Breed of wild rat? Or other rodent...

^kittykat^ · #1 (**permalink**) 23-05-2009, 07:44 PM

Hello!

I was wondering if any one can help. My partner came across this little scamp last week and we are having a lot of trouble identifying it. We think it's a rat of some description, but it's head and face are the wrong shape for a brown rat

A friend has said it's a 'stumped nose rat' but we can't find anything about them, this might be a colloquiel term for it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, it's been bugging the hell out of me!

Thank you,

Kat

ron1863 · #2 (**permalink**) 23-05-2009, 07:53 PM

I doesn't look like any Rat I have seen. The second shot gives the impression that the back legs are longer than the front, reminding me of one of those desert rodents, which I can't recall the name of.

A warm welcome to WAB too.

^kittykat^ · #3 (**permalink**) 23-05-2009, 08:15 PM

Thank you - lovely to be here ^^

Do you mean a gerbil?

I know a reasonable amount about rodents as their one of my favourite types of animal, but this little guy just doesn't seem to quite fit the bill for any rodent oO

He was very tame and was eating ants as my partner took the photos of it. He was only using a rubbish camera phone too, so in the close up image he only about 6 inches away from the critter. He said it was about 15cm long when it wasn't hunched up, and looked like it might be a young or 'baby' something.

Hope the detail helps a little more! Someone must know what it is ^^

Kat x

ron1863 · #4 (**permalink**) 23-05-2009, 08:32 PM

I don't know what it is but someone on WAB will recognise it shortly.

Jenny W · #5 (**permalink**) 23-05-2009, 09:01 PM

Is it not a baby Brown Rat - just a very young one?

salukiwhippet · #6 (**permalink**) 23-05-2009, 09:15 PM

Looks like it's ill to me. There is a condition that makes heads swell like that, I saw a badger with it on Wildlife SOS this morning. Can't remember the name of it though, sorry.

James

^kittykat^ · #7 (**permalink**) 23-05-2009, 09:35 PM

I thought even for a young brown rat the head was too rounded, I might be wrong though.

I hope it wasn't ill >< I can't find anything about the head swelling condition. It's co-ordination etc. was fine, it didn't seem as though it was ill.

Thanks so much for all the replies ^^

Kat x

Gaina · #8 (**permalink**) 24-05-2009, 04:17 PM

I'm inclined to say A Jird or a 'Jerboa'. The ears on the adults are longer but if you google 'juvenile desert jerboa' you'll see a few with more rounded ears. Whatever it is, it seems from the behaviour you described to be a pet so might be best to catch the little sweetie and see if anyone is missing a pet!

Pigeon feather · #9 (**permalink**) 01-06-2009, 09:42 AM

That is a juvenile brown rat, and as others have said doesn't look very well at all, perhaps it has been poisoned? being out and about at that time of day and allowing you to get that close suggests that it is very ill indeed

^kittykat^ · #10 (**permalink**) 01-06-2009, 11:40 AM

Thanks everyone for your replies.

Poor little thing

There haven't been any sightings of it since, so I hope it's ok wherever it is.

Unfortunately my boyfriend had to get to work, otherwise he would have spent some more time with it.

Thanks again,

Kat ^_+ x