I was up at Midnight shining the torch underr the plum tree.....
By jennybianca
@jennybianca (12912)
Australia
January 22, 2008 8:48pm CST
Yes, I was doing that last night. My two dogs were going balistic, barking their heads off at all hours.
Partly because it would really be annoying the neighbours, barking at this hour, & partly because I was concerned that there may be a possum in the tree, I tipped toed through the house, found the torch, & went out the back.
Both dogs raced up to me. I directed them to show what the h... was going on & they ran off to the plum tree. Both dogs stared up into the branches. The Dalmation tried twice tried to climb the tree.... as if. No matter where I shined the torch, I couldn't see anything.
In the past we have known possums to be in the tress & if the dogs spot them they go mad with excitement.
My husband told me in the morning that is was most likely a fruit rat.
Hmmm.... I wasn't impressed getting up at that hour & wandering around in the dark.
4 people like this
8 responses
@OnfireforJesus (500)
• United States
23 Jan 08
Hahaha. Girlfriend, I don't care what kind of rat it was...I would never go outside at night to see what my dog is barking at. I would send my husband.
3 people like this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
23 Jan 08
My wife doesn't even like me going outside to check things like this. But I do it anyhow for the safety of myself, family and our beloved beagle Buster. Hee hee!!
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
3 people like this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
24 Jan 08
I didn't want to wake my husband as he has to get up early for work.
2 people like this
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
23 Jan 08
I don't think I would have been as brave as you. My dogs stay indoors so if they bark at night I do look out to see if I can see anything suspicious and am relieved to see my alarm system is on.
2 people like this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
24 Jan 08
I wouldn't have gone out the back if it was winter.
I can usually distinguish my dogs different kinds of barks.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160665)
• United States
24 Jan 08
I do not know what a fruit rat is. I had someone point out to me once that a squirrel is just a "tree rat". I am lucky, my cats cannot bark, so when the possums come to visit they just lurk and stalk the possums. They stalk the mice in the house, and any stray cat on my property, and rabbits of course. I am sorry you had to be out in the dark looking for critters.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
24 Jan 08
A fruit rat is a sub species of the common black ship rat; the same goes for the Norwegian rat. The fruit was the species that carried the bubonic plague.
One of my cats is very good at catching rats, mice, lizards & birds. The other one is useless.
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
23 Jan 08
I've had to do this when Buster has treed a raccoon in my back yard. the wife hates this as she is afraid I or Buster would get hurt. I assure he that I won't get hurt as the raccoons run from humans. Now Buster has yet to get into a fight with one but he has injured rabhbits chasing them etc. Hope things quieted down for you after you'd wandered around. You have a photo of a fruit rat by chance? Never saw one.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160665)
• United States
24 Jan 08
So would that also be called the Norwegian Rat? One of my cats caught a rat once, and killed it and left it on the back porch. It was a big one.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
25 Jan 08
Yes, The Norwegian Rat is of the same sub species too. Everyone thinks the fruit rats are less "bad" than a ships black rat, but in actual fact, they are all much the same. People here in Adelaide, who having been getting rats, make a point of saying it is a fruit rat... as if that lessons how bad it sounds to have rats.
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
24 Jan 08
I dont think our Dalmation has ever caught a rat, possum or bird. But the mini is very good at catching rats.
I dont have a photo from my own camera of a fruit rat, so I am looking for a photo on the net.
Guess what else I found out. The fruit rat is the same species that carried the bubonic plague, & you have them in the US.
The Fruit rat is a sub species of the ship rat.
I found a photo. Basicly they look just like an ordinary black rat, although apparently there are colour variations.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
24 Jan 08
As it turns out, a fruit rat is a sub species of the common black, ship rat. They look the same. And the fruit rat, is the one that carried the bubonic plague.
The Norwegian rat also belongs to the same family.
1 person likes this
@ibsnita (16)
• United States
23 Jan 08
I know that can be annoying. I have 2 small dogs and they use to bark for no reason. I remember once when they kept barking at the dog door and I was scared someone was out there and my hubby was sleeping and when I went to wake him up he said it was probably a cat or something in the yard and to go back to sleep. Some times I think dogs just like to see us do dumb things to amuse themselves. I definately would not have gone to see what they barking at though.
2 people like this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
24 Jan 08
Sometimes they bark from boredom, but I knew my dogs were barking at something different, by the type of bark & the hour they barked.
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
24 Jan 08
We don't have any possums in my country so i don't really know how they reak havoc in a particular household... but i sure like your dogs... there are really good in protecting your property even from small creatures... they are like the dogs of my mother... so no one even the rats dare enter her property without her consent...
You must have had a little adventure that night...
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
24 Jan 08
I wish our rats asked the consent of from our dogs before they entered the yard, but they dont!!
@faith210 (11224)
• Philippines
24 Jan 08
Hi jennybianca! Gosh, if i were in your shoes i wouldn't even go out..I would just look out from my window and beg my dogs to shut up..LOL! I am a certified coward in the dark! haha...You're very much braver than me my friend! Take care and have a nice day! :)
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
24 Jan 08
I wouldn't have done this in winter. And I wouldn't have been so confident going out the front in the dark on my own.
