Help me identify this small animal

physi_marc

I found this little animal in my basement this morning (spoiler'ed for large images):

It was eating my cats' dry food. It had no visible ears or eyes and it seemed to be using its sense of smell a lot to get around (it would raise its nose in the air and move it around similar to what moles do). I also noticed an unpleasant smell. I caught it (my cats were intrigued, but completely uninterested in hunting it) and released it away from my house, near a creek.

Does anyone know what it is? From my Googling, it seems like it might be a vole or a shrew. I'm leaning towards a Northern short-tailed shrew because of the similar short, furry tail, its lack of visible ears, its very small eyes, and the smell. This specimen seemed smaller than 10 cm, though (or maybe I'm really bad at estimating size).

Dr. Frenchenstein

Vole or shrew looks right to me

Gabriel_Pitt

Given that it looks exactly like a short tailed shrew, I'd say that's what you got.

Inquisitor77

It's a shrew!

Tame it!

Xaquin

daaaawwwwwwwwwww

knitdan

Maybe have a look around the basement, and try to see where it got in. You'll want to seal that up ASAP unless you want more little woodland critters in your basement.

Rodents can squeeze into very very small spaces, so keep that in mind. If you see an opening and think "there's no way it could have come in through that" you're probably wrong.

Steel wool plugs holes pretty well, as most rodents can't chew through it.

Holler

keep it forever.

Dr. Frenchenstein

knitdan wrote: »

Steel wool plugs holes pretty well, as most rodents can't chew through it.

make sure it's the heavy duty stuff too, the fine stuff doesn't do anything.

physi_marc

Yeah, I have an idea where it came in from, but I'm not sure how to reach those areas and seal them up. I'll have to think about this and possibly get outside help.