Rodents abounding on the verge, although the verge of what exactly, one cannot guess…

Ian Hutson

Calling all mouse/rat/vole/shrew/miniature-coypu experts.

This little fellow was feeding in the hedgerow hereabouts in broad and full daylight, and was virtually unconcerned at my presence. So unconcerned indeed that, had I not been trained to “you may now leave the monastery, Grasshopper” level, he may have found himself on the wrong side of my size eleven plates of meat. It is only because I object to standing on daisies/dandelions/dog-turds/ants/small aliens and thus keep up a constant watch where I am a-stepping that this gentleman survives…

He has a rather bald tail, so I am leaning towards “well-groomed baby rat”, but my close experience of rats extends only to human politicians, so I am not qualified to make a determination in this case. Cute, yes, until you look closely and notice the creepy hand-like forepaws in a delicate shade of shudder-pink.

Any and all identification suggestions welcomed.

Until he may be addressed by his proper Latin name I shall term him Desmond.

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Desmond.

Unless Desmond learns at least the rudiments of running away and blending into the shrubbery we may well have to term him Cat Toy/Dog Food/Bird Food/An Unfortunate Statistic.

Chin-chin.

Ian H.

14 Comments

  1. Desmond, having now achieved his five minutes of fame, (it used to be fifteen, but nobody has that much time to spare these days) scurried back into the longer grasses of his homeland, thankful he had fulfilled the promise he made to his grandmother so many years ago.

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    1. Absolutely so. Desmond, of whom everyone said that he would amount of virtually nothing – certainly no more than a few grammes of mouse-blubber and fur – leaves his mark on the electric interwebnettings…

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    1. A Field Mouse, like Montgomery? That’s one hell of an army rank for a rodent. Oh hang on though, am I thinking of “Marshal”? Yes, I am, damn it. Well, whatever Desmond’s rank he was very well groomed and turned out, his regiment should be proud of him. 🙂

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    1. Thank’ee. I was amazed at how bold he was, out feeding in bright sunshine with humans hoofing around nearby. I always wonder when an animal is that bold whether it is not healthy and/or not in a natural state of mind, so to spoke. He looked fine though, just very bold indeed. 🙂

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  5. Field mouse, cute little blighters! Edible Dormice differ from the common variety and are called Glis glis.

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    1. I can just imagine the conversations that must go on in nests all over the country.

      ‘Mummy, Daddy, what am I?’

      ‘Why, son – you’re an edible dormouse.’

      ‘Mummy, Daddy, what does “edible” mean?’ …

      😉

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