# Strange Animal In My Yard.



## sleecjr (Mar 24, 2006)

OK i have only seen it 2 times tonight. It is small 4-6 lbs. It has brown fur. When i saw it the first time i thought it was a raccoon, then it ran into the water and dove under. Later it was in the yard and looked to be looking in the grass for food. It saw me and ran back to the water. Not that i have see a whole lot of otters, it didn't look like one. I also didn't see a tail either time. Now it was running so i could have missed it. What do otters eat? Is there any thing else it could be that i am missing?


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

What size & shape body vs head vs nose?

I've got a few ideas...depending on answer to the above


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## ember (Jan 17, 2008)

My guess is it's a Muskrat. They do have a tail, but like a rat it (the tail) is more or less hairless, and they eat grass and roots, and spend most of their time in or near water. 
You can google muskrat for a picture I'm sure.


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

Maybe a Muskrat??


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## egregg57 (Feb 13, 2006)

wolfwood said:


> What size & shape body vs head vs nose?
> 
> I've got a few ideas...depending on answer to the above


So do I!!


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

Here...you can listen to this while you do your research Click and Enjoy!


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

As said, without descriptions of coat & head/body/nose size & shape, it could be all kinds of things. ...but you're unlikely to find muskrats (or beaver...or otter) in a yard eating grass. All 3 are prim arily water dwellers, with beaver & muskrat generally only coming on land to feed or down trees (_MY_ trees!!) for lodging...if required..while otter will come to land to find house-building pieces (but they live in river banks), travel, & play (but they all eat fish....) . They are equally unlikely to return so quickly to a place they've been scared off from.

You might also check these out in a mammal book or on-line:

black footed ferret
stoat
mongoose / dwarf mongoose

These, as well as several other options, are all in the weasel family, are equally as comfy on land as in the water, are VERY curious so might well return if they think there's a prize to be had, and are very likely in the high water/humidty region of Florida - in fact, I'll bet you've got all kinds of members of the weasel-family down there that NONE of the rest of us have. Oh - and some will have tails while others won't.


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## fl_diesel (Feb 15, 2006)

Per Wikipedia:

Muskrats are found over most of Canada and the United States and a small part of northern Mexico. They always inhabit wetlands, areas in or near salt and fresh-water marshlands, rivers, lakes, or ponds. They are not found in the state of Florida where the round-tailed muskrat, or Florida water rat, (Neofiber alleni) takes their place (Caras 1967).

So, could be a Florida water rat...whatever that is.


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## sleecjr (Mar 24, 2006)

wolfwood said:


> What size & shape body vs head vs nose?
> 
> I've got a few ideas...depending on answer to the above


It ran quick so i didnt get a good look. From what i did see it looks close to the muskrat picture some one put up. I will be keeping an eye out for it and will try to get a picture.


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## Piecemaker (Nov 15, 2007)

sleecjr

Try looking up what a Mink looks like a if it fits the discription.

They are found in Florida as well as up north here.









Brian


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## 3athlete (May 14, 2006)

```
but you're unlikely to find muskrats (or beaver...or otter) in a yard eating grass.
```
Judi,

We have a muskrat that lives under the barn and eats the grass in the backyard, then takes a swim in the pond. We see him/her all spring and summer, sometimes even into the fall. they are definitely NOT cute little creatures! They look like rats! In fact the first time I saw it I just about died from being grossed out.


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## RizFam (Feb 25, 2006)

I'll say it isn't pretty muskrat


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## Fire44 (Mar 6, 2005)

While muskrats aren't real pretty, they are very tasty!!!!


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## mike elliott (Dec 17, 2007)

I don't Know what you seen but as far as muskrat,s go there the uglyist thing out there i went out to my truck once and there was one under it it wouldn't let me in . finally i jumped into the truck dropped the clutch so the truck would roll away from it then i jumped out and shot it . when i picked it up with a shovel later on i kind of felt bad didn't look quite so mean after i shot it.


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## RizFam (Feb 25, 2006)

Fire44 said:


> While muskrats aren't real pretty, they are very tasty!!!!

















*& double*


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## GarethsDad (Apr 4, 2007)

Did it look like this http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&...=1&ie=UTF-8 . James


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

Around here we have Nutria. Kind of a cross between a Rat and a Beaver.
In other words, a long rat like tail, and a face only an Oregon State alumni could love!










