Mammals In The Rice-fields

[PhilHarries]

A mammal like a large rat scurrying around the rice paddies?

Thaksin, for sure.

[plachon]

A mammal like a large rat scurrying around the rice paddies?

Thaksin, for sure.

A carnivorous, blood-sucking rat then? We learned last week he's developed a taste for the fresh-blood of poor devotees, so maybe it's possible, but my guess is his lily-white skin would stand out a mile in the sun-burned paddies and a village dog would make short work of him.

More likely a mongoose as other people have stated. They are not that common, but can occasionally be seen. In 11 years in Isaan, I've seen a mongoose on three occasions, once scurrying over a road on the outskirts of Mahasarakham surprisingly, the other two times in the sticks. I'd love to see one pitted against a cobra, Rikki-Tikki-Tavy like, but suspect domestic chickens and ducks make easier prey these days.

[peterdigger]

The animal you spotted is almost certainly a mongoose. I live outside Chiang Mai and see them almost every other day. I used to live in Sakhon Nakhon and saw plenty of them there too. They are pretty swift on their feet and it would be a pretty good job for a thai to catch one without a shotgun ! I like them as they keep the snakes down on our 2 acre block. Cheers !

[mzmann]

How do you know it was a mammal ?

have you a better suggestion,then

You're so much more polite than me, Dave! (I never know what the emoticons mean) I did, very briefly, consider a monitor lizard, but they don't stand up on their hind legs! apart from being the wrong shape and moving differently.

Must say I have to disagree with you that monitors/goanna's ect don't stand on their hind legs due to the photos I was lucky enough to take during my travels! (Australia)You can clearly see that it is standing on its hind legs in the middle of the road, I of course then had to chase him down to get some better close up photos........but for the record to the OP.....my best guess would be that of most others as well in guessing that it would be something of the weasel family.

I know that the pics are not from LOS but just wanted to show the point that they can and do indeed stand!

[isanbirder]

To that extent, mzmann, yes, of course they do (I've seen it myself), but they don't do so with the body vertical like a weasel, or in this case, a mongoose.

[gpdjohn]

Got 'em over here outside Prachin as well. Seen one ( ? maybe more than one.. ) a couple of times on my morning run through the paddies whilst it was crossing the road. (Thought it was a big Vietnamese pier rat, well that's as close as a description to what I've seen before. ) Thought maybe a mongoose.

It stood up on it's hind legs to check me out and then scurried off into the bush.

Awesome looking thing.