On a recent holiday I saw a roadkill that looked different from the others. This was not a macropod, emu, echidna or any other thing I was familiar with. At first I thought it was a bilby so I went back to take a closer look. Yes, it was the right size. Yes, it was probably a marsupial. Yes, it had a thick white-tipped tail and cute little paws, but it was on a high-speed road with bends and I could hear a car in the distance, so I got back in the car and left. I did not see its head.

Still not sure what it was. Looking on-line, I can see that the area, near Mitchell QLD, is far from bilby habitat. I have today ordered a field guide for Australian mammals and will take a guess in a few days, but in the meantime, can you guess what could it have been?

• can you guess what could it have been?

chupacabra…

Speedy said:

On a recent holiday I saw a roadkill that looked different from the others. This was not a macropod, emu, echidna or any other thing I was familiar with. At first I thought it was a bilby so I went back to take a closer look. Yes, it was the right size. Yes, it was probably a marsupial. Yes, it had a thick white-tipped tail and cute little paws, but it was on a high-speed road with bends and I could hear a car in the distance, so I got back in the car and left. I did not see its head.

Still not sure what it was. Looking on-line, I can see that the area, near Mitchell QLD, is far from bilby habitat. I have today ordered a field guide for Australian mammals and will take a guess in a few days, but in the meantime, can you guess what could it have been?

Pretty difficult from this vague description. Did you take pics?

Speedy said:

On a recent holiday I saw a roadkill that looked different from the others. This was not a macropod, emu, echidna or any other thing I was familiar with. At first I thought it was a bilby so I went back to take a closer look. Yes, it was the right size. Yes, it was probably a marsupial. Yes, it had a thick white-tipped tail and cute little paws, but it was on a high-speed road with bends and I could hear a car in the distance, so I got back in the car and left. I did not see its head.

Still not sure what it was. Looking on-line, I can see that the area, near Mitchell QLD, is far from bilby habitat. I have today ordered a field guide for Australian mammals and will take a guess in a few days, but in the meantime, can you guess what could it have been?

Dead.

Speedy said:

On a recent holiday I saw a roadkill that looked different from the others. This was not a macropod, emu, echidna or any other thing I was familiar with. At first I thought it was a bilby so I went back to take a closer look. Yes, it was the right size. Yes, it was probably a marsupial. Yes, it had a thick white-tipped tail and cute little paws, but it was on a high-speed road with bends and I could hear a car in the distance, so I got back in the car and left. I did not see its head.

Still not sure what it was. Looking on-line, I can see that the area, near Mitchell QLD, is far from bilby habitat. I have today ordered a field guide for Australian mammals and will take a guess in a few days, but in the meantime, can you guess what could it have been?

bandicoot.

pygmy possum? rat?

Donald Trumps Hair?

dv said:

Pretty difficult from this vague description. Did you take pics?

No pics, unfortunately.

Water rat?

sarahs mum said:

bandicoot.

Could have been, but I can’t find an on-line image of one with a white-tipped tail.

Bubblecar said:

Water rat?

!http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JS2vLKJ1TCw/UWI5szMirWI/AAAAAAAAKOk/OwE16HlFq6Y/s1600/5+Water+Rat+1.jpg

I think its tail was shorter than that, but it was not far from a crossing over a river or waterhole.

Divine Angel said:

pygmy possum? rat?

It was definitely bigger than a pygmy possum.

Thinking back, I think its tail was tapered.

Speedy said:

sarahs mum said:

bandicoot.

Could have been, but I can’t find an on-line image of one with a white-tipped tail.

that’s because the one I was thinking about was the eastern barred. but it doesn’t exist where you are so..carry on.

sarahs mum said:

Speedy said:

sarahs mum said:

bandicoot.

Could have been, but I can’t find an on-line image of one with a white-tipped tail.

that’s because the one I was thinking about was the eastern barred. but it doesn’t exist where you are

it’s been … barred?

dv said:

sarahs mum said:

Speedy said:

Could have been, but I can’t find an on-line image of one with a white-tipped tail.

that’s because the one I was thinking about was the eastern barred. but it doesn’t exist where you are

it’s been … barred?

from the north and the west..yes.

> thick white-tipped tail and cute little paws
> bigger than a pygmy possum

That sounds awfully like a ringtail to me.

mollwollfumble said:

> thick white-tipped tail and cute little paws
> bigger than a pygmy possum

That sounds awfully like a ringtail to me.

