Rodent - What Was It?

[tingtang]

Preparing to clean the pool this am I attached the flexible hose to the vacuum brush and lowered it into the water. As I uncoiled the rest of the hose a rodent shot out of the open end.

It had the colour of a mouse but looked larger, in it's dash for safety, , even though there were no obstacles in it's path, as it ran it hopped into the air every half dozen or so paces. I never saw anything like that before. Are there any rodents on the island other than rats & mice?

A short while later a grasshopper plunged into my mug of hot coffee! So two near drownings were averted.

Note to KC - please no puns such as did the grasshopper jump for joy following it's rescue?!. (((((((-:

tt.

[english teacher]

It likely was a hedgehog (Turkish name - kirpi). They are desirable to have in your garden as they eat snails, slugs and insects. The grasshopper may have been fleeing from the hedgehog!

[waddo]

Hedgehogs here have long ears as well - that my give you a clue!!

[Groucho]

It likely was a hedgehog (Turkish name - kirpi). They are desirable to have in your garden as they eat snails, slugs and insects. The grasshopper may have been fleeing from the hedgehog!

I would say hedgehog is very unlikely. The diameter of the pool hose end would make a very tight fit notwithstanding the problem of spines being unidirectional.

[come_on_aylin]

Maybe this?

images.jpeg (10.88 KiB) Viewed 606 times

Spiny mouse

[Keithcaley]

It wasn't Spiny Norman, was it?

Sorry TT !

[kedikat2903]

There are shrews here,but they are quite tiny

[Keithcaley]

There are shrews here,but they are quite tiny

I was going to say "That's a very shrewd observation", but I've decided against it

[tingtang]

Definitely not a hedgehog, that would be far to large, we do have one who visits every evening to drink from the clay pot drinker we keep topped up for the birds who polish off our stale bread'

Looking at that photo of the Spiney Mouse, it could well be that as it seems to have long back legs designed for jumping..

Keith - I just knew that you wouldn't be able to resist a comment. ((((((- :

BTW -- IIRC the 'New Topic' or 'Reply To Post' facilities here used to have emoticons displayed but now I am unable to see them, or is my memory faulty? - nothing unusual about that.

tt.

[waddo]

Just a though on hedgehogs - how big are they when they are young? That is before they start attacking snakes for food. Now you are going to tell me they don't do that - I will wait! Oh, how big was the pipe this "Thing" jumped out of? This thread is much better than the gloom and doom of the TL and where can I get the best deal on smarties!!

[ttoli]

A property developer maybe with his jumps spiking with the TL rate ?

[tingtang]

Oh, how big was the pipe this "Thing" jumped out of?

Probably around 2.5 inches internal diameter Waddo, whatever that is in centimeters. Anything that would be small enough to fit into that would not be able to take on a snake and win surely or are you pulling my leg?

tt.

[waddo]

tingtang - it's a strange old world we live in - http://www.cypnet.co.uk/ncyprus/green/hedgehog.htm surprised me too!

[tingtang]

it's a strange old world we live in

Indeed it is - very interesting and informative study but not the answer I think to what I saw.
Nevertheless whilst I have always left our nocturnal visitor in peace the next time I spot him, or her, I will switch on the Porch light to get a closer look.

tt.

[Groucho]

Definitely not a hedgehog, that would be far to large, we do have one who visits every evening to drink from the clay pot drinker we keep topped up for the birds who polish off our stale bread'

Looking at that photo of the Spiney Mouse, it could well be that as it seems to have long back legs designed for jumping..

Keith - I just knew that you wouldn't be able to resist a comment. ((((((- :

BTW -- IIRC the 'New Topic' or 'Reply To Post' facilities here used to have emoticons displayed but now I am unable to see them, or is my memory faulty? - nothing unusual about that.

tt.

Still here...