Is the large thing living under our bathroom floor a stoat?

[Yorkshire pud]

We live in a 300 yr old farmhouse next to a river. There are exposed beams everywhere except in the dining room which is immediately beneath the bathroom. In the recent cold snap something much larger than a mouse has taken up residence in the space! We hear it (or possibly them) running back and forth quite regularly, sounding for all the world as if it's playing tig.

Although the obvious answer would be a rat, there are absolutely no signs of droppings or gnawing, so I'm wondering if it could possibly be a stoat? Have seen one on the house roof on more than one occasion and playing in the garden.

[faz]

hi and welcome to WAB it could be any mustalid stoat weasel mink or just a rat or any rodent looking for a warm comfy place to live have you a better description or picture of the offending animals

[minkhunter]

At this time of year, mink become highly territorial, so if you think there is more than one of them, its unlikely to be mink. The females come into heat in Feb, so my understanding is that territories break up then.

[RKB]

I wouldn't rule out rats. Grey Squirrels could be another possibility - they will invade roof spaces. It could be a Stoat that has gone in there to hunt - perhaps chasing the rats, mice or squirrels around?!

Edible Dormice or Yellow-necked Mice would be an obvious suggestion, but you're not in their range.

[ChrisJB]

My first thought was grey squirrel.

Chris

[The Woodman]

A friend of mine lives in an old National Trust property on the shores of Windermere and has a noisy Stoat living in his roof. He's found two scat middens, one in the roof and one in a woodpile in a shed.