Identify

Krustacean

Saw this the other day and have no idea what it is ?
Any ideas ?

(Not sure how to post flickr photo's that don't end with jpg)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49955328@N04/4583214909/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49955328@N04/4583843998/in/photostream/


It's rattish .. but not a rat. (That's my scientific opinion)

Cheers,
K

Judgement Day

Brown Rat? Yuk! Don't know about cuddly.

Alun

Was it anywhere near a water source such as a river, canal etc.? If so, it could possibly be a water vole. They have shorter, furry tails than rats, less 'pointy' faces and have smaller ears. Can't really make out if the tail is furry from those photos.

Krustacean

Thanks for the input.

Tail wasn't furry ... more like a rats tail.

We do have a stream and river nearby.


K

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Alun wrote: »

Was it anywhere near a water source such as a river, canal etc.? If so, it could possibly be a water vole.

Everytime someone asks ablut a Rat somebody else suggests a Water Vole. We do not have Water Voles in Ireland. We do have an alien species: the Bank Vole - only in the South West. The Irish Bank Vole is not a native Irish mammal, but rather an alien or introduced species. The first Irish sighting was in 1964.
The chances of anyone here stumbling upon one are slight. Sometimes we just have to accept a Rat is a Rat.

Alun

August Massive Something wrote: »

Everytime someone asks ablut a Rat somebody else suggests a Water Vole. We do not have Water Voles in Ireland.

I didn't know that, otherwise I wouldn't have suggested it. I stand corrected.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Alun wrote: »

Well I didn't know that, otherwise I wouldn't have suggested it, would I? I stand corrected.

That's like a birder from Scotland who was here a fair few years ago and suggested he saw a Green Woodpecker. He later said he wouldn't have seen one if he knew we didn't have them!

No problems. Spread the word! No offence intended at all but why suggest solutions that you don't know could be possible? Just curious.:)

Alun

August Massive Something wrote: »

No problems. Spread the word! No offence intended at all but why suggest solutions that you don't know could be possible? Just curious.:)

Well, I can proffer the rather weak excuse that I'm English originally, so apart from the more obvious ones I already know about (e.g. weasels, moles, snakes) I tend to assume (sometimes incorrectly) that most fauna found in Britain is found here too, but I suppose I ought to double check first next time.

I did try and start a thread a good while ago, trying to list the differences between mainland Britain and Ireland with regard to species that were found in one place but not the other, and the reasons for it but it didn't really take off unfortunately IIRC.

Judgement Day

Alun - I sympathise with your predicament - especially when it comes to birds. When I was a kid it used to drive me bonkers looking at the AA Book of British Birds to see just how many species were to be found only in Britain and not here - the Carrion Crow takes this boundary thing to ridiculous lengths and can be found on the UK Mainland and Northern Ireland but only rarely south of the border - how on earth does it know??? The list of politically correct birds, while shrinking of late, still numbers such species as the Nuthatch, Green Woodpecker, Crested Tit, Stone Curlew, Capercaillie etc.etc.....800+ years of oppression and this!!:D

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/c/carrioncrow/index.aspx

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/c/capercaillie/index.aspx

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I can fully relate to that. Growing up we only had books of Birds of Britain & Ireland - if we were lucky, otherwise they included mainland Europe. It was always hard to find books of Birds or Mammals specific to Ireland. Thankfully we are now better served with the likes of Exploring Irish Mammals by Tom Hayden and Rory Harrington & Collins Complete Irish Wildlife by Derek Mooney and Paul Sterry . The latter is great in that it covers many trees, fungi, and fish in addition to birds, flowers, butterflies etc.

cfitz

Well it's listed on this site...

http://www.biology.ie/species-list.php?m=mammals

http://www.biology.ie/species.php?m=mammals&s=2854&PHPSESSID=fa9913fde3ede32aba72cc3edb5cc07f

Krustacean

Having looked at youtube video's I'm more convinced that it is a water vole.
(maybe got the Ferry across the channel) :-)


K

cuddlycavies

It's a rat, Interesting link above. Never heard of these sightings and many Irish people refer to rats near water as water rats as though a different species. googled and could find nothing else about sightings.

LostCovey

cuddlycavies wrote: »

It's a rat, Interesting link above. Never heard of these sightings and many Irish people refer to rats near water as water rats as though a different species. googled and could find nothing else about sightings.

Definitely a Brown Rat

LostCovey