Which rodents burrow

It is by no means unusual, though, to find badgers, foxes, rabbits and rats all sharing the same badger sett, often emerging from the same holes. Small predators, such as stoats and weasels, often live in holes stolen from their prey, and even pine martens have been recorded living in badger setts. Droppings or scats can tell us a lot about which animals have been visiting our gardens, parks and countryside, including hedgehogs, foxes and badgers.

Read our expert guide to animal droppings. More related content: Hundreds of rodents released into English countryside Black dormouse is UK wildlife first Rescuers dig out fox in a hole. Skip to content. The size of the burrow opening is often the key to whether you are dealing with rats or some other burrowing animal. The opening will often have freshly excavated dirt strewn in a fan shape around the outside of the opening, but can appear differently depending on where you live in the U.

Remove access to any open food sources, such as pet food and large animal feed by putting feed in containers with tight fitting lids. Keep all vegetation surrounding your property mowed and maintained as low as possible. Dudek, B. Genetic influences on digging behaviours in mice Mus musculus in laboratory and seminatural settings. Deacon, R. Burrowing into prion disease.

Neuroreport 12 , — Digging and marble burying in mice: simple methods for in vivo identification of biological impacts. Nature Protocols , DOI: Pinel, J. Burying as a defensive response in rats. Article Google Scholar. Guenther, K. Early behavioural changes in scrapie-affected mice and the influence of dapsone.

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Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol. Download references. You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar. Correspondence to Robert M J Deacon.