Faces of Death - Kitchen Sliding Glass Door 01

In my continuing series on evidence of death around my house, here's a dead shrew or vole. I'm not exactly sure which as I didn't research the difference until after I had disposed of the body. A vole is a small rodent related to the mouse and rat - it's sometimes called a "field mouse" and they like to burrow under plants, eating the tender roots or bulbs and sometimes stripping off a ring of bark around the base - either way they're fairly destructive of the garden. This one is the second or third "offering" that my cat, Mucha (large, furry black male) has left at the slider opening into the kitchen. He's also left several birds, a mole or two and I've found skulls of various small beasties around in the yard - presumably left as warnings to other creatures that a ferocious animal's territory is nearby. Since these (and moles) are rather destructive, I don't mind a bit when he leaves these at the door - I do mind when he tries to bring them in, often holding down his head so the carcass (sometimes still alive and meekly struggling) is difficult to see - you glimpse a flash of tail or an odd snout. In that instance I demand he drop whatever it is.


I did make the mistake once when Mucha brought a small bird to the door - I think it was some type of thrush. When Cindi argued that he needed to drop it I recommended that we let him finish it off (he was about 1/4 way through eating it) and "see what happens" - my thought was that since he was a natural predator and this was a natural prey, there might be components in the bird that are good for him (if you've done any research on "fresh" food for cats, it's usually a ground up mess of meat, bones and feathers, each has a benefit to the cat to aid in nutrition or digestion). In any case, I learned my lesson, as after he was in for about an hour he basically sprayed feathers and disgusting vomit in several heaps on the living room carpet. Of course I was forced to clean it up - not a job I particularly enjoy. Luckily, he doesn't appear to like the taste of the shrew/vole.

So in any case, my research revealed that the shrew family of animals is not related to rodents at all, and that a distinguishing feature is the shrew's five toes, where rodents only have four. Also, rodents have matching incisors that meet growing from the top and bottom like buck teeth that never stop growing. Shrews have pointed teeth - often with gaps as they teeth they get after the "baby teeth" fall out are all they get until death. As I mentioned, I didn't know these distinguishing features so this could be either - I rather suspect a vole, however as I've had problems with bulbs in the bed behind my patio being eaten. On the flip side, if you study the photo there does seem to be five appendages on one of the front paws - your guess is as good as mine.

-- John