Guernsey Vole 

What is a Guernsey vole?

The Guernsey Vole (Microtus arvalis sarnius) is a subspecies of the Common Vole (Microtus arvalis) that only found on the island of Guernsey. The Common Vole is also only found in two areas of the British Isles; Guernsey and Orkney. Unlike its continental cousins, the Guernsey vole is different as it displays a condition known as Island Syndrome. Island syndrome is a collection of characteristics which evolve in certain animal groups when they are isolated on an island. These include, increased size (a.k.a Gigantism) increased density, fewer offspring, longer lifespans and island naivety (lose fear of predators). All these characteristics makes this charismatic islander completely unique and are why we are interested in studying them.

Our Research

The Guernsey vole incredibly interesting species to study, as it an isolated population that has undergone several thousand years of evolution separate from the main continental population. It is thought to be larger than its continental cousin and prefer wet meadows, demonstrating possible local adaptation. However, very little is known about the ecology or evolution of this enigmatic species. Our current research aims to discover when and how it originally reached the island of Guernsey, as well as how genetic variation is distributed across the island. We have been able to demonstrate island gigantism in this species, to begin to exploring the evolution of the species. With regards to the Guernsey Vole’s ecology, we have studied its habitat use and calculated a population estimate for the whole island. This provides baseline data that will enable monitoring and conservation of the vole in the future.

Help us out

Despite the great work that we are doing at the moment, we would love to carry on researching island syndrome in not only the Guernsey vole but also other small mammals across the British isles. If you would like to help out, we are currently doing a fundraiser on gofundme to raise more funds so that we can carry on our research. Anything that you would be able to donate would be really appreciated. You can find the link down below:

If you would like to keep updated with the process of our research and learn more about other small mammals, not just the Guernsey vole, you can visit our socials: