazel at WW for comment.
Cheers
Terry
Thanks, Terry. I couldn't have said how old the juvenile was - older then a month, I'd say, though.
Hi Kate
This from Hazel:
"I think I have read that females sometimes tolerate their daughters sharing their burrows, even if they have another young litter. It may also be that we are coming to the end of the breeding season and the females are more tolerant".
T
Thanks for this, Terry. That sounds likely. If only it were easier to tell the males and females apart!
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