To me they appear to be adolescent rats, (which is why their shape is less “rat like” than some expect).
They are much too large to be voles. In addition, the easiest visual characteristic distinguishing voles from mice and rats is the ear. On a vole, it is always set low along the side of the head whereas on mice and rats (aside from the specially bred “Dumbo rats”) the ears are perched on top of the head. The first photo in redtail23’s link shows a prominent ear, but note that the photo is taken from the same level as the vole’s head and even there it does not project up above the head.
Compare that to the prominent ears atop the heads of the rats in the photo in the OP.
[QUOTE=gigi]
I hope that supplying extra food won’t get them all excited to plunder the house! or attract more than would be there anyway.
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Unfortunately, it will not only encourage them to drop by for more visits, it will also guarantee that they will breed larger and more successful litters more frequently.
Whatever they are, the hawks will like the addition to the bird feeder. I never thought about feeding live food to the hawks at the bird feeder. Nice addition.
[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord]
Whatever they are, the hawks will like the addition to the bird feeder. I never thought about feeding live food to the hawks at the bird feeder. Nice addition.
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Now that would be cool. Gigi, have the camera ready!
[QUOTE=Colibri]
Given the size relative to the cinder block, range, and other key characters, I would say they must be Norway RatsRattus norvegicus. It’s a little hard to be absolutely sure since the photo is a bit dark and the scale not entirely certain. If they are living in your foundations, it’s probably just a matter of time before they find their way into your kitchen.
One thing they definitely are not is voles, which are smaller, rounder, and have much shorter tails relative to body length.
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[QUOTE=tomndebb]
Unfortunately, it will not only encourage them to drop by for more visits, it will also guarantee that they will breed larger and more successful litters more frequently.
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UH-OH. Perhaps I will not keep up the corn sprinkling.
[QUOTE=jnglmassiv]
Now that would be cool. Gigi, have the camera ready!
[/QUOTE] My pictures come out crappy from inside since my windows are not so clean and then there’s the screen. I am thinking of setting up some sort of remote-control camera blind outside, trained on the feeder area. There’s an elusive cardinal I would like to get.
There are definitely raptors around here. This could get interesting!
Gigi, you needn’t blame yourself for the presence of your little furry neighbors. They lived there before you did, and they’ll be there after you are gone. If not for the feeder, you might not have noticed them, but they were there. There’s plenty for them to eat, as they eat nearly anything. We can keep them out of our houses, but we’ll never get rid of them.
You can get traps, ferrets, cats, or terriers for your amusement, but there will always be enough mice and rats to feed the owls and hawks.
[QUOTE=DrDeth]
If they have white or light underbellies (hard to tell from pics) then I will say deer mice, native to your region.
But scale is critical here. Rats are much larger than mice.
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As Zabali says, the scale indicated by the cinder blocks shows that they could not possibly be deer mice. Although the darkness of the photo makes the underbelly color a little vague, there does not seem to be nearly enough contrast for deer mice either. Besides that, the proportions of the eyes relative to the head, and the head to the body, are not typical of deer mice.
[QUOTE=Colibri]
As Zabali says, the scale indicated by the cinder blocks shows that they could not possibly be deer mice. Although the darkness of the photo makes the underbelly color a little vague, there does not seem to be nearly enough contrast for deer mice either. Besides that, the proportions of the eyes relative to the head, and the head to the body, are not typical of deer mice.
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I don’t know from Cinder blocks, admittedly. I’d like to see a better pic, with say, a ruler in there. The faces and bodies seem too rounded for norway rats. Deer mice have that rounded look to them. Granted deer mice are much smaller than rats about half the size.
There are some that look a little like that block that are as small as 6", and they also have 8", 12" and 16" (the smaller ones don’t even come close to matching). If that is a 12" cinder block, and assuming the angle isn’t screwing up my guesstimates, then you’re right- those rodents are much too big to be mice.
Ah, ok. I had pictured in my head an event in the past where herds of cows were trapped when carelessly discarded cinderblocks stuck to their hooves (like soda can rings on birds), so there was an ecological decision to reduce the cinderblock dimensions to save all of those poor stumbling cows.
[QUOTE=DrDeth]
You’re right about the head vs body. But the rounded look and the extremely skinny tail doesn’t say Norway rat to me.
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They do look a little more rounded than a typical Norway Rat, but as tomndebb says they could be young. The tail looks right to me.
Certainly now that we have confirmation of the cinder block’s size they must be Norway Rats. No other rodent ranging into Vermont is that size with the combination of characteristics shown in the photo.
My pictures come out crappy from inside since my windows are not so clean and then there’s the screen. I am thinking of setting up some sort of remote-control camera blind outside, trained on the feeder area. There’s an elusive cardinal I would like to get.
Those things are rats of some kind, they are too big to be mice!
j/k, I am assuming they are rats, although those deer mice are awfully cute. I will just have to embrace my new furry basement overlords.