Sad discovery

[Dood]

Some of you may have read my posts about a little ermine who moved into my rabbit barn last fall and didn't bother my bunnies but quickly decimated the mouse population :cheer2:

Well this afternoon I found a drowned ermine in one of our water barrels

It's a female but I cannot tell if it's the mother or one of her offspring - hopefully the latter - but either way it is pretty sad

Here is a picture of her and a measuring tape to show that she's not much bigger than a newborn bunny but twice the length

 

[MaggieJ]

Aw, that's sad. I quite like having a weasel or mink around for rodent control. We did have trouble with a mink taking one of our rabbits in the winter of 2013-14, but in general as long as the rats and mice are there, they leave our rabbits and chickens alone.

 

[Zass]

Sad to lose one like that.

I could use a few more rodent control critters around here. Chipmunks keep stealing my quail feed. :evil:

 

[ladysown]

that's too bad. I would love to have one of those clearing out the local mice and vole population

 

[EnglishSpot]

That's too bad. Maybe she was trying to get a drink and fell in.

 

[Schipperkesue]

Poor thing. We have them too and I love them because they limit themselves to mice. Often the cats get the babies.

The oddest animal I found drowned in a water bucket was a flying squirrel!

 

[MaggieJ]

Some of these drownings can be avoided by keeping a long thick stick in the water barrel. It gives the critters at least a chance of climbing out.

 

[katiebear]

That is sad..Those are cute...
I have a rather large Gopher Snake living in my yard, It came into the house day before yesterday! I hate snakes!!!I think it was about 5 feet long, The snake page said they can grow to be 9 feet long. *shudders* Hubby wants to keep it for rodent control, yuck, If it scares my bunnies it's history.... :x

 

[Nyctra]

That is sad..Those are cute...
I have a rather large Gopher Snake living in my yard, It came into the house day before yesterday! I hate snakes!!!I think it was about 5 feet long, The snake page said they can grow to be 9 feet long. *shudders* Hubby wants to keep it for rodent control, yuck, If it scares my bunnies it's history.... :x

Should give me your unwanted gopher. :mrgreen: I've been wanting one.

 

[katiebear]

Should give me your unwanted gopher. :mrgreen: I've been wanting one.

It is beautiful ..as far as snakes go..sure scared me though to see it behind the couch!! :x Tell you what..you come catch it and it's yours :lol:

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Poor little ermine! Sure is a pretty little thing.

Some of these drownings can be avoided by keeping a long thick stick in the water barrel. It gives the critters at least a chance of climbing out.

:yeahthat: Or even a piece of field fencing so they have a "ladder" to climb... it wont discolor the water with tannins like some woods will do.

 

[JenerationX]

Awwwww... sorry to see it didn't make it. Very cool little creature.

Snakes? No thank you. I used to play with them when I was young, but finding a 4 footer at ohhhh midnight or so when I went into the bathroom last year was not pleasant.

 

[funnies50]

Geez, GenX. :lol:
That's sad to have it drown like that. I love those critters >///< So cute!