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Identification help


willwalks

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I have seen a fast-moving monkey/raccoon animal and have no idea what it could be.

- 1.5 - 2 feet high (not including large and full tail)
- Disproportionately long and "human-like" arms
- Moves primarily on two legs
- Disproportionately large head
- Certainly not a squirrel unless squirrels have gone from small and cute to massive and spooky:P


The first time was in a rural lane walking home from a day's hiking. A friend and I saw two of these animals emerge from a hedgerow ahead of us and then proceed us along the lane for a time before running very fast from view.
The second time I was alone, again walking at night, and I saw one in some light undergrowth near the path.
Does anyone have any insight into what they could be?

It has been dark both times but I have approximated their general size and shape in the attached image. My best description is that of a monkey/raccoon but of course in the UK we have no native monkeys or raccoons or any animals which really resemble either. On the first siting we named them goblins and laughed it off as just a random strange experience (which we still laugh about to this day), but after a second encounter my curiosity has truly been piqued.

Any insight, anyone?

cryptidimage.jpeg

Edited by willwalks
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I hear ya Not Your Huckleberry, there is definitely a squirrel-esque quality BUT squirrels don't stand as tall as your knee, have long almost person-like arms or walk about on two legs.
(perhaps the outline of a human I have in the picture to show the scale is too faint. easy mistake to make)

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It’s a squirrel, a grey one by the sounds of things which are rare in the UK, The red squirrel has driven them out of many habitats, get onto the Woodsland Trust, they might be interested in the sightings.

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3 minutes ago, Sir Wearer of Hats said:

It’s a squirrel, a grey one by the sounds of things which are rare in the UK, The red squirrel has driven them out of many habitats, get onto the Woodsland Trust, they might be interested in the sightings.

Pssst, it's the other way round. 

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You might want to consider the American Fox Squirrel. According to Wikipedia, their total body length measures 45 to 70 cm (17.7 to 27.6 in), tail length is 20 to 33 cm (7.9 to 13.0 in), and they range in weight from 500 to 1,000 grams (1.1 to 2.2 lb). Pelt color is variable, but some are gray. How one would get to the UK I have no idea, but it doesn't seem impossible.

6a00e551ac4c28883401156f50b7db970b.jpg.3ba4cb535f5dafafe07f453b86950b96.jpg

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I've seen some pretty big squirrels tbh.

Kids in cars hang around local country parks, plenty of food waste, squirrel heaven. 

Parked up at a country park with my youngest and eldest, 7 squirrels came up to the car and even jumped onto the step, one even climbed into the door pocket, sat quite happily while youngest threw a couple of scraps. They were definitely a healthy size.

I've seen plenty that size and possibly a bit bigger. 

I would go for a very stockily built and healthy squirrel.

 

Google image search "big grey squirrel" few images in there is a pic of 3 varying in size, largest appears to be around 15" not including the tail, possibly 16 if stretched straight. 

Edited by Redefining Success
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I'm not trying to be funny, but I am struggling with this one. We have a physical description of a squirrel, a picture of a squirrel, a location in two known squirrel habitats, which given their distance means unless this squirrel is following the OP, it's two different squirrels, which further tells us it's a widespread and common type of squirrel. 

I've thought about it, and my money's on it being a squirrel. 

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I once saw a little racoon dog over here in the uk it ran down the road in front of me and my wife and dogds obviously an escapee but it was still a bit of a surprise oddly enough the dogs took no notice of it 

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On 10/16/2017 at 7:09 PM, PersonFromPorlock said:

You might want to consider the American Fox Squirrel. According to Wikipedia, their total body length measures 45 to 70 cm (17.7 to 27.6 in), tail length is 20 to 33 cm (7.9 to 13.0 in), and they range in weight from 500 to 1,000 grams (1.1 to 2.2 lb). Pelt color is variable, but some are gray. How one would get to the UK I have no idea, but it doesn't seem impossible.

