stoat chasing rabbit !

hwange · #1 (**permalink**) 04-01-2011, 01:10 PM

hi all ,
watched a stoat chase a rabbit for several minutes around a field through the stuble today , every time the stoat got to within half a metre of the rabbit it would slow down and proceed to approach slowly , where upon the rabbit would sprint away again with the stoat following . Is this normal behavour for stoats ?, i would have it would have attacked the rabbit as soon as it was close enough ? Anyway it was certainly fascinating to watch , always feel very lucky to get a good stoat sighting !
cheers for any reply's
glyn

Wild-Woman · #2 (**permalink**) 04-01-2011, 01:34 PM

Think they have to be fairly careful on their approach as a swift kick off the back legs of a rabbit would probably do a lot of damage.They have to be positioned just right for the final assault.

Dogghound · #3 (**permalink**) 04-01-2011, 01:37 PM

Did the stoat catch the rabbit?

Yes like wild-Woman says they often show caution. It may have also been a fairly young animal from last year which has not got large amounts of experience bringing down rabbits. Could be a variety of reasons.

hwange · #4 (**permalink**) 04-01-2011, 02:20 PM

I did not see the stoat catch the rabbit , they both ran around a hedge in the far corner of the field , i followed on my bike and searched the area through binoculars but couldn't see them .Also i wondered why wouldn't the rabbit just bolt down a hole and escape predation that way ?
That is as i thought, that the chase may have been fresh and the rabbit still too fit and strong for an attack , hence the stoat holding back . Wonderful to watch though ,have never seen a chase out in the open before.

kercock · #5 (**permalink**) 04-01-2011, 02:44 PM

If the Stoat is determined to get the rabbit,it almost certainly will. The stoat can follow the rabbit anywhere it goes,including down a burrow.
However, I have on occasions seen a rabbit chase a stoat. One was a mother rabbit chased a stoat who was more intent on having one of the youngsters, the mother chased the stoat a long way through a wood. The rabbit seems to use its hind feet when they do battle with the stoat. There are many times when a rabbit acts like it is fully aware the stoat is going to kill it, the rabbit sits and screams in terror the stoat jumps on it and generally bites the back of the rabbits neck.
I have seen a number of times a rabbit swimming in the river and one swim across a lake I don't know if they were trying to escape from predators but there was nothing followed them. They are excellent swimmers as are Hares.

hwange · #6 (**permalink**) 04-01-2011, 03:27 PM

yes i had heard that rabbits will fight back especially in defence of young , that must have been a sight though !
I once saw a weasel swim across a canal , it wasn't in pursuit of prey , maybe the grass looked greener , or the voles fatter ! , i would imagine that stoats equally take to the water with ease .

vole-woman · #7 (**permalink**) 04-01-2011, 03:33 PM

You lucky thing. I've only ever seen stoats when they streak across the road.

Fauna · #8 (**permalink**) 04-01-2011, 03:59 PM

We used to have a Stoat regularly hunting a sizable bury behind our cabin in work. On one occasion we watched it go to ground and come out with a young Rabbit, it then stashed this beside our fuel store, it went back to ground twice more and came out with more young Rabbits. It had collected and stashed three, putting them all in the same place.

The fourth time it went back in was a bit more exciting, there was some very loud squeeling from a Rabbit, shortly after an Adult ran out and stopped facing the hole about ten feet away. Then another came out and stood in front of the hole, allmost imediately this Rabbit sprung into the air and the Stoat run underneath it with a Rabbit in hot pursuit, then the other two took chase. We where now watching this Stoat being chased by three Rabbits across an hedgerow untill out of sight. Totally amazing to watch

We missed the return of the Stoat to collect its stash, which had disappeared about an hour later

Lemars · #9 (**permalink**) 19-02-2012, 05:47 PM

Well, I did a search for swimming hares and this is the thread I picked up (I think there were only 2-3 and this is the most recent).

My dogs flushed a hare this afternoon. It ran directly towards me, saw me, thought about it and ran down a bank, jumped in and swam straight across a small stream. Then it ran off - leaving me agape !

I'd never heard of a swimming hare before - let alone expected to see one !

C

Think the dogs were nonplussed too - but they're not brave enough to willingly enter anything wet.