Wildlife on the commute...

Umm i think shags are also known as cormorants? I think..

I saw the cutest thing on my ride yesterday along the river. A group of pelicans sleeping...awwwww..

c

I saw a weird rodent I don't recognize. It is about the size of a guinea pig, brown, and has a stubby furry black tail. I've seen it twice in the same place on the side of the road. It looks like a beaver, only without the classic beaver tail. Any ideas?

My mom says it may be a nutria, but I don't think that's it. The tail is all wrong.

kfergos, tell us where you are, that can help in identifying your critter.

Ok...so today was my first commute. That was AWESOME. Except, I almost ran over a squirrel (dumbest creatures on earth) and if it hadn't been for my helmet I might have gotten a concusion from a wayward acorn (dang that was loud) :eek:

But the coolest was watching a red tailed hawk land not fifty feet from me and just watch me ride past. Incredible.

I'm hooked on the commute.

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

kfergos, tell us where you are, that can help in identifying your critter.

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About 20 miles west of Boston, MA.

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Originally Posted by kfergos

I saw a weird rodent I don't recognize. It is about the size of a guinea pig, brown, and has a stubby furry black tail. I've seen it twice in the same place on the side of the road. It looks like a beaver, only without the classic beaver tail. Any ideas?

My mom says it may be a nutria, but I don't think that's it. The tail is all wrong.

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It wasn't a young fisher cat was it? They look weasel-like. Adults are kind of big, tho.

The other option, of course, is a gopher.

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brown, and has a stubby furry black tail. I've seen it twice in the same place on the side of the road. It looks like a beaver, only without the classic beaver tail. Any ideas?

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Was it a groundhog? They're often seen from the side of the road. Beaverlike with furry tail. Adults are bigger than guinea pigs, though.

I laughed at a friend once who kept emailing me pictures of something she called a beaver. I asked her if was near water. No. She emailed me a picture. It was a groundhog. But we are still laughing, calling it a "mountain beaver."

I think it's a nutria, too. They can look a little different. They look like beavers, but with furry tails.

Karen

Small.... town WestCoast, I've been seeing deer, salmon jumping, geese, and lots of black bears along the river.

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Originally Posted by Tuckervill

I think it's a nutria, too. They can look a little different. They look like beavers, but with furry tails.

Karen

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It might be an otter.
But perhaps that is just the British name for nutria.
Trust Tuck-ie; she is good at identifying things by their tails, wet or otherwise!!

Groundhog! That must be it. The critter looks almost exactly like this.

I'll see if I can get a picture some time.

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Originally Posted by margo49

It might be an otter.
But perhaps that is just the British name for nutria.
Trust Tuck-ie; she is good at identifying things by their tails, wet or otherwise!!

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no no, Otters are not Nutrias. Nutrias are big rodents. Otters are geniuses in comparison, look
at the brain cases.. Your ground hog is cute. Nutrias are usually found near or in water.

first, an otter:
http://www.nps.gov/archive/romo/imag...iver_otter.jpg



here's a nutria

http://www.bio.tu-darmstadt.de/zoology/koch/nutria.jpg

I think I need a new commute route...all I see are domestic dogs & cats, a few prarie dogs, racoons & the occaisonal urban outdoorsman.

I was thinking that too, until I saw this on a slightly different route the other day

Shortly thereater, the bear reached up and swatted away that pesky flying witch.

All I ever see are moose ..... and they are so very big, gets the adrenaline going every time.