Identify Mystery Rodent

[+Larry.s]

The heads out of proportion for it to be a vole. I vote for the squirrel theory.

[Cholo]

I'm totally mystified how he got here.

 

How did this little varmint end up in my driveway?

Duh!...word gets around. From your post, you do have a history. Notice how cuteness helps the young to survive? Another thing, and I don't remember where I heard it or if it's a correct quote: humans, as distructive as they are, are the only animals with the ability to help all the other animals.

[+fly46]

Better with you than with me.

It's bad enough with the one cat that decided to own me. (yes, she chose to be my owner)

 

Never did find out what she was playing with that one night... Saw her out with something.. No clue what it was but it was gross.

[+New England n00b]

I got it!!! That's a baby New England n00b!!

You're all wrong. THIS is a trout...

 

 

And they're both LUNCH! MMMmmm, send it on over weasel!

 

EDIT: allllright... so it's an eel. Sue me.

Edited August 4, 2004 by New England n00b

[+AuntieWeasel]

Made it through the night on his microwaved sock mama (thanks woof n lulu), bless his ugly skinny little bones. Puss thinks he smells intriguing, but can't work out how to get through the wire mesh.

 

Name is Bob.

 

Bob Vole.

 

Heh.

 

And now to smuggle him in to work. I'll put him in a tupperware I bought for a cache. Say...if he makes it, I'll have to hide one in his honor.

[+Sparky-Watts]

Okay, I know this is off-topic for this site, but you're a bunch of outdoorsy people and I need some outdoorsy help quick. I'll get onto the Fish and Game next, but they'll be gone for the day.

 

I just went out to get something from the car and this thing was lying in my driveway:

 

It's about an inch and a half long, not counting its tail. Fully furred. Rodentlike. Tail not fluffy enough for baby squirrel, but fully haired, unlike a rat. Little ears. Long thin face. Eyes still closed, but it's lively and strong and mobile. Walks around unless you hold it (it's probably cold). Feels like it might even have teeth (not agressive, just trying to nurse my finger). Closely resembles some baby squirrels I found and raised a few years ago, but much smaller (I reckon a squirrel this small would be naked and helpless).

 

I'm in urban Rhode Island.

 

I've raised lots of orphans over the years, so I'm okay for tonight. I've got some cream, which will do watered down until I can get some Esbilac. It's easy to handle, isn't jumpy, takes to the eyedropper. It's had a meal and a bath and a poop and a nap. Squeaks when it's frustrated. Grooms itself after a meal, which implies it's getting pretty mature.

 

WHAT THE HECK IS THIS THING? If you say "weasel," I'll bite you.

It's either a really, really tiny pacybara, or a shrew/mole. How'd it taste?

[+Sparky-Watts]

I tend to avoid rodents so I am not very knowledgeable on them.

Yet you're in charge of the moderators! How ironic!!!

 

Ok....I'll go spike my own warn meter, I couldn't help it.....

[shanni-bugbait-wren]

Whatever it is, it's so cute! I just can't keep this picture on the screen too long, we have 4 cats!

[+Azcowboy290]

boy I'm stumped. Mabey you should put a t/b tag on it and sen it round someone will have to know what it is and if not it would have gone on a great vacation.

[+wimseyguy]

I think with a nice red wine reduction and some sauteed wild mushrooms and leeks it's a appetizer!

Oh please relax-I'm just kidding. It's very cute and you are to be commended for trying to keep it alive so its offspring can thank you with endless tunnels in you yard and garden.

[+AuntieWeasel]

I prefer my rodents with beer.

 

[+woof n lulu]

Name is Bob.

 

Bob Vole.

 

 

Glad he made it through the night with his "sockmomma", and good luck at work.

[+sept1c_tank]

Here is my favorite "rodent" rescue story:

 

Several years ago, while traveling by bus through the red center of Australia, I was awakened as the bus began to slow just before dawn. There was nothing around but desert, so as the bus began to backup on the highway, I crept up the aisle past dozens of dozing travelers to inquire.

 

The driver explained that he saw something unusual on the highway and was going to investigate. He stopped the bus and he (and his assistant driver and myself) walked to the rear of the vehicle where we saw a 6-foot, red kangaroo, decapitated from an earlier encounter with a road train.

 

Inside the pouch of the dead animal, we could see movement. The driver borrowed my trusty Buck knife and sliced the pouch open to reveal a baby kangaroo (a joey).

 

We transferred the joey about 100 kilometers down the road to the next roadhouse where injured animals were welcomed and treated. About 3 months later, I passed the same roadhouse and stopped to inquire about the baby roo.

It was healthy, happy and had been adopted by the establishment's 8 year old son.

 

No worries! Good on ya, mate!

 

The photo below shows the joey and the bus driver shortly after we performed the roadside rescue.

 

[+BlackBuck]

A true story!

