Warning Dead Animal Picture! Is this a mole or a vole?

[SparklieBug]

Wow, shrews sound badass for creatures that can be scared to death. Is there no taming them?!

LOL!!!

 

[lovedogs]

We had moles in the garden when I was younger, drove my dad nuts with large mounds of soil popping up all over the lawn. I'd say it's not a mole because the paws (hands) aren't big enough.

I must explore whether moles can be tamed, and if one wants to come everywhere with me. Those feet are too much for me to handle.

 

[stracci2000]

This shrew does not look like the one in @StephanieLynn 's yard

 

[JPie]

This shrew does not look like the one in @StephanieLynn 's yard

 

[Tartansparkles]

Digressing slightly from moles, voles and shrews...I was sitting on this chair on holiday when a family of mink walked past. I say walked..it was more of an undulation. They were jet black, 4 side by side, like a piece of black fur bopping across the grass. (Naturally I pooped my pants, thinking a massive black slug, on speed, was coming to get me).

 

[monarch64]

I can't ever get moles vs. voles straight so I cannot identify this poor dead creature. Do not despair, though, for am I here to regale you with the story of my youth involving moles and their riddance:

I actually learned how to drive by helping my father try to diminish the mole problem in parts of our lawn. Out of several vehicles, some farm-related, some not, he drove a (big ol') heavy Cadillac and showed me how to drive it over parts of the lawn to flatten all of the molehills. This may sound like a silly venture; I can assure you it was not. Our house was situated in the middle of a 7-acre lot, the peak of which resided the house itself. I drove up and down the surrounding 3 hills and flat area in the back of the house and really thought I was accomplishing something. I was 11 or 12, probably wearing a bathing suit, shorts, and jelly sandals.

Dad mowed the entire 7 acres himself; it was his "quiet time." He did it with a Ford tractor, larger than any riding lawnmower. (Now it's done with a zero-turn by my brother because dad has finally stepped down from lawn duties for safety at 79 years old). Back to the moles: he tried everything over the years! Sonar stake thingies you stuck in the ground that would supposedly drive them crazy and make them leave. Kill traps that very infrequently yielded an impaled vermin. Farm dogs. Farm cats. Still, the soft and unsightly molehills crept up and through the otherwise well-kempt terrain. This was a never-ending battle, the likes of which no human could ever win.

@lovedogs posed the question above: could moles be tamed? I have my doubts. Everything I learned in my youth and my master gardening classes tells me the answer is a resounding "no." Some folks choose to pour noxious things down mole holes in hopes of driving the critters out. Doesn't work. They dig DEEP and can up and move any time-deeper or farther away, but usually always near the same place.
Want to get rid of them? Get rid of their food source (grubs). Yet again, I digress. I don't think they can be tamed, but I could be wrong. They are a natural predator of grubs which invade gardens and consume food meant for humans...why would we want to tame them? I really really yearn for a pet skunk; alas, it isn't my place in the ecosystem to adopt one for my own when they are more valuable to all of us species in their natural element. (But GAH THEY ARE SO CUTE!)

Thanks for coming to my TED talk on moles. Didn't realize that was gonna get so lengthy.

 

[House Cat]

Are y’all lovin’ on rodents over here?

 

[YadaYadaYada]

I just love PS and all these witty shrew references

@monarch, loved your story, hope maybe someday you get your skunk (they are not legal in CT ) they really are so cute and I love how they walk about.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

I used to go to 4H camp and they would make us chew bubble gum and spit it down the "mole holes" so they would choke on it horrible and I have no idea if it worked but that's what they told us

 

[YadaYadaYada]

@Asscherhalo_lover my neighbor told us to put Juicy Fruit gum down the holes and they will eat it and their mouths will get stuck shot and they will die of starvation

 

[stracci2000]

@Asscherhalo_lover my neighbor told us to put Juicy Fruit gum down the holes and they will eat it and their mouths will get stuck shot and they will die of starvation

So I looked this up and of course it is an old wive's tale. Why would moles eat gum? They are carnivores that like worms and grubs.

 

[JPie]

So I looked this up and of course it is an old wive's tale. Why would moles eat gum? They are carnivores that like worms and grubs.

They need to freshen their breath after the worms and grubs.

 

[stracci2000]

They need to freshen their breath after the worms and grubs.

I guess. The worms and grubs are yummy, but the aftertaste is a bit "earthy"

 

[JPie]

I guess. The worms and grubs are yummy, but the aftertaste is a bit "earthy"

 

[Ally T]

Thanks @Alex T, I especially appreciate that you have seen them up close and can identify this guy as a shrew, I thought for sure it was a mole or vole. What's odd is we are on the outskirts of our downtown area yet we seem to get a lot of creatures, maybe because we have an area of wetland type property in the back.

