This past weekend, while on our drive up to the Cassano-Cuveglio area near the prealpi mountains...we saw not one, but three separate baby foxes! At first Michele told me that he just saw a "volpe" and I thought he meant wolf...so I excitedly told him to turn the car around...I want to see it too! As we did a quick turn, we saw the baby fox! Even more exciting! As we continued driving, another and another! They seem to be quite close to the roadside, most likely hunting for food since it was already dark. Of course no photos because it all happened so quickly without time to grab the camera. Sorry!
As we arrived to the house, Michele parked and approached the front door. As he did, he asked "want to see a ghiro?" I was just getting out of the car with the dog and hesitated for a moment...then agreed. Knowing it was probably a nocturnal animal out and about in the darkness. He used a light to shine at the front door. Just above the door was...this creature that looked like a mouse, kind of like a flying squirrel all in one. As my heart raced, I asked "Ooh, WHAT is that?" Michele said "It's a dormouse!" and as my brain processed what I saw, what I heard...all that I recall from memory was the "sleepy dormouse" from Alice in Wonderland. Is it possible that these "dormice" actually exist? It was frozen, yet stretched out like a flying squirrel on the side of the stucco near the front door. It was BIG! Apparently they love to run around the rooftop, rolling small stones and scurrying around playing at nighttime. I should note that the dog was oblivious to why we did not enter the house immediately...instead running around the yard happy to be in the countryside. As the minutes passed we were looking and trying to decide who would enter the house first...without...having the dormouse make a sudden move and jump, ultimately entering the house. I did what most brave people do...tell the other person to "keep a lookout" and I made a run for it! :) As we went to sleep that night, we could hear a couple of the dormice having a party on the roof, running around, chattering in a screech-like way...as Mozart sat on his bed in full alert mode listening. Within minutes both Michele and the dog were snorring and I was left...listening in a semi-nervous state. Again, no photos because quite honestly we were both too freaked out to even think to take a photo. Haha! I've attached a link below from wikipedia description and history of a dormouse. I've also been told that there are wild hedgehogs roaming around. I have yet to see one, however we have heard them at night in the nearby field. I'm really beginning to believe that I've stepped into some kind of wonderland. If I happen to see any animals having a tea party in the forest, I'll be sure to let you know. :)
Wikipedia description and history of the dormouse
