Rather overrun with rats in the garden at the moment I've resorted to a couple of traditional snap rat-traps. Twice I didn't get round to disposing of a trapped rat only to find that the bodies had disappeared by the next day.. The second time something seemed to have dragged both rat and trap under a polytunnel cover and left the trap by a hole/tunnel about 15 yards away. The trap was completely empty. I can only assume this was another rat. Do rats eat other dead rats or is there any other animal which would behave like this?
Janet G

On 01/02/2017 08:11, Janet G wrote:
Rather overrun with rats in the garden at the moment I've resorted to
a couple of traditional snap rat-traps. Twice I didn't get round to
disposing of a trapped rat only to find that the bodies had
disappeared by the next day. The second time something seemed to have
dragged both rat and trap under a polytunnel cover and left the trap
by a hole/tunnel about 15 yards away. The trap was completely empty.
I can only assume this was another rat. Do rats eat other dead rats
or is there any other animal which would behave like this? Janet G

Mild winter and lots of windfall apples has seen an explosion of them.

My money would be on a fox or a raptor to have snaffled a dead rat (not
good for them if you are using poison bait). BTW you shouldn't have rat
traps out in the open where pets, birds or children might get caught by
them. They are quite vicious and should be inside an approved rat box.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

Thanks for your reply. I should have made it clearer that this trap and trapped rat were in my polytunnel with doors closed, making it unlikely to be raptor or fox I think. I'm assuming the rat, if rat it was, dragged it out under the door, although there was some sign of tunnelling too.
Janet G

In article ,
says...

Rather overrun with rats in the garden at the moment I've resorted to a couple of traditional snap rat-traps. Twice I didn't get round to disposing of a trapped rat only to find that the bodies had disappeared by the next day. The second time something seemed to have dragged both rat and trap under a polytunnel cover and left the trap by a hole/tunnel about 15 yards away. The trap was completely empty. I can only assume this was another rat. Do rats eat other dead rats
or is there any other animal which would behave like this?
Janet G

If not rat, my suspicion would be on mink or fox. Or maybe badger.

Rats are stronger and more determined than you might think. I lay
poison rat bait in the compost heaps, the bait is in a sardine tin
underneath a concrete roof ridge tile and the heavy compost lid is over
the top. No foxes on Arran; and no bird cat or dog can get in.

Looked in the other day and the sardine tin has GONE, probably down
the new rat hole right beside where it was...

A couple of years back I left a new unopened large bag of JI potting
compost in the garage. One day I noticed a neat pile of compost on the
floor several inches away from the bag, and a rat hole in the
plastic.The following day there was a much bigger pile of compost. A
couple more nights and the bag was empty, and all the compost neatly
piled up in a pyramid on the concrete floor. I've often marvelled at the
determination it took a rat to shift 25kg of material (for no apparent
reward or reason.)

Janet.

On Wed, 1 Feb 2017 00:11:04 -0800 (PST), Janet G
wrote:

Rather overrun with rats in the garden at the moment I've resorted to a couple of traditional snap rat-traps.

Our plot has a few (!) keeping chickens it is to be expected. We have
rehomed three feral cats, sisters found abanbanded, hoping they will
keep the rodant popultion down.

They are feral, so we have named them, Cheryl, Meryl, and Beryl :-)