Dog 0, Rodent 1

[DaveNay]

For the last couple of days, the dog has been really interested in diggin holes out in a field. No big surprise there....he catches more chipmunks and mice than the cats do! This time though, I heard him barking like crazy, and he wouldn't respond to me calling him home. I go out to see what he has cornered, expecting the worst like a skunk. He cornered some kind of rodent, and it was pissed! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif This little underground tunneling rodent that is all of 5" long and is surely measured in a body weight of a few ounces was keeping my 35lb dog at bay!! I could hear it chattering and hissing from about 20' away, and when I got near it and held the dog by the collar, it continued to hiss and chatter at us. If I held my (gloved) hand near it, it would lunge and jump at me. It could even jump almost a foot high when attacking!.

Now I want to know what it is. It is a solid chocolate brown color, with a white belly. It is an underground critter. It is about 5-6" in length and about 1" in diameter (it was stretching). It could see, it wasn't blind. and it was mean as ****!

I managed to go and get the camera, and he was still there when I returned. I got a cople of pictures, but he refused to come out and take a good body picture. In a couple of these he looks like a plain old field mouse, but I assure you, that's not what he is.

Dave

 

[DaveNay]

Picture 2

 

[RobertN]

That face looks exactley like the ferret I used to have. The size you mention would have to be juvenile; mine grew to over a foot in length bbody and tail together.

 

[DaveNay]

Picture 3

 

[DaveNay]

Picture 4

 

[Cliff_Johns]

I admit, it looks like a ferret to me to, although the ears don't look quite right. Too bad you can't get a full body picture.
Cliff

 

[DaveNay]

I found it! It is a Least Weasel.

Illinois DNR website

Their description, and the picture are dead on.

Dave

 

[Cliff_Johns]

Wow, Dave, that's pretty interesting. Even in the full sized pictures, it still looks like a ferret, though maybe a bit shorter. Very cool. I didn't know there were weasels in Northern Illinois.

What are you going to do with him? I doubt your dog is going to want to leave him alone, and I suspect the dog would lose a chunk of nose if he stuck it too far into the hole.

Cliff

 

[Inspector507]

Dave,
Very nice pics you caught.
A juvenile ferret probably would not have been so aggressive. And the ears are way too large. A Sable ferret would have different face markings as well. I'd say it is the weasel that was posted earlier.

 

[DaveNay]

I don't know what to do yet. The dog will definitely not let it go on it's merry way. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif I may need to trap it, but I don't have any traps that small.

Dave