28 October 2011

What dead thing is this?

| Jungle Jim
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dead critter

I found this ‘little’ critter perished in my backyard the other day and was wondering if anyone can confirm what it is. It’s about the length of a house brick (not including the tail) but doesn’t have the pointy nose I would expect from a regular rat.

I assume he’s (she?) the one responsible for scratching around in my roof cavity recently.

Thanks.

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Holden Caulfield2:44 pm 29 Oct 11

dungfungus said :

One needs industrial quality rat traps to snare them.

I’ve never heard anyone call our cat an industrial quality rat trap before.

It gets a bit gross when he only eats half and leaves the rest on the front door step.

dungfungus said :

“It’s a hampster Mr Fawlty”

LOL.

A Norwegian Brown Hamster I’d say.

“It’s a hampster Mr Fawlty” said Manuel.

Definitely a rat – I have seen several all over Canberra “as big as housebricks” and they run with the speed of a startled prawn.
One needs industrial quality rat traps to snare them.

rebcart said :

Use a small stick or two to pry open its mouth. If it’s got absolutely massive front incisors, you’re looking at either a native or invasive rodent. If it’s got tiny, more needle-ish teeth, you’re looking at a native marsupial.

Careful! You start small, and before you know it you’ve moved on to swans.

luther_bendross12:12 pm 29 Oct 11

Hey can we make “What dead thing is this?” a weekly RA staple? First person to guess correctly each week recieves last weeks’ dead thing stuffed.

I’d hazard a guess that it’s the Labour Party at the next election.

wildturkeycanoe1:12 am 29 Oct 11

Evidence that the bettongs cannot survive in the A.C.T. They became extinct for a reason.

It’s one of the Bettongs!

It’s a special pedigree hamster.

Benamb said :

It looks to me like a Native Bush Rat — http://museumvictoria.com.au/discoverycentre/discovery-centre-news/2007-archive/is-this-a-native-or-an-introduced-rat/

That’s funny, because based on this resource http://australianmuseum.net.au/Which-is-a-Black-Rat I decided that it was probably a black rat and not a bush rat! 🙂

Maybe the first of the recently revived bettongs to die (again) http://bit.ly/tTSqbD

Live out Gunghalin way?

Use a small stick or two to pry open its mouth. If it’s got absolutely massive front incisors, you’re looking at either a native or invasive rodent. If it’s got tiny, more needle-ish teeth, you’re looking at a native marsupial.

Dead rat – typical rat tail.

Do a google image search and you will see similar.

Looks like a rat fornicated with a guinea pig!

Up close (sorry for the picture quality by the way) it looked a lot more like a super-sized field mouse.

The colour and markings look like a brown rat to me too, Thumper, but the shape of the nose made me question that.

If it is a brown rat, what’s the likelyhood of there being a pack somewhere around my place (or in my roof)?

It Aint An Elephant

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