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Project Noah Nature School
Rattus norvegicus
Large and gray rat.
Spotted in the suburbs.
I saw this individual, a rat, on the sidewalk one afternoon. He almost looks untouched, except for the wet look of his fur in some areas (which suggests that he was in the jaws of a larger animal). There is a large feral cat population in this area. This animal was not moved or manipulated in any way by humans, and appears to have become the victim to Felis catus’ hunting behavior.
Thank you for the clarification and info, Mark and Malcolm.
Thanks, James!
You are very welcome, Selma. I am glad to share. :)
As Mark says, this was discussed in the Ranger room yesterday and we decided that in this case it was acceptable. Attacked by a cat is acceptable as it can be considered taken as food even if it was not eaten.
Where an organism has been harmed by deliberate human action it will be taken down when we discover it as it is not acceptable.
From our FAQs: "Remember to tread lightly and always respect the wildlife you encounter. This includes not handling any organism that may be harmed or stressed unless you have been trained to do so safely."
This is from many parks and reserves: "Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints."
I think it is a well taken shot and as Mark says does not indicate suffering or any grotesque death related image. Good pics!
The PN FAQ rules are intended to deny the gratuitous display of suffering to animals. If the animal is not well photographed (incomplete) or the emphasis is primarily on the damage or blood then it is unacceptable. A spotting really needs to offer something of scientific or educational interest to the community. Borderline postings may need to be discussed by rangers and this might take a little time. Sckel you might find most such spottings have since been removed but please let us know of any that may have been missed. Rangers can not see everything that comes through and the rest of the community can help. Other rangers might have other opinions on this one but it seems ok to me. I would prefer the second picture first, to properly show species features, but there are no gratuitous signs of suffering here. Cats often do exactly this to mice and rats. I think they die partly from fear but they look like they were sucked to death.
Selma, you're right. This rat was definitely not killed by a car (humans).
FelixO, I believe a cat tried to eat this rat for fun and left it out of boredom. The area has a serious stray cat problem. Rattus norvegicus' "natural habitat" is pretty much everywhere, considering it's regarded as a common pest, despite its non-native status.
the wet fur could suggest that it was in another animal's mouth before something scared it off.
FAQ rules are not clear or are unjust. Because, I've seen a lot of people posting dead creatures.
FAQ says "We also ask that you do not add dead organisms except those taken as food by living organisms in their natural habitat."
i don't know if that counts for mysterious death...
Spotted on Oct 25, 2012
Submitted on Mar 12, 2014
+4
