good times, bad times for the voles
Uninvited guests?
Some years are worse than others: Hordes of mice invade your house, and the voles are packed together in the garden! Other years not even your cat can spot a mouse or vole!
Little rodents
Large fluctuations in numbers are typical for several small rodents: In particular the bank vole, here attacked by the Tengmalm owl. The field vole also fluctuate. It is hunted by fox and ermine in the diorama to the left.
Ups and downs
The bank and field vole exist in northern Sweden and are numerous around every fourth year.
Vole? Yummy!
Vole is a treat for the owl and fox. If the vole is plentiful fox and tengmalm increase in numbers, and come to be numerous every four years like the vole. Ermine and weasel, another dedicated pair of vole-eaters, vary in the same way.
