Another Natural History conundrum

[colmworthdales]

This morning I found a full size rat freshly dead in our orchard lying on its back with a deep wound in its throat-chest area. I kicked it into the hedge as I was busy. This evening it had been dragged out again and was lying in the same place with all the flesh stripped off its front legs down to the bone. I have seen a rabbit carcase stripped like this by a stoat family.

My query is could a stoat catch and successfully despatch a full sized rat? While a rabbit is a lot bigger than a stoat, a rabbit cannot fight back, whereas surely a rat would put up a big fight?

Any thoughts?

[Debbie]

I don't know about your stoats, but earlier this year, I heard from a native Oregonian (literally, his grandparents were just a stones throw from our farm) talk about a mink killing one of our very large rats atop a field shelter when he was a child. Clearly it was memorable as our wood rats are huge and it was a knock down, drag out type fight witnessed by several children and the mink was the winner. According to Tuf, the mink killed a rat that was at least 18 inches (sans tail).

A rabbit can put up an amazing fight if they want to, but I should say a stoat would easily take a rat (or rabbit) like that. Other than that, a fox, but until recently, only a mother needing the food would take a carcass like that mid day. Typically a fox would be a nocturnal type predator, although they could take the carcass in the twilight.

I've been told mink for America are nocturnal, but the natives ones we have on our farm are mostly diurnal. They can be active at night, but the most activity I've seen from them have been daytime hours. Hope that helps, although not a huge help, I know because we're in the US, not the UK.

[harveydales]

I reckon it could have been a stoat or a mink. A fox could have dragged the body out again. This time of year these animals with young to feed are really brazen. I have video recording of a fox in our garden at 2PM in afternoon calmly walking around, then hiding in some bushes waiting for a chicken to pass by - my electric fencing was faulty.

[yanny]

I would have thought it could've been a stoat, they are vicious little killers! Or like Pam said maybe it was a fox?

[cadeby]

Yes they can. They run in quick for the throat-hold and the rat can't roll them off.
There are quite a few videos on YouTube of stoats and weasels killing rats. I won't post any direct links because some of them are a bit graphic!

[colmworthdales]

Thanks for your comments. Carcase still there this morning with a lot more of the meat taken - off the rib cage this time. I think it must have been a stoat that was the killer. Also, looking more carefully at the rat's head, it was an old animal as its teeth were very overgrown and looked as though it could no longer open its mouth wide enough to get a good bite on anything as the teeth were very overlapping. Maybe the stoat spotted this and took advantage. Anyhow, I am still impressed!

My stoats must be active as I have had hardly any baby rabbits running about although we still have too many adults! Strange how well they keep themselves hidden as I have only spotted one stoat in all the time I have been living here!

[harveydales]

We could do with some stoats over here then because we are over run with rabbits this year, adults and babies.

[dalesnfellfan]

I've only ever seen stoats once in the garden in the 13 years we've lived here, about 10 years ago I watched 2 babies playing rough and tumble in and out of a pile of braches we had cut out of the trees, they kept it up for about 30 min and gave us much amusement, but sadly we've never seen any since, I do quite often see them rushing across the lanes though so I think we have a lot around here.

[zeldalithgow]

I've not seen any stoats near the house, have seen a couple dashing across the road tho. We too have a lot of rabbits this year must be the milder winters.