There is power in cute. But the real issue is about all animals having a right to exist. ... In 1980, habitat degradation and the animal's small population led to its listing as an endangered species by the state of California. Four years later, the federal government also declared the Amargosa vole an endangered species.

Why are water voles endangered?

Threats to water voles

Reasons for this decline include: habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation due to damaging riparian management – e.g. 'hard' river engineering techniques, over-grazing. predation by American mink – a non-native invasive species.

Are voles endangered in the US?

The Amargosa vole is listed as endangered in the state of California and federally by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.