June 27, 200817 yr OK, I'm looking at guys like Flaxx on this one. Saw an animal today in a wooded area in town today. Thought it was a raccoon at first, but it didn't sit low to the ground. I looked a little closer, it was similar in size to a bigger coon, with brown fur and a bushy (but not real bushy tail). What struck me was its long snout like nose. Can anyone tell me what I saw? I've seen plenty of raccoons, so I know that wasn't it. My brother thought I was describing a wolverine or a fox or something, but I would think I'd know a fox, as I've seen one before...
June 27, 200817 yr Author QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ Jun 26, 2008 -> 09:39 PM) Probably a snipe or a jackalope You're a jackalope.
June 27, 200817 yr From the description, the sounds an awful lot like a coati, but they are mostly found from Mexico south through South America, and only into maybe Arizona and new Mexico in the US. Nasua nasua – the ring-tailed coati Nasua narica - the white-nosed coati Their similarity in appearance to raccoons is not accidental as they are in the same New World carnivore family, the Procyonidae. Confamilials, the ring-tails (Bassariscus spp.) also occur in the western US, but they are more cat-like in appearance and don't have the long snout you reference. Edited June 27, 200817 yr by FlaSoxxJim
June 27, 200817 yr Author That looks pretty close to what I saw, actually. It'd be pretty weird to see one in NE Iowa, I gather, but you don't see raccoons with brownish fur. Then again, there was a black bear photographed here last week.
June 27, 200817 yr QUOTE (3E8 @ Jun 27, 2008 -> 12:18 AM) kinkajou Also a Procyonid and would also be way out of place (no matter what it is, it's got to be a release surely). Also, the snout isn't elongate and the tail is not ringed. Kinkajou - Potos flavus
June 27, 200817 yr I'd say there is a basically zero chance it was a Coati or Coatimundi. The closest place to Iowa you might find one is SW New Mexico or SE Arizona. More likely, it was a woodchuck (a.k.a. groudnhog), or possibly an immature fox.
June 27, 200817 yr QUOTE (Heads22 @ Jun 26, 2008 -> 08:43 PM) You're a jackalope. no, just a huge fan of Dave Coulier's character
June 27, 200817 yr QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jun 27, 2008 -> 10:57 AM) I'd say there is a basically zero chance it was a Coati or Coatimundi. The closest place to Iowa you might find one is SW New Mexico or SE Arizona. More likely, it was a woodchuck (a.k.a. groudnhog), or possibly an immature fox. Zero chance of a natural range extension, to be sure, and I said as much. But isn't this the area that just got flooded to hell? I wouldn't put it out of teh realm of possibility that a number of exotic pets were accidentally or intentionally released during that event. Heck, we're pretty sure the invasive Pacific red lionfish we're seeing with increasing frequency on the Atlantic coats ere the result of a large Miami Beach front-porch marine aquarium getting busted open during Hurricane Andrew. Do you think I'm giving Heads too much credit to recognize a groundhog? Edited June 27, 200817 yr by FlaSoxxJim
June 27, 200817 yr Author QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Jun 27, 2008 -> 10:28 AM) Zero chance of a natural range extension, to be sure, and I said as much. But isn't this the area that just got flooded to hell? I wouldn't put it out of teh realm of possibility that a number of exotic pets were accidentally or intentionally released during that event. Heck, we're pretty sure the invasive Pacific red lionfish we're seeing with increasing frequency on the Atlantic coats ere the result of a large Miami Beach front-porch marine aquarium getting busted open during Hurricane Andrew. Do you think I'm giving Heads too much credit to recognize a groundhog? It didn't turn around in a surprised fashion, so that couldn't be it. We weren't flooded to hell up here. It looked like a coati, but from about 30 yards away and only seeing it for about 5 seconds, it was tough to get a good look at it.
June 30, 200817 yr Author Saw it again. It actually looked like a stretched out cat (had whiskers) once I got within like 15 feet of it. Brown fur, striped tail. Not a feral cat.....too big for that, but def. not a housecat.
June 30, 200817 yr QUOTE (Heads22 @ Jun 30, 2008 -> 06:41 PM) Saw it again. It actually looked like a stretched out cat (had whiskers) once I got within like 15 feet of it. Brown fur, striped tail. Not a feral cat.....too big for that, but def. not a housecat. Sure its not a fox? Small one?
July 1, 200817 yr Author QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jun 30, 2008 -> 06:46 PM) Sure its not a fox? Small one? Didn't have black legs and there were rings around the bushy tail. I looked up a picture of a bobcat, and it kinda looks like if it mated with a coati..... I really have no idea and I just know there's a really simple explanation.
July 1, 200817 yr QUOTE (Heads22 @ Jun 30, 2008 -> 07:39 PM) Didn't have black legs and there were rings around the bushy tail. I looked up a picture of a bobcat, and it kinda looks like if it mated with a coati..... I really have no idea and I just know there's a really simple explanation. Foxes sometimes have moddled tails, which may look like rings, I suppose. But who knows. Start carrying a camera with you! I'm quite curious now.
July 5, 200817 yr It seems animals from all over the place are popping up in Iowa. Two boys found a 2 foot alligator in floodwaters
July 5, 200817 yr QUOTE (kyyle23 @ Jul 5, 2008 -> 09:28 AM) It seems animals from all over the place are popping up in Iowa. Two boys found a 2 foot alligator in floodwaters must be one of them there albino mutant sewer gaters.
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