This was running around on our patio yesterday morning....I know it looks big, it is really not much bigger than a cottonball. It moved too fast for my camera and this is the best picture I could get.
I say it is a baby MOLE.
Hubby thinks it is a mouse.
Hubby thinks it is a mouse.
Ok, it has NO TAIL (well, a tiny bit of a tail) and NO EARS!
Who is right?
Edited to add MY EVIDENCE:
When I was trapping for field mice, I often caught shrews - Short-tailed shrews and Blarina brevicauda – the only venomous mammal in the world.
Ken Catania, of Vanderbilt University, studies moles and their feeding behavior. I attended his presentation at the ISBE Conference and I was mesmerized. It was the best science talk, ever. These guys are so fast Dr. Catania has to doctor-up his high speed cameras to catch these guys in action. A mole or a shrew can attack and consume a prey (earthworms) in less than a fraction of a second. Ooh, I have to share the earthworm stuff, too, but later.
EWWWWW, it was a SHREW......where's my gun????
We were both wrong!!!!
No eyes . . . it's a mole, so says Wes
ReplyDeleteNo eyes, it's a mole . . . so says Wes. We have tons of them. Cats won't touch them. Blue & Junior (blue heelers) like them. ICK
ReplyDeleteIt is a mole , you are correct.
ReplyDeleteAirzooka , you got it , aren't they fun ?
I've never heard of a Shrew,weird.
ReplyDeleteBut whatever it is,the little guy is kinda cute (in a baby kitten sort of way).
If it is a shrew, what kind of damage does it do, is it like the mole and mess up your yard?
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a mole too...
ReplyDeleteThanks for feeling sorry for me and leaving me a comment! =) The critters on here make me feel scared! YIKES!
ReplyDeleteI don't care what he/it is...I think it's the cutest thing! Seriously. I ♥ small animals.
ReplyDeleteOh, no no no. I've been on Etsy...I live on Etsy. I've purchased Twilight necklaces, and little purses, bookmarks...the list goes on. Hot Topic is just more immediate gratification. I buy things on Etsy that I'm willing to wait to get through the mail.
ReplyDeleteOh goodness...was it a shrew? How can you tell the difference between shrew and mole? Is it in the feet?
ReplyDeleteHey, Traci! Thanks for playing along with Pay It Forward! I'll be sending you something in the mail soon!
ReplyDeleteI thought a shrew was a rat, what do I know?? It looks like the two pics match up to me.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a mole to me, but, then again, I didn't really get a good look at it. As soon as I saw the tail, I scrolled down as quickly as I could!
ReplyDeleteEWWWW, whatever it is, kill it, lol!
ReplyDeleteYou asked about the links to post... I have no idea what they mean or how they got there, but I'm glad they did!
I had "lost" your blog and could not for the life of me remember the name. So when I was going thru my comments on the porcupine post, I saw your link there. Weird huh??
I found this post via technorati...and to confirm yours (and everyone's) questions, it certainly looks like a shrew.
ReplyDeleteMole would be a close second, but those small little paws suggest shrew.
Shrews and moles are insectivores and neither are rats or mice. But all are mammals.
Shrews and moles eat the same thing - grubs, worms, crustaceans and any thing that gets in its way. Shrews are actually meaner. Shrews will come above ground and are FAST. Moles avoid coming above ground as much as possible, another reason why it's more likely a shrew or mole.
But molesdo more ground damage because they are active diggers.