Animal burrow

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
This appeared suddenly by the edge of the driveway. Seems too small for a rabbit and too large for a mole (5 inch diameter). I am betting on chipmunks. Whoever it was is smart to dig in under the blacktop. Nice roof there.

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Could be the work of a juvenile skunk, they have a habit of digging burrows for themselves, but usually they dig against sheds and buildings and things.
 
Aunt Marg said:
Could be the work of a juvenile skunk, they have a habit of digging burrows for themselves, but usually they dig against sheds and buildings and things.
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If it's a skunk, better not go near it. :)
 

When we spot burrows or holes ... we were told that rattlesnakes were in there. Not sure how true that is. I didn't wait around to see what would come out of those burrows. It's a Texas thing.
 
pamelasmithwick said:
When we spot burrows or holes ... we were told that rattlesnakes were in there. Not sure how true that is. I didn't wait around to see what would come out of those burrows. It's a Texas thing.
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You were told right. Often, snakes will go into those burrows, eat whatever rodent they find, then stay there digesting the meal. And when it's above 85 degrees, snakes need to get out of the heat, since they are cold blooded & cannot internally control their body temperature. Those burrows are perfect for that.
 
debodun said:
I'm going to have to mow sometime. Probably too small for a skunk. They are even larger than rabbits. The chipmunks have run rampant this year. They made holes in my garage. I see them scamper away when I go out there. They are expanding their territory.
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I'd squirt water into the opening with the hose first & see if anything comes out.
 
Only snakes I see are garters. I did see one once that I didn't know what it was and it was curled up on the front lawn of a meals-on-wheels client. It had a light brown body with darker spots or patches. I tried to catch it to move it to a safer place, but it was very aggressive, so I left well enough alone.
 
debodun said:
Only snakes I see are garters. I did see one once that I didn't know what it was and it was curled up on teh front lawn of a meals-on-wheels client. It had a light brown body with darker spots or patches. I tried to catch it to move it to a safer place, but it was very aggressive, so I left well enough alone.
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Oh dear, please be careful.
 
win231 said:
You were told right. Often, snakes will go into those burrows, eat whatever rodent they find, then stay there digesting the meal. And when it's above 85 degrees, snakes need to get out of the heat, since they are cold blooded & cannot internally control their body temperature. Those burrows are perfect for that.
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Ugggghhhh... hate snakes.
 
debodun said:
This appeared suddenly by the edge of the driveway. Seems too small for a rabbit and too large for a mole (5 inch diameter). I am betting on chipmunks. Whoever it was is smart to dig in under the blacktop. Nice roof there.

View attachment 119664
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You have the bat net & mouse catcher. Next project a home made contraption for catching whatever your new lawn resident is.
 
Don M. said:
If you want to see a "hole" in the yard, you should see what an Armadillo can dig. Their "abodes" look like something it would take a backhoe to dig.
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Yes, and have you ever tried to grab one by the tail and pull it out of its hole? I tried many times and was never successful. They get in there and jackknife their hind legs to lock themselves in place.

And years later I learned that they carry leprosies. And here my brothers and I were messing with them. My grandfather insisted that we shoot any of them that we came across because of the damage they do and the fact that they ate my grandmother's chickens. But dragging a 22 rifle around on the ranch was generally more trouble than it was worth, especially if the other hand was full of fishing tackle.
 
debodun said:
Only snakes I see are garters. I did see one once that I didn't know what it was and it was curled up on the front lawn of a meals-on-wheels client. It had a light brown body with darker spots or patches. I tried to catch it to move it to a safer place, but it was very aggressive, so I left well enough alone.
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Did that snake look like this, @debodun Just teasing you.maxresdefault[1].jpg
 
Don M. said:
If you want to see a "hole" in the yard, you should see what an Armadillo can dig. Their "abodes" look like something it would take a backhoe to dig.
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Thereā€™s a good sized hole near the base of one of the bushes in my backyard, about the width of two basketballs but a little deeper. I didnā€™t have any dirt to fill the hole but did have a partial bag of mulch so last week i sprinkled about half a container of cayenne pepper in the hole and then filled it up to the top with mulch. Guess what, this week itā€™s a big (seemingly) empty hole again, the mulch has been removed. Iā€™m betting an armadillo is the culprit & now iā€™m on a mission lol
 
Pecos said:
Yes, and have you ever tried to grab one by the tail and pull it out of its hole? I tried many times and was never successful. They get in there and jackknife their hind legs to lock themselves in place.
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It seems that one of the "side effects" of the warming climate is the northern migration of these Armadillos....10 years ago, we never saw any, and now they are all over the place.
When I first saw one rooting around the yard, I did some quick research on the Internet, and saw that they are covered with a virus that can cause Leprosy. Therefore, I NEVER touch one....instead, after I shoot it, I pick it up with a big pair of channel lock pliers, dump it in my burn pit, dowse it with diesel fuel, add some dry sticks, and Cremate it. Then, I sanitize the pliers.
 
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