The Field Vole is a plump mouse-like mammal and  because of its appearance it is also referred to as the Meadow Mouse.  It is also known as the Meadow Vole and the Short-tailed Vole and is believed to be the most common mammal in England.  It can be found in fields, meadows, pastures, grassy moors, hedgerows and on the edges of woodlands.  

The Field Vole is around ten centimetres long and has a short tail which is about four centimetres long.   It is a grey-brown colour with slightly paler sides and under parts.   It has quite a blunt-shaped nose with lots of long sensitive whiskers and it has two small black eyes. Its ears are rounded and almost hidden in the fur.

Field Voles are active day and night, although they tend to be more active at dusk. They dig burrows just below the surface of the soil to find food, but they build their nests outside on the ground.  The nests are woven out of different types of grass and are usually hidden in thick grassy tussocks.  Field Voles  eat the stems and leaves of different types of grass, as well as roots, tree bark, bulbs and sometimes insects and snails.