The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Wildlife => Topic started by: Womble on April 25, 2014, 07:33:38 am
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Found in the middle of a tarpaulin covered log-pile, alongside a 10-15cm dished bed of dead Beech leaves. Evidently left by an animal who can't be bothered walking far to go the loo in the night, but who was it?
(http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j216/Blutack/TAS2011/turds.jpg) (http://s81.photobucket.com/user/Blutack/media/TAS2011/turds.jpg.html)
Many thanks folks!
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hibernating hedgehog would be my first guess
although they have a rat like appearance as well but hey wouldn't all be in a heap like that...
the closest thing i have actually seen to that was when mrs b had a pet chinchilla they were very similar shaped to that!!!
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Rats! they do usually pick a particular latrine spot for droppings.
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Yup, Rats!
Although guineapigs look similar ;D
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They are rat turds. no doubt about it. Sometimes they can be squishy if they are on a high fat diet ie from bins. Also you may find empty snail shells along side in a heap, they are partial to them.
I used to keep loads of rats as pets so know a bit about them. ;D
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Agree, I'm afraid they are rats.
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I forgot to add that I am very impressed by your picture of rat
sh!t er I mean faeces :roflanim:
Also, remember the diseases they can carry. So I hope you washed that coin :roflanim:.
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I'd say rats :P . I'm on a mission to keep them down without using poison ::)
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OH has been known to use the air rifle on them. He hates doing it, but it's better than poison.
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I also would say rats. Good luck in getting rid. Wear gloves AND wash your hands ( after you take the gloves off :innocent: )
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Hedgehog droppings are more like tiny, rather wet, dog turds, frequently with beetle wing cases visible, about two or three times the size of rat droppings. If you can make it wild bird/pet proof put your bait there - they may take a couple of days to get used to it but they tend to use the same route every night and only have to ingest 15gm each for it to work.
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Agreed: hedgehog's is blacker and longer that's definitely a rat's!
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Aren't they a bit big for rats, or have we just had small ones here? If you give a good sniff to the general area you should get a whiff of rat urine if it's them, as they dribble all the time.
Have a look for greasy 'rat runs' going to and from the nest, which are fairly diagnostic.
I was going to say scrub the coin before you pop it in your pocket, but others got there first ;D
Could be a very small hibernating bear :roflanim:
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Yup defo rat !
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so its confirmed as Rats
oh well that will give Mr Womble a new hobby!!! Rat exterminator!!!
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Damn! I was really hoping it wouldn't be a rat, for obvious reasons, let alone a very large pregnant one :-[ .
I'll have a better look for rat runs, but we didn't see anything yesterday. We have a couple of live-capture rat traps, so we'll get them set just in case.
Any thoughts as to what's the best bait to use?
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Dont know about bait - try some grain - but wear gloves when handling the traps so you dont put a human smell onto them.
Cover the traps with something so they look less suspicious to the furries.
It may take a while to catch anything as they are very suspicious of anything 'new to them' - except of course the bucket of feed you forget to put away last thing at night
Good luck
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Yup rats!
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I put a bit of ewe feed in the cage traps and put them against the wall and under a pallet - have caught 4 so far.
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If you do catch one in a live trap, be very careful when you come to handle the trap with the rat inside. It'll have your hand if it comes within range. So use sticks through the handles to lift the trap, and keep your hands well away. ;)
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That is rat poop we have had them in the past and I have felt with them loads of times what fun you will have lol