Arvicola terrestris
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English: Water vole
German: Schermaus
French: Campagnol aquatique
Spanish: Rata de aqua
Distribution areas
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The water vole can be found throughout
Europe and Asia, except in the most
northern territories.
Description of the fur
----------------------
The skin is from 21 to 26 cm long. The The surface structure
underfur layer is dense, light-grey in of the skin, 1000x
colour and only 7 to 12 mm thick. The
coarser hairs are brown in colour and about 15 to 23 mm in length. The guard
hairs in the neck area are black in colour.
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Arvicola terrestris
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English: Water vole
German: Schermaus
French: Campagnol aquatique
Spanish: Rata de aqua
Structure of the hair
---------------------
The microscopic structure of the skin
surface is furrowed; the hair follicle are
wide and the edges are raised above the
skin surface. The majority of the follicles
contain only one hair.
The fine fur fibres are from 7 to 18 µm The cuticular structure
in diameter. The cross-sectional outline is of an intermediate hair, 1000x
circular at the bottom of the fibre, but in
the middle and upper parts, it is elliptical in outline. The lowest part of
the cuticule is covered with cornet-like scales, but in the upper part the
predominant type of scales is the non-regular petal-like type. The scale
surface is smooth and the scale margins are straight. The medulla is wide,
unbroken and central symmetrical-shaped in cross-section. The overall
structure of the medulla is of the uniserial ladder type with a granular
infilling substance.
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Arvicola terrestris
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English: Water vole
German: Schermaus
French: Campagnol aquatique
Spanish: Rata de aqua
The intermediate fibres are circular in
cross-sectional outline at the bottom, and
elliptical in the middle and upper parts,
of the shafts. Their diameter is between 15
and 35 µm. The cuticular scales are even,
tile-like and the scale surface is smooth
with straight margins. The medulla is wide,
unbroken and central symmetrical-shaped.
The medullar column is regularly filled by The cuticular structure
lumpy-like particles. The infilling of an intermediate hair, 2000x
medullary substance is amorphous.
The guard hairs are from 20 to 60 µm in diameter. The cross-sectional
outline at the bottom is circular and, in the upper parts, elliptical. The
overall shape of the cuticular scales is even, tile-like and rounded,
tile-like with a smooth scale surface and straight scale margins. The medulla
is wide, and unbroken longitudinally. It is situated in the central axial
part of the hair shaft, and is of the lumpy type. The detailed structure of
the medullar infilling material is of the amorphous type.
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Arvicola terrestris
-------------------
English: Water vole
German: Schermaus
French: Campagnol aquatique
Spanish: Rata de aqua
Longitudinal section
of an intermediate fibre, 2000x
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Arvicola terrestris
-------------------
English: Water vole
German: Schermaus
French: Campagnol aquatique
Spanish: Rata de aqua
Transverse section
of a guard hair, 1000x
Numerical code for water vole skin structure
--------------------------------------------
Surface of the skin: 3-3-1
Fine fur fibres: 1.2-5.13-1-1-2-1-1-1-6-7.12-7.12
Intermediate fibres: 1.2-2-1-1-2-1-1-13-8-15.35-10.16
Guard hairs: 1.2-2.3-1-1-2-1-1-13-8-20.61-15.23
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