Possible Rat?

NBirdy

Hi, hoping you helpful gardeny type people can help me out please? This afternoon I spotted a mystery rodent in my garden, and am just trying to figure out if it was a rat, or quite what!

It was similar size and colouring to a large squirrel, and moved similar to a squirrel on the ground (it didn't just scurry, more of a little run then a series of leaps?). However it didn't attempt to go up the fence/trees etc at all. It was pinching some bird food that had fallen to the ground, and would eat some, clutching the food in it's front paws, then grab more and run off with it, before coming straight back and starting all over again.

I would have guessed it was a rat, except it's tail didn't look 'ratty' to me (used to keep a pet rat) as it was about 1/3 of the length of the body, stuck straight out stiff behind it, and was dark brown (looked fuzzy rather than scaly). Also would a rat come out in the afternoon? We haven't had any damage to full bin-bags put outside etc, but then the garden is well-stocked with bird food if the creature was prepared to climb for it.

So what do you think? I'm prepared to be told it's a rat with a mutant tail lol :rotfl: We live in a very rural area, surrounded by fields on two sides and woods on one side, and I'm not particularly bothered if it IS a rat as they're kind of inevitable round here (routinely dealt with by local cats/terriers/air rifles ) I suppose I just don't want to be feeding a rat, but don't mind so much if it's some other rodent heheh Any ideas or suggestions so I can google some pics, would be most welcome. And I'll try to get a photo of it....

paybacktime2008

Sounds like a rat to me. Couple of years back I saw a 'poorly squirrel' on the bird feeder. Watched it for a while and felt so sorry for it and it poorly tail where it had lost all it's fur.....few seconds later pity turned to horror when i realised it was a rat. Nest was under next doors shed, which apparently a place they love...especially as this shed housed their tumble drier so lovely and toasty warm.

Maybe she's pregnant and really really hungry;):eek:

Megansmum

yup, i had exactly what you have described last year, wandering about in the day and living under the shed.... it's a rat...sorry!

NBirdy

Thanks! I figured it probably was a rat, as it's too big to be anything cute and mousie I'm not bothered about it particularly, it was just not knowing that was bugging me. We've had them dragged out from under the (wooden, shed-like) summer house before so I guess that'll be where it's living. We had a terrier back then though that 'dealt with' them, looks like I'll have to borrow a friend's jack russell as soon as the kids are out of the way

Not much else I can do about it really, as it's a fairly large, mainly unkempt garden in the middle of the countryside, with plenty of bird food etc. The little mice that get into the house - and my cupboards - cause me more bother to be honest!

Thanks for the input, much appreciated

peachespeaches

Yes a JRT will dispatch it!

Im a bit worried because we have a 6 month old Yorkie and a shed and at night he runs from one end of the shed to the other sniffing round and trying to dig under. But I havent seen anything to indicate a rat other than that.

foreign_correspondent

the tail sounds a bit like a vole, but they are not that big:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/species/Field_Vole

Cru_2

Since you are used to pet rats and spotted a difference in tail it sounds very much like a water vole. They have fuzzy felt fur on their tail (rats are bald) and they hold their tails straight but a rat as you know bends his tail.

My daughter has pet rats and I was lucky enough to spot a water vole while walking by our river, to a non rat person it would look like a rat. The rats around here are very brave and about the size of cats:eek:

peachespeaches

This reminded me of what happened last year to my record collection! At our old house we were short of room and I kept all my old records in a box in the shed, along with some of my teaching folders. When we were having a clear out early last summer, I lifted the lid of the box and a small brown furry face, curled round a body, looked up at me. I shifted so quickly I have no idea if it was a rat, mouse or whatever.

Husband later retrieved the box and it had shredded up all the paper on the record sleeves to make a nice little nest, and used one corner of the box as a toilet. Even though I had nothing to play the records on I had insisted on keeping them, but after that experience, I put them on freecycle (with a warning of course!). The guy who collected them had a laugh and wasnt bothered about the infestation.

NBirdy

Thanks for the further info I have this evening managed to take a photo of 'the beastie', can anyone tell me how to upload it here?

I think it's just a rat with a damaged tail though? It's too big to be anything mousie, and wouldn't we need to be near a river or something for it to be a water vole? We're on top of a hill with the nearest river almost a mile away.

Cru_2

NBirdy wrote: »

I think it's just a rat with a damaged tail though? It's too big to be anything mousie, and wouldn't we need to be near a river or something for it to be a water vole? We're on top of a hill with the nearest river almost a mile away.

The vole I saw was same size roughly as a pet rat, could be you have a water vole who followed his satnav and he thought your outside tap was a river

NBirdy

Ok, just trying this

ETA hey that was easy!
It's a rat though isn't it