"Stan The Man" wrote in message
...
...or if not, what other creature might be responsible for the
disembowelled rat next to my compost heap? Actually, it was only
slightly disembowelled so maybe my welcome predator changed its mind on
tasting it...... TIA.

There's no end of predators/scavengers which will attempt to make a meal of
a dead or vulnerable rat, and which will slither, scamper or fly off when
disturbed. That would include a fox, of course.