RAUK - Archived Forum - The Rabbit, Stoat

Hi folks, just popped in to see if anyone can help with the following.

Last weekend, whilst out walking in the Mendips, we heard squeals from a grassy bank.  I climbed-up to investigate and found a stoat and rabbit in a small dip.  The stoat was several feet from the rabbit and didn't appear excited or agitated.  It quickly disappeared into the undergrowth so I stepped over to inspect the rabbit, which seemed barely alive (photo 1).  As I picked it up there was a hissing noise and my son, who had just arrived on the scene, immediately pointed down and yelled "adder!".  A few inches from my foot was a large and unhappy female adder.  I leapt aside and the adder slipped off into the grass.  Although the rabbit was completely paralysed (just breathing and blinking) we could find no obvious wounds so placed it back where we found it to let nature take its course.

On returning two hours later the rabbit hadn't moved but looked much better. We caught it up again (took some doing this time) and gave it another inspection. Turned out that we'd missed a swollen bite-wound on its rib cage; four perfect punctures with no tearing of flesh, one pair from an upper jaw and another set from the lower (photo 2). The upper pair were larger, farther apart and deeper than the lower two, which were little more than pin-pricks. The wound didn't look serious and the rib cage should have prevented damage to internal organs. One of the rabbit's hind legs (nearest wound) was still completely paralysed and its other hind leg was also weak, but other than that it was now reasonably healthy and alert.

So I'm puzzling over what was going on. The rabbit, adder and stoat were all in a dip about 2 metres by 1 metre. If the adder was basking when the stoat caught the rabbit then the commotion would surely have scared it off? First thoughts were that the stoat caught the rabbit and its squeals (which continued for several minutes) attracted the adder, which then began stalking the stoat. However on reflection there are several things that don't add up:-

What an interesting conundrum!

I suppose adders have been known to administer venom to animals far too large to consume, humans for example.

I wouldn`t have thought that adders would have been drawn to rabbit squeals as they are not likely to pick up air-born sounds due to not possessing conventional ears.   On the other hand, they would be sensitive to ground vibrations, but I would have thought that the commotion caused by a rabbit/stoat struggle (if there was one) may have been too much to elicit a predatory response?  Anyone know any different?

You are right to say that squeals would draw in a stoat.  All mustelids are very opportunistic when it comes to investigating small mammal/bird distress calls.  I`ve kept ferrets and polecats all my life and also done a lot of ferreting for rabbits.  On more than one occasion we have seen stoats drawn in to rabbit squeals, foxes too.  On at least two occasions I have seen a stoat, and managed to tempt it back out of cover for a brief moment when squeaking by sucking on the back of my hand, let alone the real thing.

It would be good if you could get those images up on the forum,  maybe Iowarth can sort it for you if you PM him?

Hi Peter, thanks for reply.

I've tried to PM Iowarch but it says he's exceeded his PM limit.

Unfortunately I only have one pic of the bite and it wasn't a very good one anyway (rabbit was struggling).  In reality, once I'd located the wound you could very clearly see two large red spots with two smaller pin-pricks an inch or so below.  The four punctures were symmetrical about the vertical plane and immediately looked like a bite from upper and lower teeth, with the lower teeth a lot smaller and closer together than the upper.  The punctures lay at the centre of a wider, swollen area.  It was the swelling that led me to the wound.    

Gary

It sounds like the puncture marks where from the stoat and the bite pattern you describe is pretty much spot on for a stoat bite.  I'd say that you caught the stoat in the act of catching its prey and it had got a bite on it and was holding firm until it could get the chance to reposition for the final blow.  The adder was probably just minding it's own business and had nothing to do with it all.

If you email me the pictures, I'll host them for you.  The answer is all in the bite mark.

Ok, how about this;   Gary, you say that the rabbit was paralysed and close to the adder, but that the stoat was some feet away and appeared relaxed.

Maybe, just maybe, the stoat hunted the rabbit into the "dip" which forming a sheltered sun-trap also happened to harbour the basking adder.   Whilst you are right about the stoat`s "Coup de gras" generally being delivered to the head or neck area, when actually connecting with their prey initially, mustelids often gain an initial purchase wherever possible and then progress to the head area to deliver the fatal bite, the eye teeth piercing the spinal cord or the brain through the eye on occasion.  Just supposing this to be the case, the stoat`s initial purchase on the rabbit could well have been the cause of the wound on the rib cage.  Rabbits tend to emit both lengthy and pitiful squealing when sustaining an attack from a mammalian predator.  In the case of an adder bite, it would more than likely be a short sharp squeal if indeed any sound is emitted at all.  Stoat attack would induce a protracted squealing.  Shock combined with "giving up the ghost" as commonly happens with prey animals when in the clutches of a mustelid, could also explain the rabbits apparent immobility upon discovery.  The threat then unexpectedly removed, the rabbit then slowly recovered to approximate normality.

Now just suppose again that the rabbit and stoat rolled a bit too close for comfort to the adder.  The adder may well have struck defensively and possibly connected with the stoat.  This would explain why the stoat was a few feet from the rabbit as it would have been likely to have released the rabbit due to the pain and shock of the adder bite.  It is certainly otherwise very unusual for a mustelid to release it`s prey and be close to it, seemingly unconcerned.  An adder bite may also explain why the stoat appeared to be calm in such close proximity to a rabbit.  Again, pretty much unheard of otherwise.

