Cold Case

[tobes01]

Found this little fella on my walk this morning. Male, about 16cm nose to bottom, can't have been dead more than a couple of hours (the corpse was still very flexible). There are some slight marks on his left flank, but no blood drawn; and a cut down his inside leg. No signs of any tracks, disturbance or blood round the area.

We've a lot of buzzards and sparrowhawks round here, and I know there's a fox earth just down the track from where I found him. Any suggestions on what had him?

 

[JAG009]

He could have been injured in any number of ways and then just died of shock ,shock can kill an animal even when the injury is not life threatening


Jason

 

[Shewie]

I'll have a stab at an aerial attack from a big bird, maybe it got disturbed before it had chance to feed.

What it is it anyway, is it a weasel ?

 

[tobes01]

Unless I'm being particularly dim, he's a stoat (and yes it's a he...)

 

[Barn Owl]

Stoats are bright, quick wee things.

I can't see a predator catching them out really.
Just my opinion,never seen them being attacked by anything personally.
They've always been the hunter when i've been watching them.

 

[Barn Owl]

I'll have a stab at an aerial attack from a big bird, maybe it got disturbed before it had chance to feed.

What it is it anyway, is it a weasel ?

Think of Weasels as 'wee','cos they are a lot smaller,
Think of Stoat having the dark 'S'pot on end of tail.

hth.

 

[Shewie]

Think of Weasels as 'wee','cos they are a lot smaller,
Think of Stoat having the dark 'S'pot on end of tail.

hth.

Ah the tail, didn't notice that. I can count the numbers of times I've seen a small furry mammal on one hand.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

I think a necrospy is needed here.