# Michiganders/Midwesterners: what are these animals I am seeing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 6, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michiganders-midwesterners-what-are-these-animals-i-am-seeing/538526 "2010-05-06T17:08:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michiganders-midwesterners-what-are-these-animals-i-am-seeing/538526/21 "2010-05-07T17:08:23Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > Yesterday I saw one get into a tussle with a rabbit in someone’s front yard. It’s like Wild Animal Kingdom Michigan out here. Tussle as in physical combat? I can’t imagine a groundhog would do that. Weasel or even possibly an otter, sure – they’re predators. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michiganders-midwesterners-what-are-these-animals-i-am-seeing/538526/22 "2010-05-07T23:30:41Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Tussle as in physical combat? I can’t imagine a groundhog would do that. Weasel or even possibly an otter, sure – they’re predators. Well, I’m not actually sure what happened because I only noticed it when I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye as I was walking past. I’m not sure what precipitated the interaction, but what I saw was the two animals roll over each other and then the woodchuck dashing under the porch. The rabbit then sat on the lawn, stalking its prey. This was on the way to the market. When I was returning home, I passed by again, and the rabbit was still there, waiting for the woodchuck to return, so they could finally duke it out to see who. would become. THE CHAMPION OF THE LAWN. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michiganders-midwesterners-what-are-these-animals-i-am-seeing/538526/23 "2010-05-07T23:43:52Z")
Wow. Do you think the rabbit kicked his grass, or just grazed him? ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michiganders-midwesterners-what-are-these-animals-i-am-seeing/538526/24 "2010-05-08T00:13:07Z")
> [@lynne-42](#): > > …burrowing owls (you really have owls that burrow!!!) … Cape Coral, Florida, is lousy with the things. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michiganders-midwesterners-what-are-these-animals-i-am-seeing/538526/25 "2010-05-08T00:44:46Z")
I live in Indiana, we’re elbow deep in groundhogs. I’ve seen them swimming in rivers. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michiganders-midwesterners-what-are-these-animals-i-am-seeing/538526/26 "2010-05-08T14:14:40Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > They’re about the size of a large cat. Re: the muskrat guesses: a muskrat is at best about one-third the size of a large cat. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michiganders-midwesterners-what-are-these-animals-i-am-seeing/538526.md?page=1)