I was walking in Toledo recently and noticed a small animal on an otherwise abandoned pavement.  It was the middle of the day and very hot, and the animal was in the shade.  At first I thought it was a dead rat, then noticed it was moving very slowly.  I had a closer look and noticed it was a rather beautiful thing, a bit like a dormouse with wide eyes, and chipmunk-like stripes on its coat (although much bigger than either of those).  It looked to me almost like a small possum, although I know they don’t live in Europe.  I got close but didn’t have my camera on me, unfortunately.  Does anyone know if this is a native species, and if so, what is it?  Or was it an unfortunate unwanted pet, perhaps thrown from the window of a car?

Mart Hi..

Did it look anything like this?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/foxbat/04.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/foxbat/05.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/foxbat/06.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/foxbat/07.jpg

The size in the pics is a little deceiving; they are really very small, typically about 9” long…

Let me know…OK?

fb

Those look like chipmunks to me.

Mart, could it have been a mongoose? A ferret? There are a lot of weasels out there.

Hi…

Check references to the Barbary Ground Squirrel…Tourists refer to them as chipmunks but they are quite a different breed.

Try walking from Caleta de Fuste to Nuevo Horizonte along the coastal path promenade you will see loads of them! Fascinating, beautiful creatures…

There are literally thousands of them on Fuerteventura since they were introduced in 1965, they are normally quite shy but well accustomed to frequenting areas where humans picnic. They will quite happily take food from your hand!

Quite possibly someone has smuggled one or more into Mainland Spain…

fb

Thanks for the suggestions.  I’m confident it wasn’t a ferret or a weasel.  It was quite like the barbary ground squirrel but bigger and more of a velvety grey colour, with dark stripes.  It also seemed to be a very slow moving creature, although it may just have been stunned.  I may have to go to the zoo and see if I can find something like it!

I put a story about a non-native species on my blog a while ago, by the way.  The beast was taken into custody by the Guardia.  Story here:
http://casasierra.blogspot.com/2008/12/more-non-native-species-fun-in-granada.html

freeenvio - 07 October 2010 04:42 PM

Have you considering you saw it in the street in Toledo it could well have been an pet making a bid for freedom, our local pet shop in Majadahonda has many different types of mice,rats,chipmunks,guinea pigs and loads I have never seen before. Never seen anything like you describe in years of wandering around the Sierra.

Yep, I think you’re right, freeenvio.  I’m now pretty convinced it was this fellow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_flying_squirrel
and I’m guessing he’d been chucked out by a family who’d got bored with him.  Wish I’d done something to help now, but had I rescued the thing I’d have been stuck for somewhere to take it.

It certainly sounds like a mongoose to me, we have three that we see frequently in the lane leading to our house in Cordoba, Alto Guadiato.