Who got Floppsy (WARNING - Pic of dead rabbit)

[PaulSanderson]

Hello,

I was out walking the dogs and I stumbled across this rather dishevelled looking conie...any clues as to who the perp is?? it has been suggested a fox, which I am inclined to agree with, but does anyone else know any different?? Am i right in thinking a Raptor would have finished off all the innards??

many thanks...

 

[Bushwhacker]

I reckon someone elses dogs might have had a tug o' war with it, it's mashed up pretty well.
More than likely to be corvids feeding on the remains.

 

[PaulSanderson]

not sure about the dogs mate as its on private land, and my dogs didnt do it...maybe i need to resume perimeter patrols.

whats interesting is the spine has been pulled through whole...never seen a kill like this before.

 

[Ogri the trog]

Dogs generally don't give up until the unfortunate is in two pieces, and with corvids, they habitually go for the eyes - which I can't see to be much damaged.

Looking at the injuries to throat / lower jaw area, I reckon it might have been killed by a stoat sized predator - after which its anyones guess what caused the damage.

Ogri the trog

 

[PaulSanderson]

I reckon it might have been killed by a stoat sized predator

Ah thats very interesting as a wee stoat was seen chasing a rabbit right across the mother-in-laws lawn a few weeks ago...i didnt realise they would damage the victim in such a way. cheers!

 

[Bushwhacker]

I was kind of going by this

 

[PaulSanderson]

your dog looks like its enjoying that!! mine wouldnt touch it unless done medium rare...not an apparant wild dog trait in them...

 

[Bushwhacker]

Dogs generally don't give up until the unfortunate is in two pieces, and with corvids, they habitually go for the eyes - which I can't see to be much damaged.

Looking at the injuries to throat / lower jaw area, I reckon it might have been killed by a stoat sized predator - after which its anyones guess what caused the damage.

Ogri the trog

A stoat kills with a bite to the back of the neck though, can't see in the photo and I can't really see the eye area either.
At my old place I put out a deer carcass at the bottom of the orchard for observation purposes and I mainly saw magpies (they were always the first to get in there) rooks and crows all feasting away.
I put another out over the fence next to the woods at mine a few weeks back and it was the same thing there as well, they get on the case pretty quickly.

 

[PaulSanderson]

hmm i'll keep an eye out and see if anymore end up in this way. we have goshawks in the woods, as well as foxes, and now apparantly stoats too...so im guessing a number of animals who like the taste of rabbit have had a go on this.

 

[ged]

My money's on some domestic pet, my dogs (not as overfed as many) often leave a mess like that. If it had been a fox most likely it would have taken the whole lot away, which is what normally happens to the unfortunate rabbits and squirrels after my dogs have finished with them. I throw the remains out for them at night. I try not to encourage the carrion-feeding birds, with the abundance of road kill we've unbalanced the population enough as it is.

 

[PaulSanderson]

Not many domestic pets around here mate...there is my house and 2 others. We're the only ones with dogs...hmmmm the plot thickens...

 

[FerlasDave]

I reckon either a raptor or fox. As bushwhacker said a stoat would have taken it from the back of the neck and also left less of a mess. The spine could have broken on impact from a raptor or by being ragged about by the fox. The messy part around the throat is the tell tale sign that vultures have had a go too.

 

[ex-member Raikey]

whats interesting is the spine has been pulled through whole...never seen a kill like this before.

Havent you watched Predator??

 

[lannyman8]

fox mate, i see these all the time, sometimes thay have been shot and left to the fox who rips them up for the good bits, then other things get in there and add to the mess.....

probly fox for me.....