Protected mammals - Shrews and Water voles
What are they?
The water vole and all species of shrew are protected in Scotland.
Water voles are the largest species of vole found in the UK, so big that they are often mistaken for rats. The water vole is a rare species that has suffered significant declines in population and range in the past. They live in burrows alongside, generally small, watercourses and feed on bankside grasses and sedges.
Find out more about water voles...
Shrews are some of our smallest mammals - there are three species of shrew regularly found in Scotland; the common shrew, the pygmy shrew, and the water shrew.
How are they protected?
Water voles are listed on Schedule 5 
of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended), but currently in Scotland they are only given partial protection when compared to other species on Schedule 5, such as pine martens.
All shrew species are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended), but only with respect to certain methods of trapping or killing.
Offences
The following provides a summary of the offences in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) in relation to wild water voles and shrews.
It is an offence to intentionally or recklessly:
- damage, destroy or obstruct access to a water vole burrow;
- disturb a water vole whilst its occupying its burrow
- to use a prohibited means (including any trap) to kill or capture any species of shrew.
Licensing and shrews and water voles
Licences are available to allow specified people to carry out actions that could otherwise constitute an offence. As with any protected species, licences can only be issued for specific purposes that are set out in the legislation. If you are planning any activities that could affect water voles or shrews, you should make sure that you stay within the law.
Licensing - water voles and shrews
*Please Note* The summary of legislation and list of offences on this page are not comprehensive, and is intended for use as a guide only. For a definitive list of offences you should consult the actual legislation. It is also important to note that this is the law in Scotland, elsewhere in the UK the legislation may differ.