Thursday 5 August 2010

Squeak



Juvenile

Squeaking adult
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I've only ever heard water voles vocalise during fighting, so it was a surprise to hear this large vole repeatedly squeaking at the juvenile one. I think it was an attempt to get it to back off from the apple, though in the past what's usually happened is that the lager vole just steams in and takes the food without a sound. The squeak was very high, almost like a piping bird.
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Post script: a fellow vole fan on the Wild About Britain forum's just give me this link which features a 'piping' water vole audio clip: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/species/European_Water_Vole

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