6a00e551ac4c28883401156f50b7db970b.jpg.3ba4cb535f5dafafe07f453b86950b96.jpg

I was going to say a fox squirrel. They eat robins sometimes and have weird moving habits. I've seen them do some goofy things.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 10/16/2017 at 1:40 PM, willwalks said:

I have seen a fast-moving monkey/raccoon animal and have no idea what it could be.

- 1.5 - 2 feet high (not including large and full tail)
- Disproportionately long and "human-like" arms
- Moves primarily on two legs
- Disproportionately large head
- Certainly not a squirrel unless squirrels have gone from small and cute to massive and spooky:P


The first time was in a rural lane walking home from a day's hiking. A friend and I saw two of these animals emerge from a hedgerow ahead of us and then proceed us along the lane for a time before running very fast from view.
The second time I was alone, again walking at night, and I saw one in some light undergrowth near the path.
Does anyone have any insight into what they could be?

It has been dark both times but I have approximated their general size and shape in the attached image. My best description is that of a monkey/raccoon but of course in the UK we have no native monkeys or raccoons or any animals which really resemble either. On the first siting we named them goblins and laughed it off as just a random strange experience (which we still laugh about to this day), but after a second encounter my curiosity has truly been piqued.

Any insight, anyone?

 

Fisher Cat, member of the weasel family I think..

fisher cat small.jpg

Edited by SSilhouette
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nvm 

Edited by Farmer77
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12 hours ago, stereologist said:

The stoat is possible. The fisher is a NA relative.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoat

Not big enough.  And it the head isn't large enough like the fisher cat's is.  Stoat's arms are way too short too; about half the length of a fisher cat's.  I read the description in the OP and fisher cat fit the bill.  Except for the color.  But they're found all over the US in varying colors so ? Maybe in his region they're lighter.

Here's what the OP said again:

- 1.5 - 2 feet high (not including large and full tail)
- Disproportionately long and "human-like" arms
- Moves primarily on two legs
- Disproportionately large head

 

Now here's a stoat for comparison to the fisher cat.  See the small head and the short arms?

stoat.jpg

Edited by SSilhouette
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8 minutes ago, Matt221 said:

How about a mink or a pine marten

Not really, the link has a similar leg body ratio to a stoat, or any of the other Mustelids, same with the pine Martin.

 

1 hour ago, SSilhouette said:

Not big enough.  And it the head isn't large enough like the fisher cat's is.  Stoat's arms are way too short too; about half the length of a fisher cat's.  I read the description in the OP and fisher cat fit the bill.  Except for the color.  But they're found all over the US in varying colors so ? Maybe in his region they're lighter.

Here's what the OP said again:

- 1.5 - 2 feet high (not including large and full tail)
- Disproportionately long and "human-like" arms
- Moves primarily on two legs
- Disproportionately large head

 

Now here's a stoat for comparison to the fisher cat.  See the small head and the short arms?

stoat.jpg

There are no fisher cats over here. 

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34 minutes ago, oldrover said:

 

 

There are no fisher cats over here. 

Well "over here" may not apply to where the OP saw the critters.  The Fisher Cat looks most like the description and the nickname "Monkey-raccoon" .

Edited by SSilhouette
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16 minutes ago, SSilhouette said:

Well "over here" may not apply to where the OP saw the critters.  The Fisher Cat looks most like the description and the nickname "Monkey-raccoon" .

Weĺl, fisher cats are a North American species, and if you read the original post it gives locations, Cornwall, and South Wales, which are both in the British Isles, where I am. So, again I say there are no fisher cats over here. 

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11 minutes ago, oldrover said:

Weĺl, fisher cats are a North American species, and if you read the original post it gives locations, Cornwall, and South Wales, which are both in the British Isles, where I am. So, again I say there are no fisher cats over here. 

Or are there?  Possibly introduced? But then again, people do use fake locations when they post on the net.

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