Kinds of predators

[BigBlueHen53]

Lizard man? Do tell...

 

[Xerocles]

Lizard man? Do tell...

I wish there were an avatar showing extreme embarrassment. I'm sorry I mentioned this in a public forum.
Lizard man. A legend first noted in the 1980s in central South Carolina (Lee County) of a creature with reptilian visage, but upright gait, that captured the attention of the populace for awhile. Akin to the Jersey Devil, Chupacabra, Sasquatch, or The Loch Ness monster.
It was a silly attempt at levity in a serious thread, directed to a fellow South Carolinian, concerning the mystery of his predation. In the 80s, Lizard Man was blamed for any unexplained negative happenings in the state, all-in-all an embarrassment to our fine state. Wishing now I had PMed this, or had the good sense to not say it at all.

 

[woodmort]

Keep in mind a easel can get through any sized hole a mouse can--about the diameter of a quarter--so chicken wire will be no deterrent.

 

[Conan]

I read this while researching weasels.
[Weasel kills are identified by severed heads and severe wounds to the back of the neck.}
And the chick that was eaten was attacked on the head and eaten partially down the neck. The other one was just killed. This may mean it had it's fill or something scared it away.

I checked all the areas where the trees go through and they are very tight. Hopefully I have patched all the overlapping seams now. It's all just going to be speculation at the point. But I set my trap tonight and just because I catch something doesn't mean that was the culprit. Because we have all sorts of wildlife where we live. At least I can start by re-locating all the suspects.

Sounds like a weasel to me. Was the breach near the base of your pen? I lost a duck to a weasel many years ago. It just ate the neck. Know it was a weasel because we caught it trying to drown another duck the next day. It got in through a tiny crack at the base of our pen. We built a new duck coop after that. Used a ton of hardware cloth. Haven't lost one since.

 

[Folly's place]

When rats invaded my coop a few years ago, eggs were eaten, and three bantam pullets were killed. They were beheaded, and only the heads carried off and eaten.
Mary

 

[pslane]

Very close to Bishopville and I'm a lifetime native here. But I'm sure there are no holes big enough for him!

 

[pslane]

Very close to Bishopville and a lifetime native here. I don't believe the lizard man would fit into any holes I might have.