Yes, I think you’re right. I’ve had a look online and it’s the closest I’ve seen.

We get plenty of them here at home and when they are roadkill, it is easy to tell what they are from their tails, as they tend to curl. This one was not curled.

I have received the Mammals of Australia book but, so far, it provides no further clues.

A quick look though all of the species’ ranges and pictures seems to indicate that there is no match, not even the ring-tailed possum (as its range does not extend so far west).

The Water Rat seems likely; they can grow large, they have a white-tipped tail, this one was on the road near a river or waterhole and the area is part of their range.

Problem is that this animal had a stumpy tail, unlike a mouse or a rat. I have at times, however, seen what I thought I should see rather that what is actually there and this has been what I have “known”. I returned to this roadkill as I thought it was a bilby (which does not live there), so this one will remain unknown :)

> not even the ring-tailed possum (as its range does not extend so far west)

That’s interesting. I didn’t know that it was limited to the east.

mollwollfumble said:

> not even the ring-tailed possum (as its range does not extend so far west)

That’s interesting. I didn’t know that it was limited to the east.

Well there are none out here.

Speedy said:

I have received the Mammals of Australia book but, so far, it provides no further clues.

A quick look though all of the species’ ranges and pictures seems to indicate that there is no match, not even the ring-tailed possum (as its range does not extend so far west).

The Water Rat seems likely; they can grow large, they have a white-tipped tail, this one was on the road near a river or waterhole and the area is part of their range.

Problem is that this animal had a stumpy tail, unlike a mouse or a rat. I have at times, however, seen what I thought I should see rather that what is actually there and this has been what I have “known”. I returned to this roadkill as I thought it was a bilby (which does not live there), so this one will remain unknown :)

There seem to be multiple different ringtail distribution maps on the web, with no real consistency between them. I’d better be sure that these are really ringtail maps. (Ahh, some of them aren’t of ringtails).

There is a “western ringtail possum”, but that’s limited to the coast around Albany, map below.

I’d better kidnap some ringtails and move them out to your area then (LOL).

BTW, Had a “murder” in my front yard last week. No not just a flock of crows.
Our normal crows around here are the harmless (and sometimes vegetarian) Little Raven.

But last week two of the much larger Australian Ravens flew in and viciously attacked a ringtail possum in its nest above our side fence. From the look and sound of it, the Australian ravens killed it.

mollwollfumble said:

I’d better kidnap some ringtails and move them out to your area then (LOL).

BTW, Had a “murder” in my front yard last week. No not just a flock of crows.
Our normal crows around here are the harmless (and sometimes vegetarian) Little Raven.

But last week two of the much larger Australian Ravens flew in and viciously attacked a ringtail possum in its nest above our side fence. From the look and sound of it, the Australian ravens killed it.

Probably wanted babies.

mollwollfumble said:

I’d better kidnap some ringtails and move them out to your area then (LOL).

BTW, Had a “murder” in my front yard last week. No not just a flock of crows.
Our normal crows around here are the harmless (and sometimes vegetarian) Little Raven.

But last week two of the much larger Australian Ravens flew in and viciously attacked a ringtail possum in its nest above our side fence. From the look and sound of it, the Australian ravens killed it.

They can be nasty. Not sure if I mentioned it here before, but on that same trip where we saw this roadkill, I saved a galah from a vicious attack by crows. By the time I had turned the car around, it was standing in the middle of a lane with a road train heading straight for it. It stood there, dazed, not trying to escape. The roadtrain ran over the top of it and as it rolled/tumbled off the road, it was just missed by a swerving 4WD which had been following the road train. I thought it was dead, but it stood up by the side of the road. I went back and grabbed it and checked its injuries. The attack must have just begun as it still had its eyes, but the surrounding area looked raw and bruised and the crows were still lurking. I could not leave it there, despite it promptly biting me a number of times in the hands. With dripping blood everywhere, I wrapped it in a towel and returned 10km to a town’s vet. Not sure what happened to it then, but it sounded like the staff were grateful that I had taken it there. Stoopid tourists must do stuff like this all the time.

The following day was the day we saved the orphan red joey which was being sandblown and buried alive.

That poor galah!

White tip to its tail you say? it couldn’t be….a dead skunk. in the middle of the road…

Speedy said:

mollwollfumble said:

I’d better kidnap some ringtails and move them out to your area then (LOL).

BTW, Had a “murder” in my front yard last week. No not just a flock of crows.
Our normal crows around here are the harmless (and sometimes vegetarian) Little Raven.