 

A friend told me a story that couldn't possibly be true. She knows of a woman who recently vactioned of the Gulf Coast of Florida with her family. While vactioning they befriended a stray dog. It stayed with them while they vactioned and they treated the dog like any other pet: the dog slept with them, shared food, etc. The kids had grown attached to the dog and when it was time to return home they wanted to take the dog with them. The mother insisted they could not take the dog because they already had a dog and cat at home. The kids won out and they took the dog home with them.

 

They returned to their normal routines, the kids went to school and the parents went off to work. Upon returning home from work the mother found her family pets horribly mutlilated and dead. The stray however was fine. She took the stray to the vet who couldn't find anything wrong with the dog but wanted to keep the dog and run some tests. The vet calls back a hour or so later to say that the dog was not a dog, but a Korean Rat. My friend who told me this story said that the vet couldn't tell it was a rat by looking at the "dog" and only knew because of the bloodwork. They say the "dog" looked like a long-haired wiener dog.

[+RokMartian]

A true story!

 

I think this is an urban legend -- This sounds awfully familiar

[+Stunod]

A true story!

...and then they woke up the next morning in the bathtub full of ice and their kidneys had been removed!

 

[+strikeforce1]

It's a traveling Micro Cache . I believe, it's really a shrew, or field mouse. You'll just have to keep , till it grows a little more . SF1

[+flask]

the thig about the korean rat is like the second oldest urban legend ever.

 

i'm pretty sure it's not a mole or a shrew. plus, if you go more than twenty minutes without feeding it and it's not dead, it's not a shrew.

 

it is also not a rat.

 

it is so gosh-darned cute, though.

 

i would take it home and be its friend.

 

did i mention that the rat population in my house doubled when SOMEBODY went to the pet store for some rat food and found some little guys who needed adopting?

[+AuntieWeasel]

Sadly, Bob was the only participant in the company's Take Our Voles to Work Day today.

 

 

Here, Bob is typing a memo to the company president, thanking him for a lovely time. It's never too early to instill good manners and a sense of professionalism in your vole.

[Captain Chaoss]

Now that, Auntie Weasel, is a very cute pic. Thanks for sharing that with us. My bet is on the little guy being asquirrel, but hey, I'm no expert.

 

Keep us all posted.

[+greyhounder]

I love the Take Your Vole To Work photo!! Still no clue what it is -- vole sounds good to me. Growing up, our neighbors had a squirrel that they took in as a tiny thing, but it didn't look like your buddy (to my recollection. This was between the ages of 3 and 5).

 

I know someone who got the opportunity to raise a bear cub -- they are cool as cubs, like really insane puppies that destroy everything and bite REALLY hard!

 

A fellow dog friend of mine once picked up a stray dog she found along the road. It looked sad and lost. She gave the mangy mutt a bath, some food and a comfy, warm bed. The dog was very confused by all of this, but cautiously accepted. The next day, my friend took the dog to the vet to get it all checked out -- only to find out that she had taken in a juvenile wolf!!

 

Again, I can pretty much rule out wolf or bear as what you have -- but I've never seen them as itty bitty babies.

 

I think he needs a cool geocaching name......but Bob Vole does make me giggle.

 

Bec

Edited August 4, 2004 by greyhounder

[SiClops]

Here's a silly question: Bob Vole seems to be growing, what is he eating? Can we use clues from his diet to figure out what he is, or is not? Do Squirrels and Voles eat the same thing? Hmmmm

 

Just a thought.

[+AuntieWeasel]

Here's a silly question:  Bob Vole seems to be growing, what is he eating?  Can we use clues from his diet to figure out what he is, or is not? Do Squirrels and Voles eat the same thing? 

He looks like a tiny dog or a panther or something in that shot, doesn't he? It's because he's so skinny and leggy. I think that's partly what's making him hard to identify; baby varmints this young should be all chubby and round. (It's also why I'm still crossing my fingers for him).

 

He's surely some kind of rodent, so I took a guess that he'd eat what baby squirrels eat, and I researched that pretty well when I did the squirrel thing. At this age, though, that doesn't give us much clue -- it's milk. Specifically, they say to use Esbilac, the milk substitute sold for puppies (not kittens), with a little cream thrown in to keep him interested.

 

By the time he's old enough for solid food, he should surely look a bit more like whatever he's going to grow into. And I suspect most rodents have a similar diet; mostly nuts and veg, but not above the occasional egg or bug.

 

I think he's an alien.

[+Tsegi Mike and Desert Viking]

Shrew gallery

 

Vole

 

"Cheesy" identification guide

 

Eastern woodrat

 

Most of these photos are representative of the type of rodent also found in other parts of the country. He is adorable.

Edited August 4, 2004 by Tsegi Mike and Desert Viking

[+BuckToothMoose]

Looks like a Musk Rat to me...