I don't know if they get all the way to Florida, but this picture is supposed to be a Louisiana Nutria.

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## mom2countrykids (Sep 25, 2007)

I would also guess nutria. They are big rats! Water rats! We have them in W. Texas, but didn't know they were in FL. They were "imported in to eat the water grass. They did well and spread.


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

Imagine eating one of these...

Click here for Nutria Recipes


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

skippershe said:


> Here...you can listen to this while you do your research Click and Enjoy!


it was already going thru my head when I saw the word Muskrat! BTW- I actually saw them in concert in southern Idaho a llllllllllllloooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggggggg time ago!


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## Airboss (Jul 14, 2007)

Nahhh...sounds like a platypus!









(I'm kidding, of course)


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

Doxie-Doglover-Too said:


> Here...you can listen to this while you do your research Click and Enjoy!


it was already going thru my head when I saw the word Muskrat! BTW- I actually saw them in concert in southern Idaho a llllllllllllloooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggggggg time ago!








[/quote]
LOL! Bet it wasn't as long ago as when I saw the Carpenters in Texas...or the Osmond Brothers in Las Vegas!

Did I just admit that??


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## RizFam (Feb 25, 2006)

skippershe said:


> Imagine eating one of these...
> 
> Click here for Nutria Recipes


*NO WAY ............. UGH*


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## GoVols (Oct 7, 2005)

Doug beat me to it: I'd guess you saw a Nutria. Introduced from South America. Invasive.

Nutria


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## BigBadBrain (Aug 26, 2004)

It was a hedgehog.

Sorry, I meant to say a Florida armadillo.


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

skippershe said:


> Here...you can listen to this while you do your research Click and Enjoy!


it was already going thru my head when I saw the word Muskrat! BTW- I actually saw them in concert in southern Idaho a llllllllllllloooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggggggg time ago!








[/quote]
LOL! Bet it wasn't as long ago as when I saw the Carpenters in Texas...or the Osmond Brothers in Las Vegas!

Did I just admit that??








[/quote]
IF memory serves me right, I am thinking it was 1975--wow....weird, since I am only 39


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

PDX_Doug said:


> Around here we have Nutria. Kind of a cross between a Rat and a Beaver.
> In other words, a long rat like tail, and a face only an Oregon State alumni could love!
> 
> 
> ...


...and the punches just keep on coming...









wait until Dec 2008...when the Beavers beat Oregon for the third straight Football Civil War


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## Tyvekcat (Aug 28, 2007)

It may have been a 'Snipe'. Haven't been snipe hunting in a long time. Great times. 
The population is probably growing


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

Tyvekcat said:


> It may have been a 'Snipe'. Haven't been snipe hunting in a long time. Great times.
> The population is probably growing


Oh, Tyvekcat, I'll bet you're right! I forgot all about Snipes







!!!! No doubt that the population has grown over all this time - I'm sure the populatiion has pushed all the way to Florida by now


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## folsom_five (Jan 10, 2008)

wolfwood said:


> It may have been a 'Snipe'. Haven't been snipe hunting in a long time. Great times.
> The population is probably growing


Oh, Tyvekcat, I'll bet you're right! I forgot all about Snipes







!!!! No doubt that the population has grown over all this time - I'm sure the populatiion has pushed all the way to Florida by now








[/quote]
We take our kids snipe hunting several times a year. We hear them, but haven't caught any out West, maybe you'll have better luck in Florida.

--Greg


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## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

Wow, snipe hunting! Thanks for bringing that up... what a great flash from my childhood. We lived in the country on 85 acres and loved to take the "city folk" snip hunting in the nearby woods. For some reason they would only go once.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

folsom_five said:


> It may have been a 'Snipe'. Haven't been snipe hunting in a long time. Great times.
> The population is probably growing


Oh, Tyvekcat, I'll bet you're right! I forgot all about Snipes







!!!! No doubt that the population has grown over all this time - I'm sure the populatiion has pushed all the way to Florida by now








[/quote]
We take our kids snipe hunting several times a year. We hear them, but haven't caught any out West, maybe you'll have better luck in Florida.

--Greg
[/quote]

Those things really come out at night...I think they are attracted to the campfire. However, as fast as the kids are with a flashlight, we've yet to see one. However, the kids have spent many HOURS creating traps for them.


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