Forum home› Wildlife gardening
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Juvenile rat or wood mouse

Shari4Shari4 Posts: 9
in Wildlife gardening
Much searching on the internet has left me undecided. There are 2 of these in the garden (that I can see!) never seen them before. They appear to be eating the grass seed and an occasional worm. About an inch and a half long. Juvenile rats? Or something less horrifying?
«1

Posts

  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307
    Not a rat. Tail is wrong for a rat.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Looks like a wood-mouse or field-mouse to me.    :)

    Defintely not a rat. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Shari4Shari4 Posts: 9
    Thanks that's what I thought/hoped. 😊👍
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Yes - a  little mouse. I get one on the feeder quite often - even in the daytime. He [and his friends and family ;) ]  have a nest somewhere in amongst the ivy behind it, or elsewhere in the garden. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • phil jonesphil jones Posts: 18
    Got one (probably more) near the bird feeders. Darts out when nothing else about!  Couple of frogs and a hedgehog about too!
  • Jules41Jules41 Posts: 178
    Looks like the little mice in my garden. They love the sunflower seeds in the bird food and leave little piles of the shells everywhere.  They've been living in the garden for over 7 years now. Never been a problem.  🐀
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    They are really pretty little things.
    Unfortunately they have decided to move in with me. They live/ hide under the freezer in the pantry and slip out every so often to nick a bit of dried cat food. I could just about cope with that, but not the nocturnal forays into the kitchen and the little offerings left behind!
    I've trapped 4 so far but there's still at least one left!
  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,630
    edited September 2018
    I thought it looked like a Gerbil :D
    Sorry Buttercup , good luck.
  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,630
    @Shari4 sorry got confused with Buttercup... no,  really, kick me.
    Our mice are usually the little golden brown wood mice, I think the babies are dark like yours until they grow up.

  • Hampshire_HogHampshire_Hog Posts: 1,089
    I use this site for mice.
    https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2017/07/types-of-uk-mice/

    "You don't stop gardening because you get old, you get old because you stop gardening." - The Hampshire Hog
Sign In or Register to comment.