# Anybody know what this is please?



## shingi

This little chappie swam into my husbands hand as he was clearing out the pond of weeds etc., and then promptly died. The head appears out of all proportion to the body. Any ideas?


----------



## BillCreer

rat


----------



## valphil

Its a hand , dont know what that rat thing is though


----------



## coppo

Must say it does look like a baby rat, have you seen any adults around.

Paul.


----------



## wug

More like a baby shrew or water vole. Rats have big ears.


----------



## peribro

I would go with a baby shrew rather than a vole or rat.


----------



## Penquin

baby water vole










Dave


----------



## shingi

coppo said:


> Must say it does look like a baby rat, have you seen any adults around.
> 
> Paul.


Yes we do. It is very rural here, we are surrounded by fields and I thought it might be a rat but like the shrew theory better.


----------



## shingi

Hey and thanks Dave for the photo lesson from yesterday. I actually managed to do it. As for voles, excuse my ignorance, I thought they hung out in rivers. We are just a small pond and nowhere near flowing water.


----------



## WildThingsKev

It's not a shrew, the nose is wrong. Probably a baby field vole; water voles are quite big.

Kev


----------



## Freddiebooks

Thats tea sorted then !!! Free Food !!


----------



## tonyt

Water Vole aka Rattie in Wind In The Willows


----------



## Penquin

Sorry, my error, the description says "Bank vole" _(Myodes glareolus) _

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Myodes_glareolus

I am pretty sure that is correct..... widely distributed, including urban locations, common throughout Europe.

Shrews are very different, even as babies;










Dave


----------



## Camdoon

Siberian hamster.


----------



## barryd

> *Camdoon wrote: *Siberian hamster.


Guffaw! 

Manuel!


----------



## Kev1

A tip
Don't clap when you have little critters in your hand


----------



## rayrecrok

Hey up.

Water voles are a protected species.. Down at the lakes we have loads of them and they are very tame, they will pick up any bait you have dropped then sit on your foot as they scoff the offerings, or if you have your bait box on the floor they will come up and help themselves to whatever you have.

Many a time I have cupped some groundbait in with my pole cup and if one is swimming by they clamber onto the cup to see if there is anything left inside.. They also move their young about from hole to hole, they swim by with one in their mouths, next thing they are coming by with another until they have them all in their new home.

Cute little buggers.

ray.


----------

