Poo again-sorry

[Rusty Bike]

Noticed in the shed down the garden that the grass from underside of lawnmower had been dislodged and spread all around the machine. On further investigation noticed that the floor was covered in droppings. Too big for mouse so it's either rat or hedgehog. We would love the latter but last year one of the Guinea pigs had it's head partially eaten off, so I suspect rat. The droppings are mostly on the floor but some is on top of a 10" high box. I see from other postings that it is difficult to distinguish between the two. Like other members, I don’t want to be feeding a rat but I am afraid that a hedgehog may be trapped in there. Might put some food in tonight and decide what to do later.
JR

[Dogghound]

Its quite easy to tell the difference between the two. Can you describe them, although its highly likely its a rat as hedgehogs will be in hibernation and also dont really climb well.

[tameblackbirds]

is ther a strong smell? When a rat visits you can't but notice the strong musty smell.

hedgehogs can't climb so suspect a rat

[Garden Carpet]

Um... I must have the only climbing hedgehogs then.. cos they certainly climb the pile of blocks out the front.. and even up on the step of the caravan!!!

jaki

[Dogghound]

Yes they are quite capable of climbing up a small gradient and onto a low step etc, but unlike a rat they dont have the ability to climb up higher objects, trees etc etc.

[Tracey.A]

If it's a brown rat, then the droppings are usually about 17 mm long and 6 mm thick. Brown rats usually leave their droppings in corners or along the walls. Black rats drop their droppings all over the place, but they are rare and local, so I think it unlikely.

Tracey

[thunder]

Hedgehogs can climb quite high given sufficient footholds - I think Pat Morris refers to one entering a house via a first floor window, having used the ivy to get up.

henrya

[Hedgehoggy]

Originally Posted by thunder

Hedgehogs can climb quite high given sufficient footholds - I think Pat Morris refers to one entering a house via a first floor window, having used the ivy to get up.

Indeed, hogs are very adept at climbing. They have five toes on their front paws and four toes on their back paws and these toes can grip as they climb, eg chain link fencing/chicken wire would be a piece of cake for them! I remember reading somewhere of a hedgehog climbing onto a house roof (hope it was only a bungalow! ) by wedging its back against the drainpipe to shimmy up the bricks - how true this is I don't know!

Getting back to the original question of this post, hedgehog poo is much larger than a rat's, although if you don't have such comparisons, that isn't going to help you much! Rusty Bike, any chance you could take a photo of the droppings and post the pic here for an ID?

[Rusty Bike]

Thanks for your input folks. Went to get a photo yesterday and discovered, when I took bikes and lawnmower out, that there is a 3" hole in the shed wall. So I've got either a well tooled up hedgehog or as everyone suspects, rats. I use the plural as there is two different sizes of dropping. One is like mouse only bigger and one more pellet shaped. Most of the bigger stuff has been trampled down. Such a mess!
I brushed up and will monitor during the week. I didn't post the photo as
a) I don't know how to and
b) The photos I saw in the Gallery were of deer, birds and mice etc. I'm afraid my dirty shed floor will look a little out of place there.

I may however post a photo of my wife's five unemployed cats!