After my first night alone in my home last week, I woke up to find this critter at the foot of my bed (E was on a biz trip, kids were at Grandparent Camp in Hotlanta). Obviously, it was dead, and, in fact, blessed with advanced rigor mortis, quite unlike the 18-inch garter snake that the cats left by the front door yesterday. I was bringing the kids home from school and we all three walked in the door and saw the snake at about the same time. After prodding it a couple times, I ascertained that it was dead, or at least deeply in shock. I learned that I was wrong, however, when I picked it up and it spazzed out and wrapped itself around my arm. Which caused me to spaz out and throw it on the floor where it quickly slithered under a chest of drawers while the kids shrieked. It was like a fricking horror movie.
I made the kids go watch a video to calm them down (necessary drugging) while I moved the chest, managed to corral the snake into a cardboard box and dumped it in the garden. The cats have yet to re-catch it. I like garter snakes, just not in my house.
Anyway, anyone know what this rodenty critter pictured above is? It was as long as my hand (about 5 inches), so much bigger than a mole, I think. Is this a vole?