But last week two of the much larger Australian Ravens flew in and viciously attacked a ringtail possum in its nest above our side fence. From the look and sound of it, the Australian ravens killed it.

They can be nasty. Not sure if I mentioned it here before, but on that same trip where we saw this roadkill, I saved a galah from a vicious attack by crows. By the time I had turned the car around, it was standing in the middle of a lane with a road train heading straight for it. It stood there, dazed, not trying to escape. The roadtrain ran over the top of it and as it rolled/tumbled off the road, it was just missed by a swerving 4WD which had been following the road train. I thought it was dead, but it stood up by the side of the road. I went back and grabbed it and checked its injuries. The attack must have just begun as it still had its eyes, but the surrounding area looked raw and bruised and the crows were still lurking. I could not leave it there, despite it promptly biting me a number of times in the hands. With dripping blood everywhere, I wrapped it in a towel and returned 10km to a town’s vet. Not sure what happened to it then, but it sounded like the staff were grateful that I had taken it there. Stoopid tourists must do stuff like this all the time.

The following day was the day we saved the orphan red joey which was being sandblown and buried alive.

You sound like you need a cape.

Divine Angel said:

That poor galah!

Yes. I think it was a fledgling as there were other galahs (parents?) trying to stop the attack. I was sure to explain to the vet that it was still alive due to extreme luck, in the hope that they wouldn’t simply put it down. It seemed otherwise uninjured and healthy and I still have the remnants of a scar on my thumb to prove it :)

I happened to meet some of jennajones’ friends the other day at work. They too are bat rescuers and showed me some little cuties they had in the car.

Peak Warming Man said:

You sound like you need a cape.

I was telling a shopkeeper all about my heroic pursuits and she just shook her head and said, “We hate people like you”. The “saving” of the animal is the easy part. It’s the rehab and all the heartache associated with it that are the hard parts. She had been a wildlife carer but had given it up.

Divine Angel said:

I happened to meet some of jennajones’ friends the other day at work. They too are bat rescuers and showed me some little cuties they had in the car.

Wow, there’s a name I haven’t heard in a while :)

Bat rescuers are awesome.

First Dog and C’Link

ChrispenEvan said:

First Dog and C’Link

:)

More First Dog

BTW birds are prone to drop dead quite easily from shock.

Canary I once had curled up its toes after having it for less than a week. I think more than one person looked at it at the same time.

Australian mammals are all awesome, but this is my favourite atm.

Ian said:

BTW birds are prone to drop dead quite easily from shock.

Canary I once had curled up its toes after having it for less than a week. I think more than one person looked at it at the same time.

Yep. Budgies are notorious for it. I’d only had Cheezburger a week or so when he carked it.

Ian said:

BTW birds are prone to drop dead quite easily from shock.

Yes. Our bird specialist says that once you notice your pet bird looking sick, it’s often too late. They go downhill fast.

Speedy said:

!https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5308542ce4b0dd985a42b5ef/55c6088fe4b0eb14cde495a6/564984a7e4b08bab0a25368a/1447658778019/?format=750w

Australian mammals are all awesome, but this is my favourite atm.

its the WA state animal emblem.. the zoo breeds and rereleases them in Dryandra estate

Speedy said:

Australian mammals are all awesome, but this is my favourite atm.

Certainly looks yummy.

Peak Warming Man said:

Speedy said:

Australian mammals are all awesome, but this is my favourite atm.

Certainly looks yummy.

barely a meal in there.. five of them would be a Bubblecar light supper

Arts said:

its the WA state animal emblem.. the zoo breeds and rereleases them in Dryandra estate

:)

Speedy said:

Arts said:

its the WA state animal emblem.. the zoo breeds and rereleases them in Dryandra estate

:)

on the agenda

https://www.facebook.com/events/1867011310188622/

ChrispenEvan said:

Speedy said:

Arts said:

its the WA state animal emblem.. the zoo breeds and rereleases them in Dryandra estate

:)

on the agenda

https://www.facebook.com/events/1867011310188622/

yes, i wanted to go to that one.. a great cause… but I will be holidaying with friends oversea

Arts said:

ChrispenEvan said:

Speedy said:

:)

on the agenda

https://www.facebook.com/events/1867011310188622/

yes, i wanted to go to that one.. a great cause… but I will be holidaying with friends oversea

and i will be catching up to a friend i haven’t seen since the 80s. we were short on the table so i invited her and her hubby. we’ve only just reconnected via another mutual friend on FB.