Rat or mouse?

[birdwoman]

I know it has been asked before but is this a baby rat or a mouse? It has friends and comes out along the fence in the day to eat the bird food. They jump quite high too.

I got as close as I could with my telephoto lens to take these. They are in my images.

Can anyone help please? I read that baby rats have tails shorter than their bodies, and mice have tails as long as their bodies - this one has a short tail.

[Hedge Witch]

At the mo I cannot see a picture.

[birdwoman]

birdwoman Gallery - Wild About Britain Pics

I can see them if I click on my images, not sure how you get to that.

[Hedge Witch]

Great - think it might be a vole, but someone will be able to make a definite ID, I'm sure.

[Hedge Witch]

The pictures:

[birdwoman]

Thanks Hedge witch

[Hedge Witch]

Originally Posted by birdwoman

birdwoman Gallery - Wild About Britain Pics

I can see them if I click on my images, not sure how you get to that.

Click on the thumbnail of your pic to enlarge, scroll further down this window to copy the "forum code", then paste it into your post, in the desired position.

[dmclean2]

Hi Birdwoman,
I think you have a feild vole there,Microtis agrestis it looks a bit too dark for the bank vole,
Duncan

[birdwoman]

Thanks Duncan, that is exciting. I thought they couldn't be rats as they don't seem to be growing.

We have had very big rats that we had to deal with as they were totally fearless and I think one of the dogs got bitten.

[Dogghound]

Its a bank vole, the reddy brown colour with grey on the sides is the key ID feature, as well as the tail length. Field voles are more of a sandy paler brown.