Had the stoat recieved either a wet or dry bite from the adder, at the stage in the proceedings that you arrived, the stoat would have summoned up the energy to get out of your way.

Of course, the adder may well have played no part in the proceedings whatsoever, and the rabbit may have delivered a well aimed or lucky kick which may have temporarily knocked the wind out of the stoat which may also explain it`s attitude when you discovered it.  At this time of year also, it is not unlikely that the stoat could well have been an immature animal, having not perfected it`s hunting methodology and would be more likely to fall foul of a well aimed kick than an experienced adult. This is most likely to have occured before the stoat gained the position at which it could deliver the killer bite, whilst hanging on to the rabbits rib cage.  Although rare, rabbits kicking a mustelid predator off (especially in the open and not in the confines of a burrow system) can and does happen on occasion in the case of rabbits and ferrets which are generally larger than a stoat.  The stoat would also have still found the resources to get out of your way had this been the case also, even if winded.

Of course we shall never know, but here are two possible scenarios for you.  As Jonathan said, the bite is the key to revealing which animal attacked the rabbit, but if I was a betting man, my money would be on the stoat.

Thanks all for responses and thanks chris for photos.  One photo shows my daughter cradling the paralysed rabbit (when first found), and another shows the bite - it's not very clear but does give an idea of gape and spacing of teeth.

The rabbit was completely incapacitated when picked up and quite incapable of giving the stoat a kick.  However I'm sure Peter is right; an adder bite is less likely to result in protracted squealing so the finger of guilt points closer to the stoat.  I've also kept/worked ferrets and raised a weasel from a tiny kit so know the mustelids well; there's no doubt that the stoat was behaving in an unusual way.  However it wasn't showing any signs of injury and I'm now wondering if, as Peter suggested, a prolonged tussle happened to tumble into the dip and end-up next to the adder (the area is crawling with them) but, rather than the stoat getting bitten, perhaps when it spotted the adder at close quarters some innate and very strong instinct took over that said "jump away" - same as it did for me.  Having released the rabbit and composed itself the stoat may then have been confused about what to do next.  Then again it's still odd that it wasn't agitated; I would expect any self-respecting stoat to be prancing around, with bushy tail, swearing at the adder.  I've tried a quick google but can't find anything on stoat v snake behaviour, will try again tomorrow.  

With two pairs of wounds the bite mark also seems closer to a stoat's than a typical adder bite.  However it's been suggested that the pair of smaller punctures might be caused by the part in an adder's lower jaw that's used to grip prey.  Having looked at pics of an adder's mouth this does seem possible, does anyone know if it happens in practice?  

Thanks, once more, for your help.

Gary

Definately looks like a stoat bite.  The lower teeth of an adder are pretty much all uniform and there is no pronounced two lower teeth that could ever cause such a bite mark or radius like that.  They are also very very small and unlikely to puncture a rabbits skin through fur.  In fact even a full strike on bare skin would still only show puncture marks from the two upper venom fangs.  A double strike by the adder could be possible of course, but the two bite marks would be indentical, so this is highly doubtful.  Like you say, everything is pointing towards the stoat as the culprit, who was probably thrown off his plan by tehm disturbing the adder and some serious stroppy adder hissing or even a strike unnerving him somewhat.

Interesting story though, I love stuff like this.  Thankyou very much for bringing it up.

Ok, so that's the adder ruled out.  Looks like the rabbit was the stoat's lunch but somehow the two became separated.  Exactly how the adder fitted into things... well who knows.

Thanks for everyone's help.  It's been an interesting discussion and I now know a bit more about adder's teeth!

Gary

Hi Paul, tried to respond to PM but wouldnÆt send because your inbox is full.

No, it definitely wasn't myxied.  When first found its eyes were half closed, like it was dying, but they weren't swollen or lumpy. Other than that (and the bite wound) it appeared fine on the outside. 

Hi all, thanks for posts.

The rabbit was definitely healthy - plump and well-groomed.  Over the years I've caught many rabbits with hawks and, as you say, you can soon recognise the diseased ones.  They are thin and weak with patchy/matted fur.  Sometimes they smell pretty awful too.  This one had none of that and after a couple of hours was lively and alert, I only managed to recapture it because of the leg paralysis. 

The incident took place in the middle of a grassy area and the rabbit warrens were under nearby bramble bushes.  I would guess that the nearest (obvious) adder hibernation site was a dry stone wall approx 50 metres away.  Time was early/mid afternoon and it had been sunny all day, so I assume the adder was warmed-up and out hunting by then?  However, maybe it had stopped in the hollow for a top-up bask?

Not sure we'll ever get to the bottom of it, but from other posts it does seem like the adder was the innocent party. 

Gary

Hi Gary,

The adder may well have been taking a "top up" in the sun as you state.  It most likely had fed previously and as such would have been basking to aid digestion of a much more likely meal of bank or field vole or perhaps common lizard.  The time of year when this little puzzle transpired is also the time of year that adders partake in the race to put on weight for hibernation, so basking is a big part of that to aid digestion.

As Brett has said, interesting observation and well recorded.  Thank you.