Althouse: The mystery of the furry skull in the barn.

१८ मार्च, २००९

The mystery of the furry skull in the barn.

५० टिप्पण्या:

Moose म्हणाले...: That would be a cat...; १८/३/०९, ६:२४ AM
Virginia म्हणाले...: Really? Sorta looks like a possum to me.; १८/३/०९, ६:४६ AM
Virginia म्हणाले...: Although the behavior is cat-like: climbing. In a barn.; १८/३/०९, ६:४७ AM
David म्हणाले...: Raccoon.; १८/३/०९, ६:५२ AM
The Drill SGT म्हणाले...: look at the claws, not the pelt.

Raccoon; १८/३/०९, ७:२३ AM
AllenS म्हणाले...: I could be a shrunken head made by the Shuar tribe of the Amazon.; १८/३/०९, ७:२३ AM
Kylos म्हणाले...: Not a cat. Legs too short. I'm thinking thirdresponder has got it right.; १८/३/०९, ७:२४ AM
traditionalguy म्हणाले...: You have had a meetup with Pogo.; १८/३/०९, ७:२७ AM
The Drill SGT म्हणाले...: Not an Opossum. Every one I ever saw had naked pale flesh colored toes/claws; १८/३/०९, ७:४९ AM
Hoosier Daddy म्हणाले...: That's really Titus' pet racoon.; १८/३/०९, ७:५३ AM
KLDAVIS म्हणाले...: A Rare Cuscus?; १८/३/०९, ८:२९ AM
garage mahal म्हणाले...: Definitely a raccoon. Possums have white rat-like tails, and it's hard to get a glimpse of a possum during daylight. I almost tripped over one the other night emptying some trash. Ugly mofo's.; १८/३/०९, ८:३२ AM
save_the_rustbelt म्हणाले...: Looks racoon.

Since the misty eyed animal lovers messed up the fur markets, racoon hunters have largely retired.

This leaves hoards of racoons, many of which die an ugly death under the wheels of cars. The rest are property vandals.

Bring back the racoon coat - now!; १८/३/०९, ८:४१ AM
The Drill SGT म्हणाले...: I forgot about the tail, Garage. Matches my claw comment though. naked flesh colored tails as well.; १८/३/०९, ८:५२ AM
garage mahal म्हणाले...: Drill Sgt
Yea sort of pinkish flesh color, and they have opposable thumbs. The one I seen didn't even run away when I almost stepped on it, just sorta lumbered along. Weird animals, but they're good for gardens and I've heard they almost never get rabies for some reason.; १८/३/०९, ९:०३ AM
AllenS म्हणाले...: The picture is so dark, I can't really tell what it is. If everyone thinks that it's a possum, be careful, it might not be dead, but it simply could be playing possum.; १८/३/०९, ९:०३ AM
traditionalguy म्हणाले...: Davy Crocket's hat left over in the barn from childhood. This new man friend of the Professor mut be older than we thought.; १८/३/०९, ९:१३ AM
Peter Hoh म्हणाले...: I'm gonna say cat.; १८/३/०९, ९:२० AM
Original Mike म्हणाले...: Racoon.; १८/३/०९, ९:२१ AM
Peter Hoh म्हणाले...: Can we move on to an argument about the proper name for that 12-tined implement in the center of the lower third of the photo?; १८/३/०९, ९:२६ AM
amba म्हणाले...: It's a big-ass rat, people.; १८/३/०९, ९:३० AM
अनामित म्हणाले...: If it's a rat ,that place is a stud farm for rats. That's the Secretariat of rats.; १८/३/०९, ९:३३ AM
Dust Bunny Queen म्हणाले...: Opossum. Raccoons would have a bigger gradations of coloring from top to bottom (at least the 'coons in my area) and longer hair on the backs. The coloring is too grey to be a Raccoon.; १८/३/०९, ९:४९ AM
Unknown म्हणाले...: Blogger peter hoh said...

Can we move on to an argument about the proper name for that 12-tined implement in the center of the lower third of the photo?

Back in the Hoosier state we used to call them manure forks. YMMV.; १८/३/०९, ९:५१ AM
Peter Hoh म्हणाले...: There's a long list of things this animal cannot be. Panda. Elephant. Bald Eagle. Rainbow trout.

Opossum is also on that list.

I'm sticking with cat. Raccoons don't usually let people get that close, unless they have been habituated and are used to receiving treats from people. If that were the case, this creature would be waiting for a handout, not turning away.

The problem is that the tail is moving faster than the shutter speed. Taking that into account, I don't think the tail is thick enough to be a raccoon tail.

YMMV, of course.; १८/३/०९, १०:०० AM
LordSomber म्हणाले...: Chupacabra. But he's playing 'possum.; १८/३/०९, १०:०१ AM
Peter Hoh म्हणाले...: Amy, it's not unreasonable to call that a manure fork. I'm pretty sure that if you asked a dozen farmers, you'd get at least 6 different names for that fork.

I have a 10-tine version with a medium length, D handle. It's excellent for scooping mulch.; १८/३/०९, १०:०७ AM
The Drill SGT म्हणाले...: Out west, we called a straight handle 6-8 tine the manure fork.

the D handle 12 tine was a silage fork; १८/३/०९, १०:२५ AM
Peter Hoh म्हणाले...: Drill Sgt, I call it a silage fork, too. I bought mine from a company in Iowa. They call it an ensilage fork.

