CLOSED: Not a Bug, but A Varmint, What is it?

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ButterflyChaser Northeast, AR(Zone 7a) Oct 22, 2010

I don't know if there's another forum to post this, but this guy has been running around my gardens. I don't think it's a mouse; it's actually kinda cute and it's larger, but not as big as a rat. I don't think it's a mole. I see it above ground everyday, during the day. It doesn't seem to be nocturnal. I didn't measure it but I'd say the body (not including the tail) is about 4-5 inches long maybe. It's feet look like little hands. What is it? There are more out there and I've set out poison to kill them. I don't want them multiplying and coming in my house, even if they are kinda cute.

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ButterflyChaser Northeast, AR(Zone 7a) Oct 22, 2010

Here's a picture of the other side of him. I don't know if you can see his little hands, but they remind me of tiny baby hands.

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ButterflyChaser Northeast, AR(Zone 7a) Oct 22, 2010

I'm wondering if it could be a meadow vole? I've never heard of us having voles around here. We have lots of moles, but I've never seen a vole before. But it looks a bit like the voles on this site:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/Mammals/meadow%2520vole/vole2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/meadow_vole.htm&usg=__rWjKQbY8NbDKP7foUrMNUgXf3KE=&h=323&w=459&sz=62&hl=en&start=8&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=HcJcSUyti9SH8M:&tbnh=90&tbnw=128&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dvole%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us%26tbs%3Disch:1

What do you think?

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suunto Sinks Grove, WV Oct 22, 2010

Definitely not a vole - it may be a young cotton rat, Sigmodon hispidus - see http://tinyurl.com/35kppqh for an image.

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ButterflyChaser Northeast, AR(Zone 7a) Oct 22, 2010

Suunto, that does look like it. Thanks for pointing me in that direction. I'll go out tomorrow and check for burrows and possibly a nest. There seems to be several of the rodents and they just run all over the yard during the day, often crossing my path.

Normally I have several black snakes crossing my path. I guess the heat and drought ran them off to wetter areas; they're certainly not keeping the rodent population down. But if I stock my ponds with fish, I know they'll be back for the buffet. LOL

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