What is this?

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Nov 28, 2006 8:42 am

Can you tell me for sure what this is? I wished I would have taken a side picture of it now that I look at these.....I know it's either a shrew or vole.....I am thinking shrew because of all the little holes everywhere....but I have never lost a plant (yet) so I don't think it's a vole....I put those bait blocks out and we have found a couple of these....and boy, the hole next to the bait hotel thingy is really active.....

Thanks!!

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Nov 28, 2006 4:49 pm

Awwww shucks......I thought someone would have an idea by the time I got home.....durn......Oh well, I picked up the bait till I find out......I am terrible at id'ing stuff from the internet.....I know I am to look for a flat nose on the shrew.....I'll do a google later to see if I can figure it out....

Minnow · Post by **Minnow** » Nov 28, 2006 8:06 pm

Ick! Ack! Uhh! Eek! That is a damn little hosta killer. But you must obviousley have other more tasty things in the ground for them, like daylilies! You are lucky you haven't lost anything to them! Must be nice!

Gruntfuttock · Post by **Gruntfuttock** » Nov 28, 2006 8:34 pm

Looks like a vole to me.

Certainly not a shrew, they are tiny, about an inch or so, and have extended snouts.

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Nov 28, 2006 9:53 pm

Well DH & I have been Googling, and this is so close to what we had.....the tale and nose.....this is a shrew......I think I have shrews......My pictures were not the best angle.

Thanks!!!

And if enyone else knows.....let us know.....Because we are CONFUSED!!

nanny_56 · Post by **nanny_56** » Nov 28, 2006 10:12 pm

Whatever it is, I hope I never see one!! Ugly little thing!

Claudia

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Nov 28, 2006 11:01 pm

Claudia

Patrushka · Post by **Patrushka** » Nov 29, 2006 1:24 am

I say shrew because from the underside view its nose looks pointy. It looks like what we were getting in our traps in late summer which was different than the voles we caught a few years ago when my hostas were being devoured.

Ed_B · Post by **Ed_B** » Nov 29, 2006 4:30 pm

I hope to SAM heck it's to cold up here in tundra land for any of them to live here.

Got to admit one thing though, it sure is ugly

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Nov 29, 2006 5:07 pm

Ed, I think they can live where you are too.....pretty sure.....It was both ugly and cute as it was the dark fur that looked so soft....but I didn't find out by touching it.....

I don't want to kill the shrews, so I put the poison in the garage for the mice.....

Thanks Again!!

Dusty · Post by **Dusty** » Nov 29, 2006 5:42 pm

Is it me or does that 1st pic loook like he has side arms.. making 6 in total.

I agree with everyone else yucky looking critter.. esp. that 6 armed pic! Goosey.. you just keep them there!

petal*pusher · Post by **petal*pusher** » Dec 07, 2006 8:40 pm

Oh wait a minute! This little fella is not such a bad guy to have around! It kind of looks like a shrew to me also.....and they are not plant-eaters. They eat a ton of bugs and SLUGS! Well....maybe not a whole TON....but I think they're really beneficial little guys!.......p

Linda P · Post by **Linda P** » Dec 08, 2006 8:04 am

It looks like a shrew to me, LG. They are carnivores like moles, and eat bugs and other small mammals and snakes. I know they are ferocious little things. If the cats catch one, they won't eat it. I guess they taste nasty. They leave them out on the sidewalk for me to find. Voles have a rougher coat, sort of like a longer-haired mouse with a short tail. I know that we used to call them field mice when I was a kid. This is one of the best pages on meadow voles that I've found. It has some really good pictures.
http://www.fcps.edu/StratfordLandingES/ ... w_vole.htm
Linda P

bengal · Post by **bengal** » Dec 12, 2006 8:03 pm

Hi there, LucyGoose. Time for you to get those bait blocks up, and pronto! I'm almost certain that you're killing shrews. They are the good guys! So good that they've been known to kill and eat voles. It doesn't get much better than that.