Help to Identify this animal would be appreciated...

Ajay999 · #1 (**permalink**) 02-10-2007, 10:56 AM

Hi, Just registered and am not a "wildlife expert" but would really appreciate someone's help to identify an animal that currently is living around our house as its causing much debate...

The animal is brown and is approx. 6 Inches Long. It looks like a "stretched Hampster" as it has a long body. When it runs the body is outstreched and very close to the ground. When it gets to the other side of the road is leaps onto the Grass. It leaps about 6 Inches High and keeps running. Wwe haven't managed to get close to it to get a clear view of its face / ears etc.

Hope this ok in asking but its causing much debate. Also, FYI we live in Ayrshire in Scotland.

Thanks for your help and if you need anymore details let me know.

Pigeon feather · #2 (**permalink**) 02-10-2007, 11:05 AM

Perhaps a stoat or a weasel?

Gill Catton · #3 (**permalink**) 02-10-2007, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ajay999

Hi, Just registered and am not a "wildlife expert" but would really appreciate someone's help to identify an animal that currently is living around our house as its causing much debate...

The animal is brown and is approx. 6 Inches Long. It looks like a "stretched Hampster" as it has a long body. When it runs the body is outstreched and very close to the ground. When it gets to the other side of the road is leaps onto the Grass. It leaps about 6 Inches High and keeps running. Wwe haven't managed to get close to it to get a clear view of its face / ears etc.

Hope this ok in asking but its causing much debate. Also, FYI we live in Ayrshire in Scotland.

Thanks for your help and if you need anymore details let me know.

Sounds a lot like a stoat to me! esp if its a sort of dark red brown colour the key feature to look for would be a black tip to the tail which would the definately make it a stoat rather than a weasel which is also a slightly smaller animal - but size is notoriously difficult to judge in the field

Ajay999 · #4 (**permalink**) 02-10-2007, 12:23 PM

Thanks for your help...

I forgot to mention that we have only seen this during the day. Also from a distance it did not appear to have a long tail like a rat.

Any other Input would be appreciated.

Ajay999 · #5 (**permalink**) 02-10-2007, 12:27 PM

Just looked for pictures of weasel and it did not look like this as it did not have a tail. Also did not appear to have a long neck like a stoat. ? Still confused ?

Gill Catton · #6 (**permalink**) 02-10-2007, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ajay999

Just looked for pictures of weasel and it did not look like this as it did not have a tail. Also did not appear to have a long neck like a stoat. ? Still confused ?

The tail is quite short (its not like a rat or a cat's tail) and not always obvious, also the neck isn't always held upright and when running across a road would ineed hold it in line with the body, the leap you describe is very stoaty and really I think from your description it can only be a weasel or a stoat.

the only other things potentially are voles but then they would look pretty similar to a hamster only brown in colour and not particularly stretched....