Can anyone help me identify a mystery mammal? I saw a small reddish coloured mammal run across the road in front of me today. It was about 20-25cm long in total and about half of that length was its tail, which was very bushy. It had long reddish brown fur all over and was very low to the ground. I was driving up Westerham Hill near Westerham in Kent when it ran in front of me (I managed to avoid it). There are a few houses on the road, but mostly it's woods and fields in the area. I thought it might be a weasel, but having viewed pictures of them, it doesn't look like that to me. Any ideas?

I would say that would have been a red squirrel as you say it had a bushy tail. That is a great sighting as Red squirrels are a threatened species.

It does sound more like a weasel than anything else.

Yes, I would say Weasel - as they run lower to the ground more then squirrels do. If it had a black tipped tail it would have been a stoat - but they are larger then the size you said, & don't forget not every weasel looks the same in identification books.

I'm going for a weasel too, as I don't think there are any red squirrels in Kent anymore.

Welcome to the forums Su V!

Many books seem to emphasise the paleness of the underside of the weasel, but whenever I have seen them running across the road, the main impression I have had is of a reddish/ginger colour.

As Skylark says, the stoat has a black tip to its tail, which is the thing that stands out, rather than size, when these animals dart across the road in front of you.

The pale colour (which is actually quite orange looking) is very noticeable if the weasel is sitting upright, but when running along the ground, it just looks reddish.

I think the consensus is 'weasel'.

Welcome to Wildlife UK, Su V!

Kingfisher

Thanks everyone for your replies and warm welcome!
I'm happy with the consensus that it was a weasel since it's my first sighting of one. I'd be very surprised if it were a red squirrel, they haven't lived in this area since before the 1950's (I believe) and it ran rather than skipped.

Thanks again

Su V

By the way, you know the simple way to tell a weasel from a stoat:

A weasel is weasily recognisable, while a stoat 'stoatally different.

This post was last modified: 12-11-2007 03:19 PM by wild canon.

By the way, you know the simple way to tell a weasel from a stoat:

A weasel is weasily recognisable, while a stoat 'stoatally different.

I think that Xeract is going to have to add a forum for 'Wild canon jokes and puns' !

Kingfisher

Very funny and reminded me of this one:

Q. Whats the difference between a Buffalo and a Bison?

A. You cant wash your face in a buffalo!!

Sorry!

There may be some loose in Kent somewhere, but we don't have any over here in Essex, which is the other side of the Thames to Kent (i think)

OH I GET IT! It is Bison instead of Basin! Oh that is really funny! :):)