# What animal did I see??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 30, 2019, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animal-did-i-see/836293 "2019-06-30T12:34:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![smokey78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@smokey78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smokey78)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2019, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animal-did-i-see/836293/1 "2019-06-30T12:34:57Z")
This morning I looked into my backyard, I live in the suburbs . I saw this big white animal the shape of a broad possum with the bushiest brown tail I’d ever seen (shaped like a Lion’s mane) It was flat and width of 12-15 inches Nearly covered the width of my walkway. It walked into the bushes and disappeared. Caveat: I wasn’t wearing my glasses so I couldn’t get a detailed look. What the heck did I just see? It couldn’t be a cat cuz its body was so flat. and my backyard cat wasn’t chasing after it ; she just sat next to my sliding door looking at from 10 feet away. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2019, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animal-did-i-see/836293/2 "2019-06-30T13:32:47Z")
The suburbs of where? ---
**Author:** ![smokey78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@smokey78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smokey78)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2019, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animal-did-i-see/836293/3 "2019-06-30T14:39:41Z")
Southeast Texas ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2019, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animal-did-i-see/836293/4 "2019-06-30T14:46:56Z")
Quirkily colored [skunk](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1f/Skunk_about_to_spray.jpg/220px-Skunk_about_to_spray.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2019, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animal-did-i-see/836293/5 "2019-06-30T14:52:31Z")
That would be my guess, too. Skunks have kind of a flattened shape, and I’ve seen captive-bred pet skunks exhibit a surprising variety in their colors & markings. Lord knows they got that “bushy tail” part nailed. ---
**Author:** ![Ynnad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4491bb/32.png) [@Ynnad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ynnad)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2019, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animal-did-i-see/836293/6 "2019-06-30T15:58:28Z")
I saw a wild Striped Skunk (_Mephitis mephitis_) in North Little Rock one time that was all white except for the tip of its nose and the tip of its tail. ---
**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:** [June 30, 2019, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animal-did-i-see/836293/7 "2019-06-30T19:21:50Z")
Badger? [Texas Badger](https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/badger/) ---
**Author:** ![smokey78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@smokey78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smokey78)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2019, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animal-did-i-see/836293/8 "2019-06-30T20:32:47Z")
I’ve gotten other guesses such as albino raccoon and albino skunk. It was flat and huge, maybe it will turn up again and this time I’ll have my corrective lens in. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2019, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animal-did-i-see/836293/9 "2019-06-30T20:56:22Z")
Wombat Not really, I just like saying wombat. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2019, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animal-did-i-see/836293/10 "2019-06-30T21:26:29Z")
> [@AncientHumanoid](#): > > Wombat > > Not really, I just like saying wombat. Start here, if you haven’t already run into this particular wombat: [http://diggercomic.com/blog/2007/02/01/wombat1-gnorf/](http://diggercomic.com/blog/2007/02/01/wombat1-gnorf/) – see you in quite a while – ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2019, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animal-did-i-see/836293/11 "2019-06-30T22:29:21Z")
Maybe a badger. They have the body shape and bushy, but short, tails. More brown than white but some can be relatively light brown/beige. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2019, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animal-did-i-see/836293/12 "2019-07-01T03:19:29Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > Badger? > [Texas Badger](https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/badger/) I agree. It definitely sounds like [a badger.](https://static.greatbigcanvas.com/images/singlecanvas_thick_none/national-geographic/portrait-of-an-american-badger-taxidea-taxus-walking-through-the-grass,2185484.jpg?max=1000) ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animal-did-i-see/836293/13 "2019-07-02T00:06:28Z")
Were there mushrooms nearby (and possibly a snake)? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/EIyixC9NsLI/maxresdefault.jpg "Badgers : animated music video : MrWeebl") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIyixC9NsLI) ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animal-did-i-see/836293/14 "2019-07-02T03:01:27Z")
Fox with mange? Another vote for badger. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animal-did-i-see/836293/15 "2019-07-02T13:07:27Z")
> [@BeeGee](#): > > Fox with mange? Ah, memories – ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animal-did-i-see/836293/16 "2019-07-02T13:58:40Z")
Badger definitely sounds likely, but another thought, could it possibly be a porcupine? From a fuzzy distance, they could definitely give off a “very bushy opossum” vibe. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animal-did-i-see/836293/17 "2019-07-02T15:04:19Z")
Sounds like a badger to me, or a wolverine but it’d have to be really lost in that case as I don’t believe they are in Texas at all. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animal-did-i-see/836293/18 "2019-07-02T15:23:40Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Badger definitely sounds likely, but another thought, could it possibly be a porcupine? From a fuzzy distance, they could definitely give off a “very bushy opossum” vibe. The OP doesn’t say it looked like a bushy opossum. It says it looked like a “broad possum” with a bushy tail, and was very “flat.” A porcupine wouldn’t look flat unless it was roadkill. > [@swampspruce](#): > > Sounds like a badger to me, or a wolverine but it’d have to be really lost in that case as I don’t believe they are in Texas at all. Wolverines have bushy tails, but wouldn’t appear white. And as you say, they don’t come within hundreds of miles of Texas. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animal-did-i-see/836293/19 "2019-07-02T15:36:35Z")
[quote=“JeffB, post:13, topic:836293”] Were there mushrooms nearby (and possibly a snake)? [/QUOTE] That… was weird. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animal-did-i-see/836293/20 "2019-07-02T19:23:05Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > That… was weird. One of the first internet viral classics!!! Or at least pretty early on. (Looks like 2003. So in that first wave or so of viral videos before YouTube.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animal-did-i-see/836293.md?page=2)