You're welcome! You'd be surprised where creatures live these days, but sounds like it's come from behind your property. This morning I saw what I thought was a small chestnut on my kitchen floor, even though they've not dropped yet. On closer inspection I found it to be a tiny mouse head, totally severed at the neck very cleanly. I had to pick him up by his whiskers to throw his little mousey nose out into the garden. It's quite alarming, but we are totally desensitised to it after 5 years of having our cats. Sad, but true

 

[stracci2000]

You're welcome! You'd be surprised where creatures live these days, but sounds like it's come from behind your property. This morning I saw what I thought was a small chestnut on my kitchen floor, even though they've not dropped yet. On closer inspection I found it to be a tiny mouse head, totally severed at the neck very cleanly. I had to pick him up by his whiskers to throw his little mousey nose out into the garden. It's quite alarming, but we are totally desensitised to it after 5 years of having our cats. Sad, but true

Wow, this is like bittersweet.
So sad for the little mouse, but so wonderful that your cat loves you so much.........?

 

[YadaYadaYada]

@Alex T wouldn't it be wonderful if our cats brought us gems instead of severed mouse heads!

We have mice in our attic, they basically stay in the attic but I know if one happens to find its way into the living area our male cat will take care of it

 

[JPie]

@Alex T wouldn't it be wonderful if our cats brought us gems instead of severed mouse heads!

I seriously considered befriending crows for that reason! I read this article a few years ago and was fascinated.

https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31604026

The birds communicate by how they fly, how close they walk, and where they sit. The human learns their language and the crows learn their feeder's patterns and posture. They start to know and trust each other. Sometimes a crow leaves a gift.

But crow gifts are not guaranteed. "I can't say they always will (give presents)," Marzluff admits, having never received any gifts personally, "but I have seen an awful lot of things crows have brought people."

Not all crows deliver shiny objects either. Sometimes they give the kind of presents "they would give to their mate", says Marzluff. "Courtship feeding, for example. So some people, their presents are dead baby birds that the crow brings in."

 

[Ally T]

Wow, this is like bittersweet.
So sad for the little mouse, but so wonderful that your cat loves you so much.........?

You would be surprised how much one of my cats loves me! I don't mind when she kills & eats them, but when she kills for sport i.e. brings me dead gifts, i get a bit cross. I try not to as i know she is literally bringing gifts, but when she comes into the house, mewling with something clearly in her mouth, seeks me out, drops a dead creature in front of me & then lies down & curls around my ankles purring, I find it hard not to shout.

My other cat was from a Pedigree litter of Lilac Point Birmans' but not wanted because her eyes are crossed. She's REALLY good at catching & eating flies, but that's her limit

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Huh, was not aware how cool crows are, thanks @JPie for sharing that. Now I will be more tolerant of their annoying vocalizations!

 

[YadaYadaYada]

@Alex T, I'm curious if you have to worry about the cats catching something from their "presents" like worms or some sort of illness? My cats have always been indoor and have never actually killed anything apart from the occasional fly or bug.

 

[Ally T]

@Alex T, I'm curious if you have to worry about the cats catching something from their "presents" like worms or some sort of illness? My cats have always been indoor and have never actually killed anything apart from the occasional fly or bug.

They get a flea treatment on the back of their necks every month, and a worm treatment on the back of their necks every 2 months. They are 5 in a couple of weeks (both abandoned on the farm here in my village within 4 days of each other, so we give them the same Birthday) and so far, no worms or fleas. They had all their jabs as kittens & get a yearly health check at the Vet. The black ratter sometimes gets tummy upsets & throws up, but a whole bird head with beak in tact comes up so she sort of deserves it.

The one who brings all the creatures in was abandoned in a littler from the ratter on the farm, so i think she's predisposed to the killing thing. The other beautiful sable nosed creature was abandoned by her very posh mummy cat a few days later, but as I say she wasn't wanted because she was Show perfect apart from her cross eyes. Let me see if I can find a picture....

 

[Ally T]

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Oh my goodness they are beautiful @Alex T!

A full bird head with a beak?

 

[JPie]

Your cats are beautiful, @Alex T !

I am glad my cats never brought me any gifts.

 

[Ally T]

@JPie @StephanieLynn Thank you! They really are beautiful, if a pain in my arse. The first pic was when they were kittens & would snuggle together on my knee, the second more recently & a true representation of my daily life - they follow me everywhere if we're all in the house at the same time

 

[lovedogs]

I love crows. They are very smart and I've always liked them. I tried to save one a few months ago but wasn't able to. Still sad about that little dude.

 

[JPie]

I love crows. They are very smart and I've always liked them. I tried to save one a few months ago but wasn't able to. Still sad about that little dude.

Aaw, I’m sorry to hear that. They are such clever creatures and I’m glad someone else appreciates them too.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

@lovedogs sorry you weren't able to save the crow, birds are tough. DH and I came across a seagull with a broken wing in a parking lot and we managed to get him into someone's car but I don't think they were able to save him, pretty sure he had a broken wing

We currently have two cockatiels, Jack and Mr. Gray and they both know their names and will come when called. Jack has a tendency to make chicken noises and when I tell him he is not a chicken he does the chicken head bob and then keeps clucking, I guess he self identifies as a chicken

 

[partgypsy]

Whatever it was, that and mice were my former cat's favorite prey. I have seen many of them (whatever it is. It has soft gray almost fuzzy fur. Someone told me they were voles, but I looked at pics on google and think it most resembles a shrew.