[+flask]

GOODNESS, he's cute! i get all teary eyed, plus i'm laughing so hard at the take your vole to work thing that i have to go change now.

 

the only rodents i have ever had to feed regularly are rats and mice, and from this i know that diet varies from rodent to rodent. when he gets a little older you'll have a better idea of what to feed him. there are special rat and mose wafers that are nutritionally suitable for them because an all seed diet won't do, and they won't eat guinea pig food, nor do they care for rabbit food.

 

he'll probably let you know what he likes. please keep us posted. if this thread gets locked, can you start a bob vole mailing list?

[+CordedTires]

Maybe humanity is divided into two categories:

 

1) those who will rescue baby rodents, and,

2) those who won't

 

I am full of admiration for Auntie Weasel and other members of #1, and sincerely wish you and Bob Vole the best.

 

My only experience with baby squirrels was when I opened the car's hood after driving home from work and found a nest of pink nekkid squeaky things on top of the lovely warm engine. (It was a VW GTI VR6, and it was QUITE warm.)

 

The heads did look like Bob's, sort of, though Bob sure doesn't look like a squirrel to me.

 

Anyway, after we nixed our neighbor's idea of hors d'oeuvres (he's a real old style country gent), my husband flung the whole nest into the woods - I'm not blaming this on him, you understand, just making it clear which category I fall into.

 

Then a few days later the bereaved mother came back and chewed various important bits of rubber and wire under the hood. I can't really blame her.

[+Confucius' Cat]

Has anyone ever thought that it might be an OPOSSUM?

i live in 'possum central. not a 'possum.

Possums are born incompletely formed and mature in their mothers' pouches.

I have never seen an "embryonic" possum, but this guy sure looks like he could be one that is about halfway matured and somehow become separated from mum.

[+Stunod]

Has anyone ever thought that it might be an OPOSSUM?

i live in 'possum central. not a 'possum.

Possums are born incompletely formed and mature in their mothers' pouches.

I have never seen an "embryonic" possum, but this guy sure looks like he could be one that is about halfway matured and somehow become separated from mum.

Possums don't have hair on their tails, and this baby does.

[Cholo]

Here's a silly question:  Bob Vole seems to be growing, what is he eating?  Can we use clues from his diet to figure out what he is, or is not? Do Squirrels and Voles eat the same thing? 

He looks like a tiny dog or a panther or something in that shot, doesn't he? It's because he's so skinny and leggy. I think that's partly what's making him hard to identify; baby varmints this young should be all chubby and round. (It's also why I'm still crossing my fingers for him).

 

Have there been any unusual aero sightings in your area lately? See if he has a fondness for Reeses' Pieces. Keep an eye on him to see if he tries to use your phone to 'call home'.

[Major Catastrophe]

A Shrew? thats my guess

And a shrewd guess it is! But I'm going with "rat."

[+Robespierre]

I'm so sure what he's NOT, that I'd bet big money:

not an opossum, totally wrong everything

not a shrew, totally wrong face, muzzle

not an owl, the wings are too small

I'm still thinkin' vole, but squirrels are so common, and his head is so big...

then again:

Have there been any unusual aero sightings in your area lately? See if he has a fondness for Reeses' Pieces. Keep an eye on him to see if he tries to use your phone to 'call home'.

Edited August 5, 2004 by Robespierre

[+Tsegi Mike and Desert Viking]

Im eagerly awaiting the next installment of "the life of Bob Vole".

[+Tsegi Mike and Desert Viking]

From another thread, Auntie Weasel's little orphan?

 

It sure looks like him.

[+AuntieWeasel]

From another thread, Auntie Weasel's little orphan?

Bob does not look like a turkey! Oh, you mean that fisher/wolverine-y thing? As a mustelid m'self, I'd enjoy that, but it is not to be...I've had a peek at his teeth, and he's definitely some flavor of rodent.

 

He's very restless today, dashing around the tupperware and trying to dig out through the bottom. I'd put this down to normal burrowing animal behavior, but his eyes aren't opened yet. At this stage of his life, his job is to eat, sleep and poop. I'm hoping he's not distressed.

 

On the other hand, this behavior could certainly explain how he got away from his mama.

[+woof n lulu]

I think what you have is:

 

Groundhog/Woodchuck especially since he is exhibiting digging behavour.

He very well could have crawled out of a tunnel on his own.

If he is, the site above will give you a menu of food for him, plus their teeth grow to tremendous lengths unless they have something (piece of wood) to gnaw to keep them trimmed down.

[+Team Panda]

...what sort of nutjob handraises a baby rat?...

 

...I'm a complete sucker for that kind of thing...

Former Marine nutjobs like me!

 

The wifely unit and myself have raised and re-intro'ed several squirrels that were rescued from dire straits of one type or another over the years. We're also suckers for lost kittens and puppies. Heck, we even like CHILDREN! (But I don't think I could eat a whole one!)

