Saw a rodent the other day. It was sickly and not afraid of my approach. Hiding behind the tyre of a car. It struck me as different, and I called the little boy neighbour to have a look...he just thought it was a rat, and prodded it with his badmington racquet.

It sort of hopped, like when kangaroo joeys hop on all fours. Shorter face than the normal rats, and longer tail..I recall a bit more slender tail.

Wifey thought it might be a field rat.

Google search of "Thailand rodents" brought up this, which I immediately recognised as my animal. Unfortunately the photo has no caption.

What is it?

That's a chinchilla

Yup, a Chinchilla from Chile.

He does indeed pop up on a Google search for Thailand Rodents (on a Phuket site), no idea why.

You sure he wasn't a Sugar Glider https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_glider popular as pets here, could have escaped (actually, that could apply to a chinchilla too).

Thanks guys...are you sure he photo is a chinchilla? The animal I saw was so much like the one in the photo...smaller than your standard street rat, larger than a mouse, shorter snout, more slender tail, hoppy sort of gait.

I have seen chinchilas...far too big.

Thanks guys...are you sure he photo is a chinchilla? The animal I saw was so much like the one in the photo...smaller than your standard street rat, larger than a mouse, shorter snout, more slender tail, hoppy sort of gait.

I have seen chinchilas...far too big.

A Google image search on the photo you posted leads here http://www.safaritheglobe.com/chile/geography-weather-wildlife/

Hmmm. OK, but the animal I saw really looks like the thing in the photo, but was not a chincilla.

Lets forget the photo, except as a guideline, and keep in mind, smaller than Thai street rats (about half sized), and sort of hopped but on all fours.