Monsters you have met

[Paul]

Last week I had a Pinemartin in the garden. I heard a noise on top of a shed so I went out to look what was going on..without a torch. It jumped down the back of the shed and came round the corner towards me..I jumped and it went off growling in the undergrowth. I didn´t have a clue what it was...so went and got a torch...but the thing came at me again!!! I thought "sod this" and got on top of the shed, but it climbed into a fir tree next to it and started growling again...the hair stood up on my neck and I jumped off and ran back inside!!
This is the noise they make..I´d never heard it before...freaked me out....very creepy!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzGPrMbI0i8


Here´s aliens cousin; the skull of a Pinemartin I found dead on the roadside several years ago...

 

[Dan Morton]

A what? Pine martin? Never heard of it! So - I googleimaged and got

Pine Marten - sort of a cross between a squirrel, cat, mouse, weasel & somethinorother else.

All the best,
Dan

 

[Paul]

That´s the one
My terrible spelling...you´re right..it´s a pine marten

 

[socko47]

You should have caught it...Martens are suppose to make the best brushes!

 

[Paul]

If I´d have known what it was at the time, I´d still have run!!

 

[housecarl]

Related to the Siberian Weasel. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_Weasel AKA The Kolinsky, as in brushes.
Carl.

 

[Paul]

That´s a cutie!! It appears the same size as a ferret...which I used to keep. One in particular was called fingers, he loved nipping bits out of them!!!

 

[theBaron]

I have North American tree rats, or as they're sometimes known, squirrels. Filthy, verminous beasties who ravage backyard vegetable gardens and defoliate deciduous trees to build their nests. They're fierce, because apparently they can back down the neighborhood dogs and cats, and they are even impervious to the attacks of the red-tailed hawks that patrol the area. But they are vulnerable to a Crossman 750 air rifle.

 

[chippy]

If this Pine Martin was reacting the way you have discribed then I would be very wary as it sounds like it could be RABIED .
The Pine Martin is in the same family as weasels stoats and ferrets . One of natures top killers , but a very elusive creature by habit for one to act this way there was something seriously wrong with it .
Be Very Careful
chippy

 

[Paul]

If this Pine Martin was reacting the way you have discribed then I would be very wary as it sounds like it could be RABIED .
The Pine Martin is in the same family as weasels stoats and ferrets . One of natures top killers , but a very elusive creature by habit for one to act this way there was something seriously wrong with it .
Be Very Careful
chippy

Thanks. Apparently we have no Rabies in this part of germany but it does pay to be cautious and assume anything with canines has it...
A friend of mine who knows a bit about them said that there could have been a pair and the male was being defensive. This might be correct because the noise did seem to come from two places far apart within seconds. my wife who was at the back door kept saying it was over there (way off in the woods) while it seemed to be right next to me behind the hedge.
Still, whatever the reason I don´t want anything with sharp teeth clambering up my trouser leg!!!
Thanks again.

 

[pipetrepid]

quite a set of teeth there!

 

[Lew J]

@ thebaron, my cat kills grey squirrels and then proceeds to only eat there heads outside the back door...nice.