One of my brothers owns a home inspection business. He was up in an attic, and came across this furry little creature, all snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug -
You can click the picture to blow it up.
He said that the head was about the size of a softball. That might be a little bit exaggerated, but it's clearly bigger than a normal squirrel head. The board in front is a 2x6.
Here's a zoom of the head -
It's got an up-turned nose and fairly pointy ears. A fairly distinctive "mask" on the lower part of the face.
My first instinct was a gray squirrel, but its head is too big. I guess if it had been up there a while with some kind of food source and limited predator worries, it could grown into an uber-squirrel, but still...
If it is a squirrel, I should send my brother back to go all "GunRights4UsAll" on it. THAT'S how squirrel is prepared...
It's not an opossum or raccoon. A big rat? A bat? Some freakish government experiment gone horribly wrong?
He didn't want to stick around and poke it with a stick and have it feast on his face. Any ideas?
---
Please click our advertiser links. They pay us so you don't have to. A click a day is all we ask!
Copyright 2010 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
It's obviously a chupacabra. Obviously.
ReplyDeleteWhere (in the country) is this picture taken?
ReplyDeleteCould be a Marmot
Andrea - LOL - hey, I that's as good a guess as any...
ReplyDeleteDustin - Northern California in the Sacramento area. I pulled up some pix of them (aka, ground hogs and woodchucks), and they look the most like the pic my brother took.
They ARE found in the Sierra Nevada range, which is very close to Sacto, but I couldn't find anything about them going into attics - they live in burrows and rockpiles.
Still, the size and pic are leaning that way...
Maybe it's my old eyes, but I can't discriminate features on this photo worth a darn. Is it hibernating? if so, he might be able to get a better photo, and in that case...maybe someone on this blog http://cameratrapcodger.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeletewould be able to help.
Or send you to a source with more info.
It's cute whatever it is. Looks like some kind of squirrel.
ReplyDeleteIf it is a woodchuck, make sure it quits chucking your wood!
ReplyDelete(I love that commercial!)
Snort! That commercial is the greatest!
ReplyDeleteSue, this was at someone's house that was for sale that my brother was inspecting. He snapped the pic and got out of there.
ReplyDeleteHe let the owners know they had a visitor...
Terrie, that was my first instinct as well, but the head's just too big. Still a mystery...
Dustin/Andrea, I need to lighten up. My reaction to that commercial was to go get a scatter gun! ;-)
Ah-ha! Found out what this critter is:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfJnqbudMzs
LOL! I'm a believer!
ReplyDeleteIt's a flying sqiurrel folks, they're nocturnal and a LOT more common that you would think! aka Rocky not Bullwinkle!
ReplyDelete