As I arrived at the river today, a very accomplished swimmer got out of the strong current onto the bank near me. It looked like a cross between a grey squirrel and a red squirrel. Its tail looked like an otters (quite fat) (certainly didn't look like a squirrel's but it was wet), the animal was squirrel size. When it go out, it spent some time grooming itself before going I don't know where. It didn't seem to be too alarmed by me.

What was it??

A Rat.........

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Which did it most resemble?

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Adam
"Dum vivimus, vivamus."

http://www.adamhughes.net

Looked like one of the bottom two. Not as red of the middle one by a long way.

Middle one is a mink... they come in a pretty wide 'range' of colours from almost grey to chocolate brown and black.

Bottom one is a water vole.

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Adam
"Dum vivimus, vivamus."

http://www.adamhughes.net

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:M...ranac_Lake.jpg

http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/species/Mink.jpg

http://larrybass.fortunecity.com/Mink3.jpg

Different pic of the same animal... where in the UK are you and which river was it?

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Adam
"Dum vivimus, vivamus."

http://www.adamhughes.net

I've got a not very good photo - let me see if I can figure how to post photographs and I'll try and show you. It really does look like a squirrel to me.

me thinks a mink
loads on the carron

http://i421.photobucket.com/albums/p...k/Whatisit.jpg

Had a squirrel fall out the tree in front of me last season. It swam to the shore without any problem.

Norm