Mysterious Welsh wildlife

[theatokos]

Tonight walking home through the cemetery I saw an unidentified mammal. Yes, it was dark. But there was just enough light from the house next door to show me that it was bigger than a cat, it had a large tail about as long as its body, and it was dark with a thick white stripe from the tip of the head to the end of the tail. I though maybe I'd seen a skunk.... but after googling images of a skunk, clearly that's not what I saw. Nor is it any of the other mammals in Wales. What the hell did I see? It made me stop in my tracks. And when a dog came out of the neighboring house it scampered off.

Comments

[erinya.livejournal.com]

Sure it wasn't a badger (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ascott/2787317780/)?

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

No, the stripes did not stop at the face. Although I've just had another thought....

Do badgers turn all white in the winter? Even though it hasn't snowed here?

[erinya.livejournal.com]

Maybe a variation of markings?

What made you think it's not a skunk of unusual size? You mention the shape not being right for a dog or cat...what shape was it?

*very intrigued by this mystery*

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

Long and narrow. And it just moved differently. I've never seen a skunk in real life, but after seeing pictures it wasn't that. I think it might have been a fox, and it just looked white in the dark/artificial light combo. The tail to body seems more accurate. Or maybe the fey are playing with me?

[erinya.livejournal.com]

Or maybe the fey are playing with me?

I admit that was one of my first thoughts when I read this :-)

[said-by-me.livejournal.com]

possum?

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

Possums don't have furry tails.

[hrafntinna.livejournal.com]

Possums don't live in Wales, I think.

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

Thank god for that!

[bravenewcentury.livejournal.com]

It would have to be a very freaking lost possum. How much bigger than a cat? My instinct would be to say badger as well- they can look quite funny in the dark. Possibly a stray dog?

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

I suppose it could have been a stray dog or cat, but the shape just doesn't fit. And it moved away nearly silently.

I ask you the same question I just thought of when responding to Erinya:
Do badgers turn all white in the winter? Even though it hasn't snowed here?

[bravenewcentury.livejournal.com]

No, the only British mammals that totally change colour in the winter are stoats, and they are a lot smaller. But albino badgers are not totally impossible, although rare like any albino animals.

Silent movement makes it a lot less likely to be a badger though, in my experience of them- the badgers in Durham were noisy bastards.

Hmm. Mysterious...

[bravenewcentury.livejournal.com]

Oh! It only just occurred to me as they're very rare in England and Wales, and the colours are not quite right, but perhaps a pine marten?

[nosce.livejournal.com]

Maybe a raccoon? The way those move scare the bejeesus out of me- so silent and lurching.

[bravenewcentury.livejournal.com]

A raccoon in Wales is more than a bit lost...

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

Raccoons are only native to North America.

It's a mystery!

[nosce.livejournal.com]

*shrugs* Shows how much I know. :)

[lopezuna.livejournal.com]

Aged and silvery badger on its way to get a dye job? Dunno about the silent thing, I've only ever seen badgers as road-kill.

[hrafntinna.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure it wasn't a fox. Could you have been seeing the light guard hairs on the back of a silver- or cross-phase red fox and mistaken it for a stripe? It's the only thing I can think of with a tail like that.

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

I was hoping you'd chime in! Oh you lover of the mustelids - of which Wales has plenty! After thinking and looking at pictures, I think it was a fox and the combo of dark and artificial nearby light just made it look white. Very cool though. You're right - it's the only thing around here with that sort of tail.

[readthisandweep.livejournal.com]

Probably a fox, possibly a badger, maybe a pine marten. The latter are the size of a domestic cat & I've seen several (although the stripe is odd ~ ditto badger.)

In a tricky light, it's hard to tell. My money's on a fox.

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

I say fox too. But Adam is annoyed with me for trying to pin down with my head something that I'll never be able to pin down. It was a pretty eerie and slightly mystical experience.