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Wildlife Advice


Kevin (Mr T)

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For a while now our dog has been staring through the gaps in our decking.

This morning I saw this little guy having a look around before going back under.

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I thought it was a small squirrel, but it has a thin tail.

Rat or something else?

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More than likely a rat, we had loads under our decking. That's an unusual stance for a rat though, as you note, very squirrell like.

It's as if one puts up a sign saying free luxury accommodation as soon as the decking goes in. Our two cats seem to have "dealt" with the rats as we rarely see them anymore; I guess they have moved on. However, they do bring in a few mice now and again so the decking is still home to wildlife.

A rat will have a thin tail, almost looks scaley, hence rattail file, mouse is smoother, squirrel bushier unless of course it has a problem (some do). Unusual for a squirrel to "live" under the decking but it could just have been visiting or has stored food there. Also, looks less squat than a squirrel would when sat like that.

My money is on a rat doing a squirrel/meerkat impression...

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I can say that it not a glis glis because they have bushy tails and don't live in that part of the world. They are found only within a radius of Tring, or traditionally a triangle bounded by Beaconsfield, Aylesbury and High Wycombe. They are spreading outside that area now though. This one 'accidentally' stepped into an electronic rat trap in my shed.

sOWlaHV.jpg

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Hmm, possible, it is Essex after all.

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Entirely possible! Did you know there is an island on Loch Lomond that has wild wallabies?!

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I'm not surprised the wallabies on the Loch Lomond island are wild! I'd be pretty cross too! :p I's bl**** cold up there compared with Australia.

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Quick google shows Glis Glis is also called the edible dormouse. Living just a few miles from High Wycombe I’ll get the BBQ on.

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10 hours ago, Route66 said:

Quick google shows Glis Glis is also called the edible dormouse. Living just a few miles from High Wycombe I’ll get the BBQ on.

I cannot vouch for the flavour but the local kites seem to like them when a dead one finds its way on to the garden wall! Astoundingly they can fly off with one - or a pigeon but a squirrel has to be eaten on the ground.

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