Tomato, tomahto.; १८/३/०९, १०:३७ AM
Meade म्हणाले...: I agree with Peter about the cat (ratty barn cat) and the fork. For the real strong forker who needs to really fork some forkable forkage, I would recommend a forkin' scoop fork from Piqua, Ohio. Them folk know their forks.; १८/३/०९, १०:५७ AM
The Drill SGT म्हणाले...: LOL Meade,

They may know forks but they can't count.

their 12 tine fork has 10 tines :); १८/३/०९, ११:०९ AM
Meade म्हणाले...: Uh oh. SGT did the forkin' math.; १८/३/०९, ११:१५ AM
Peter Hoh म्हणाले...: More questions. Is that a D-handle fork or a straight handle? Is there some sort of peg on which it hangs or is the handle resting on the floor?; १८/३/०९, ११:२७ AM
Michael Haz म्हणाले...: There was a beaver in the barn. Don't forget that part.; १८/३/०९, ११:३९ AM
Original Mike म्हणाले...: I'm sticking with cat. Raccoons don't usually let people get that close, unless they have been habituated and are used to receiving treats from people.

I get that close to racoons in the backyard of my near west side Madison backyard all the time. If I got any closer, they'd scat, but they are pretty fearless. In fact, they've hissed at me more than I've threatened them.; १८/३/०९, ११:५८ AM
The Drill SGT म्हणाले...: ही टिप्पणी लेखकाना हलविली आहे.; १८/३/०९, १२:१२ PM
The Drill SGT म्हणाले...: Mike

Look at the back claws. Those are climbing claws from a raccoon IMHO, not flat small cat claws; १८/३/०९, १२:१३ PM
Dust Bunny Queen म्हणाले...: Look at the back claws. Those are climbing claws from a raccoon IMHO, not flat small cat claws

Absolutely. NOT a cat.

Opossum

or Raccoon I've changed my mind seeing other species elsewhere are less striped than the ones in my yard raiding the garbage can.

But definitely NOT a cat.; १८/३/०९, १२:२८ PM
howzerdo म्हणाले...: I call it a pitch fork, although I have heard manure fork as well. Regardless, it would safer to store it tines down.; १८/३/०९, १:०३ PM
Moose म्हणाले...: Sorry, kids. Used to have a pet racoon, and that ain't a racoon. Thats a blurry tabby.

Racoons have more defined markings and all black feet. And the tail is too smoothly curled for a racoon's.; १८/३/०९, १:२८ PM
Original Mike म्हणाले...: Drill Sgt. - I'm agreeing with racoon. The italacized lead-in was a quote I was responding to. I should have stripped the first sentence out.; १८/३/०९, २:२४ PM
Joan म्हणाले...: It's the same color as the raccoons I'm familiar with from Massachusetts woods, and the feet/legs are the right shape for a raccoon, too. The opossums I've seen have all been smaller, paler, and less furry, but that photo that DBQ linked to looks pretty close to Ann's photo.

I'm still going with raccoon. Definitely not a cat.; १८/३/०९, २:५७ PM
Peter Hoh म्हणाले...: Okay, time for wagers. I say cat. If I'm wrong, I'll hang my head in shame. I'm open to ideas for tangible things that might be waged.

Keeping in mind what Sky Masterson's pop told him:
One of these days in your travels, a guy is going to show you a brand-new deck of cards on which the seal is not yet broken. Then this guy is going to offer to bet you that he can make the jack of spades jump out of this brand-new deck of cards and squirt cider in your ear. But, son, do not accept this bet, because as sure as you stand there, you're going to wind up with an ear full of cider.; १८/३/०९, ३:३१ PM
Alcuria म्हणाले...: "Can we move on to an argument about the proper name for that 12-tined implement in the center of the lower third of the photo?"

That's not a manure fork, but an ensilage fork, used to pitch hay or corn silage.; १८/३/०९, ५:५५ PM
BJM म्हणाले...: I have to go with cat too, raccoons usually have black feet and prehensile toes ( no accounting for a mutant 'coon).

Barns/stables=cats, lots of cats.

My tabby's feet and legs are much the same color and shape. It looks as if the cat is in a prejump crouch, thus the foreshortening effect of the legs. This is a pose I've observed in my cats for years.; १८/३/०९, ७:१५ PM
traditionalguy म्हणाले...: I bet the price of one Cincinnati 5way chili at the diner of your choice that the Gray furry animal in the picture is a RACCOON, or it's a cat that has had foot replacement surgery.; १८/३/०९, ९:१३ PM
BJM म्हणाले...: Traditionalguy: Great hedge! You should be on Wall St.; १८/३/०९, ९:२९ PM
Peter Hoh म्हणाले...: Traditional Guy, mind if I borrow against that hedge?; १८/३/०९, १०:३२ PM
David म्हणाले...: Only Althouse knows for sure.

Tell us, Althouse.; १८/३/०९, ११:२२ PM
Ann Althouse म्हणाले...: It's a cat.; १९/३/०९, २:२६ AM