What´s the most unusual animal you´ve seen here?

[mijasmagic]

On our way down the backroads below Mijas pueblo last night we saw a badger ahead of us on the road. He saw us and just ambled off down the slope. We hadn´t seen a badger in the wild before. They are big creatures!
It got me wondering what is the most unusual creature (of the animal kingdom, before you all start!) you have seen in Andalucia?

[patricia]

Will I have rarely seen mammal's here in Andalusia (except dead Genet) and a few hares, I have seen wild Bore and Deer, but I did have the good fortune one day whilst in the Sierra de las Nieves to see a very rare Black Vulture.

[anis]

We live next to a golf course and the creatures we have seen at dusk I cannot tell you the name of - no, not golfers !
We have seen them three times in two years and they travel in a pair. They are large, dark brown/ back with short legs, long tail ( nearly the length of their bodies ) and long sleek shiny, furry bodies , low to the ground and about the size of a small long dog.
They travel fairly quickly, not running, just trotting quickly - look a bit like mink. They live in the woods on the course and are obviously out hunting for something.
Haven't got a clue what they are ? They look quite cute.

[gretch]

I was driving along one day and saw an ostrich at the side of the road
I thought it could be a distraction to motorists, so I decided that I’d better report it to the local Guardia.
I took a picture of it first though, because I didn’t know how to say ostrich in Spanish and I certainly wasn’t going to try to describe it, might’ve got myself lock up.
Apparently there is an ostrich farm nearby and this one had escaped.

gretch

[Trooperman]

Anis, they're probably mongooses.

[anis]

Thanks, Trooperman - I have just googled a picture of one and the dark ones look very similar to the ones we saw and about the same size too.
The light is always fading when we see them, so it is hard to be exactly sure of the colour, but it was pretty dark in hue and they don't have any white patches - it's a solid colour.
I didn't even know mongooses lived here . I wonder if they were rabbit hunting because they were coming back from the warren area and heading home ?
There are quite a few snakes too in the area they were coming back from - it is a rocky, hot, dry gorge.
I think mongoose eat snakes, don't they ?

[country boy]

We saw a weasel doing a really strange "dance" for want of a better word, on our side patio. The birds were going bananas and mobbing it.
The best thing for us however is a Bonnelli Eagles nest on the cliffs oposite us; we've invested in a telescope and have watched them rear two chicks last year but only one this. We feel very privilaged.

[karandjon]

I saw a Mink in the forest near here, a few months back. Fortunately my dog was on his lead as he wanted to chase it!!!

[katy]

I see a lot of Mongoose on the Golf Course also a lot of snakes (sometimes as many as 20 writhing together...horrible sight!) so maybe they are anywhere where there are snakes.

PS: is the plural of Mongoose, Mongeese?

[anis]

You would think it would be mongeese wouldn't you, Katy, but I have been assured it is mongooses, after all, we don't say gooses - weird language we have .
Think the snake theory could be right if you have also seen them near them too.

[patricia]

Yes the Egyptian Mongoose is common in Andalucia as is the Genet, but very rarely sighted as they are noctornal so you are very lucky to see one (or two) as they case may be.

[Mariacristina]

I have enjoyed reading this. Because I really enjoy walking in the campo I've seen all sorts of birds and animals (yes, including a mongoose) but the most unusual was when I was driving with some friends in the Sierra de Ronda. We saw a camel grazing near the edge of the road!

[Wicksey]

I posted this a month or so ago - pictures I managed to find of a genet as we saw one near to Torrox one night in July. A fantastic looking animal - I'm sure I'll never see one again.

http://www.fotosearch.com/results.asp?k ... chtype=sss

Our cat has also brought a stoat-type animal back to the house as well. Only the once thank goodness, as it had sprayed the cat and it absolutely stunk. The poor cat had to be hosed down before we could go near him.

[geegee]

One for the birders - an eagle owl flew low, right in front of my car as I was driving in our finca the other morning, and landed on the cliff face close by. What a magnificent creature - wing span more than a metre, gorgeous markings and the most startlingly HUGE orange eyes! Luckily I had my binoculars to hand so leapt out the car to study it in detail. They are quite rare apparently, so I feel very priveleged to discover one living on our land - it seemed to be very much at home and our habitat is exactly right for it, I have since learned.

There is some fruit-eating mammal that regularly leaves a large scat (looks like a large cat scat...) on the terrace outside our garden shed. I recently put a towel out for our puppy to lie on after her romps in the river, and the next morning it had s- hat on that too - would love to know what this is!

[karandjon]

but the most unusual was when I was driving with some friends in the Sierra de Ronda. We saw a camel grazing near the edge of the road!

The road from the Sevilla/Huelva motorway down to the matalascañas coast has a house on the right......with at least 20 camels in their garden! I cannot believe how well behaved they are. they are always walking or sitting in a straight line, nose to bum.

[patricia]

Oh you lucky thing, an Eagle Owl.

If you take a photo of the scat and post it, I should be able to tell you what it is I have a book on scats for wild mammals - fascinating

[Martin Page]

On the salt pans just South of Cadiz - Ive seen flocks of Flamingo's from off the Autovia

[keddyboy]

On the subject of mongooses dont get confused with the Ichneumon. Widespread in Andalucia and quite often confused with a mongoose. We have a breeding pair in our orchard and only come out in the dead of night unless hungry then will appear at all times of the day.

[Jane and Terry]

I thought that was another name for the Egyptian mongoose

[anis]

Keddyboy, I have just googled your ichneumon ( Egyptian mongoose ) and was really excited - those are the creatures exactly - they are dark all over, almost black brown and they don't travel alone, ours don't and apparently they do feed on snakes as well as other things.
I said in the second post that the images of the dark mongooses looked like the ones we see - we have puzzled over these animals for ages and I did google it at the time of seeing them and came up with escaped mink..