Water voles (Arvicola terrestris) typically live along the banks of water bodies such as rivers, streams, ponds, lakes and marshes and are the UK’s fastest declining mammal. Signs that water voles may be populating an area include burrows in the riverbanks or piles of nibbled grass and stems, as water voles like to sit and eat in a stationary position. Their droppings are fairly large and cigar-shaped. Water voles are much larger than other voles and are often confused with brown rats when, in fact, water voles have more rounded noses and smaller ears that do not protrude from the head.