Not sure if all of the behavior fits the profile but perhaps a Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus). Not that these are sterile by any means but the one associated with typhus and so on is the wharf rat (R. rattus), also known as roof rat and plague rat. These are arboreal, have quite a sweet tooth - I see them in apple and fig trees, barberry bushes etc. when the fruits are maturing. One doing a lot of digging would not be expected to be this species.

Nobody on the internet will be able to say whether this particular animal happened to contaminate your plot with a significant pathogen. Perhaps in order to get complete peace of mind you will have to dig out and replace the soil where it was. Otherwise, you will just have to assume peeling and washing is doing the job - same as when you harvest without knowing what animals have been there.

Hello.

I feel for you! I have an immense rat phobia -- couldn't even stand to watch 'Ratatouille', mad as everyone seemed to be for it. You said, "something that looks just like it" so am assuming you actually saw the thing? What did it look like? Ours are small (I think, as rats go), with a body about 3 or 4 inches long, and could pass for mice except for their gross, naked, pink, disgusting rat tails. While they gleefully chew the rubber lining around the BMW engine (must have some distant recollection of and nostalgia for the Old Country), the plastic pellets meant for the smoothing phase of my rock tumbler and other non-foodstuffs, they have never touched the gloriously rotten and not-so rotten food in the compost bins nor have I spotted any mounds in our raised veggie beds.

Bboy has good advice about replacing the soil and/or washing with care, and others will no doubt weigh in with more substantive responses. I just wanted to let you know that I emphasize and hope that things will not remain ohow(soabsolutelyNOT)delightful in your garden.

Rain

The odds of it having a hauntra virus killing virus or the bubonic plague is slim. If you start to get sick cause you got infected report to the emergency room. I wonder if any doctors would be on staff to reconize the symptoms.

This rat v. compost subject has come up repeatedly recently in the Oregonian, due to composting popularity and publicity. I read that there are composting methods that reduce the chances of rats, that may be your long-term solution.

Eeew. Not a fan of rats, either.

I would focus on first getting rid of the creature or creatures before they really set up housekeeping and start having babies. Your choices are traps or poisons. Traps are organic. :-)

The soil is not contaminated, but it is wise to wear gloves whenever working with soil or compost anyhow. I would be wary of handling any rat corpses. My approach in that situation is: 1. get someone else to do it (lol), 2. rubber gloves, 3. shovel with a long handle.

Good luck!

Oh, cripes. I meant, "empathize," not emphasize. And I'm a lit major!

Crawling into her hole,

Rain

Cripes, now there's a fine word I haven't read in a long time. I wonder what the age cut-off is for people to know and use that word?

Now come back out of that hole, dadburn it!

Well, being lit can certainly cause one to misspeak.

Well, Jiminy Crickets, y'all! This could turn into a real reveal-you-age fest.

Oh Criminy! (don't even know how that should be spelled)

Patrick

Ha! Here's a hint: Think Michael Jackson and Madonna. Bboy, I'm currently reading Mary Karr's third memoir. Title? "Lit" (of course!).

Now, back to rats....

Rain

Here's a link that should help. It's from the CDC.
I also have a rat issue in my garage where I kept my organic fertilizers over the winter. They got in and ate all the 'open' boxes of fertz's. Then they left dropping every where..YUCK YUCK YUCK. They even managed to chew through a unopened bottle of mineral water...WOW..That was impressive.
I had to clean the whole garage out. I wore gloves, a full protective suit (type you get in the paint section at Home Depot) and a mask. Maybe overkill but I hate rat droppings.

http://www.cdc.gov/rodents/cleaning_up/index.htm

The first paragraph should make you feel a little better.

"Take precautions before and during clean up of rodent-infested areas. Before cleaning, trap the rodents and seal up any entryways to ensure that no rodents can get in. Continue trapping for a week. If no rodents are captured, the active infestation has been eliminated and enough time has passed so that any infectious virus in the rodentÂs urine/droppings or nesting material is no longer infectious.""

Here is a link that might be useful: CDC Link

No longer infectious after only a week?

According to the CDC, one week is all it takes. I was suprised too.