chocchick Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Has anyone seen a dormouse? I think I saw one (I get quite excited by seeing birds/wildlife for the first time, I saw a shrew once). It was brown with a black furry tail and was quite big (big mouse size) I wondered if it was a rat at first as mice can be tiny. It was on some wasteland about a metre from me as I was walking down a busy main road (Penistone Road for Egluntine/Sheffielders). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luthien Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Was it a weasel? as they are small, large mouse size but quite long, Dormice (Hazel Dormice) are meant to be tiny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Hmm, might have been one, although they are usually still hibernating at this time. Weasels have darker tails, but they are very looooooong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joojoo Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 I don't know which of those photos I prefer. The dormouse is absolutely gorgeous, but WOW thats one heck of a stretchy weasel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted February 20, 2008 Author Share Posted February 20, 2008 Definately not a weasel stretchy or otherwise It was mouse-shaped. Maybe some mutant rodent living off rubbish at the side of the road knowing my luck Maybe it's tail was in shadow? Or it had a run-in with some black paint. I'm struggling to conjour an image now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Penistone Road.....Happen it was a rat. Could it have been a stoat? Shorter than a weasel, with a black tip to its tail. Q. What's the difference between a stoat and weasel? A. A Weasel is weasily wecognised and a stoat is stoataly different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Probably a field mouse Sarah They are very similar to Dormice but are bigger and seen around more The wee brown ones are house mice and the creamy bigger ones are field mice they have huge eyes too My cats are always showing me what they look like - kind aren't they Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Appalling joke Egluntine I have never seen a dormouse in 'person' but they are cute. Field mice however ruined my bean crop last year due to their nibbling of the stalks! If they are going to feast at least eat the beans!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Appalling joke Egluntine I knew you would appreciate it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 They call it a wood mouse here May someone more technologically competent than me can add in the picture I don't even try any more edit - done Louise Christian x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Reckon they are right Choccy, it could have been a field/wood mouse. I get loads of those in from the cats - they hang out around the woodpile waiting for the poor wee things to emerge. Dormice are only due to come out in March, but perhaps the warmer weather the other week has woken them up early. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfamily Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 They call it a wood mouse here May someone more technologically competent than me can add in the picture I don't even try any more edit - done Louise Christian x we have loads of these living in our garden and we also call them wood mice They're really cute and in the evenings they can been seen eating seed off the bird table Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Dormice and wood/field mice are about the same size as one another (6-8cm) - harvest mice are the really tiny ones (we used to have some in the zoology department when I was an undergrad - v cute). Could it have been a bank vole? They are quite a bit bigger than a mouse, and pretty common: http://www.wildyorkshire.co.uk/naturediary/docs/2003/8/3.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted February 21, 2008 Author Share Posted February 21, 2008 Could be the vole. More vole-like than mouse-like looking at the photos. It did have a furry tail and the vole's tail looks almost furry. I don't think it was a rat. Vole seems the most likely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Field mice are lovely The cat was kind enough to bring a live on into my bedroom Thankfully I caught it and sent it on its way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...