 

Mix a little Karo syrup with the warmed milk or cream to keep the little critter from getting constipated. (Lethal to furry babies.)

 

To keep it warm, the best place for it is in your shirt pocket. Yeah, they pee occasionally but it comes out in the wash and there are few things in the world more restful than having a tiny little bundle of sleeping baby squirrel in your shirt pocket.

[+The Commissar!]

I'm with Brian, I think its a Trout!

[+Jeeters]

Groundhog/Woodchuck especially since he is exhibiting digging behavour.

Except that the second pic posted shows it has a very long skinny tail.

 

That second pic, to me, looked very much like a Muskrat.

[+flask]

forget speculating about what it is. whatever it is will make itself known soon enough. (can we run a pool?)

 

what i want NOW is more pictures. updates. maybe i have too much time on my hands, but i haven't seen a forum topic i care this much about in a really long time.

[+El Diablo]

I think what you have is:

 

Groundhog/Woodchuck especially since he is exhibiting digging behavour.

He very well could have crawled out of a tunnel on his own.

If he is, the site above will give you a menu of food for him, plus their teeth grow to tremendous lengths unless they have something (piece of wood) to gnaw to keep them trimmed down.

One problem with that guess is that Woodchucks are born in March. By now it would weigh about 6 to 8 lbs.

 

El Diablo

[+AuntieWeasel]

I'm afraid Team Panda might be on to something; I think I might have been feeding him too rich a mixture for his age. dadgum stupid of me not to double-check the formula; whatever he is, I think he's much younger than the squirrels I raised.

 

Whatever the cause, he's restless today. He's been letting out the occasional distressed squeak, so I had to spirit him out to the car. Fortunately, it's overcast and cool, so the temperature is baby-rat-friendly. I check him on the hour. On the theory he might be constipated, I skipped his last feeding and gave him some warm sugar water (which he did lap up) and laved his business end with warm water.

 

Cross your fingers.

[+RJFerret]

Having once traded a rabbit to a pet store for a hooded rat that turned out to be a pregnant female that delivered a litter of two, it's not a small rodent.

 

That big with eyes still closed will make for a larger animal.

 

Also, on the desk it appears the front legs are shorter than the rear, which rules out mice/rats/shrews/squirrels/possums/etc.

 

Voles have short tails while this guy's is fairly long.

 

I'm in the muskrat/woodchuck camp. The head shape evokes woodchuck to me, although for the life of me I can't picture a woodchuck tail. Muskrats have long tails but limb length is equal...

 

BTW: The two hooded rats I raised were some of the best pets I'd ever had.

 

OTOH, in CT it's MAJORLY illegal to raise wildlife. Before the laws went into affect my folks had rescued a couple racoons but now your talking fines in the tens of thousands.

 

Anyone considering doing this should verify the laws in their respective states.

 

Enjoy,

 

Randy

[+El Diablo]

Just did some reading on Muskrats, this may be a fit. It would fall into the breeding season perfectly.

 

Is it's hind feet webbed?

 

El Diablo

[+Mudfrog]

Thought i had something here but the tail is definitely wrong!

 

Squirduksheep

 

Is it's hind feet webbed?

 

Hhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[+Centex Trekker]

Has anyone ever thought that it might be an OPOSSUM?

Can't be a possum; they have nekkid tails! Not to mention long snouts and their fur is gray.

[+AuntieWeasel]

Is it's hind feet webbed?

No. Pity. He does kind of look like a muskrat. But he has long thin grasping mouse-like toes, front and back. Very definite ratty look to him overall, but for that hairy tail. And the giant head.

 

He's still not a happy rodent, by the way.

[+woof n lulu]

Is it's hind feet webbed?

No. Pity. He does kind of look like a muskrat. But he has long thin grasping mouse-like toes, front and back. Very definite ratty look to him overall, but for that hairy tail. And the giant head.

 

He's still not a happy rodent, by the way.

You can't really go by the head size in a baby of any species. Even a human babys' head is 1/3 their total length at birth. I would try feeding him canned milk

1 can diluted with 1/3 can water, and add a couple drops of Karo syrup. Keep up the warm wet washes on the nether end also and thats about all you can do.

 

There is also the possibility the mother abandoned him for a reason....I don't mean to sound harsh....but it does happen...

Edited August 5, 2004 by woof n lulu

[ju66l3r]

This is rather grim, but if in the long run you need a method for a quick painless humane passing that doesn't require the $50 euthanasia bill the vet will charge you, I can offer my expertise.

[+Centex Trekker]

This is rather grim, but if in the long run you need a method for a quick painless humane passing that doesn't require the $50 euthanasia bill the vet will charge you, I can offer my expertise.

There's always "Puss". You did say she(?) was interested.