A Rat In the House? White House Weighs In On Infiltration

The White House says President Obama wasn't aware of the fact that there was an unexpected visitor in the Rose Garden yesterday as he delivered remarks on financial regulatory reform.

It's still unclear what kind of animal scurried along the steps near the presidential podium as the president spoke.  But some in the White House press corps suggest that the uninvited guest might be a vole, a small rodent that looks like a mouse but with a stouter body and shorter tail.

At the end of Friday's White House briefing, reporters quizzed Press Secretary Robert Gibbs about the animal.

He said that Obama aide Reggie Love believes the creature is a field mouse, but reporters who've seen it in person weren't buying it.

Neither was Gibbs, who believes it's way too big to be a field mouse and poked fun at Love for his assessment.

"My sense is that Reggie has lived in some houses with 'field mice,'" Gibbs said. "Judging the size of the animal... I've got to tell you, that's a rat."

Gibbs said he guesses that the rodent - who has been spotted at least once prior to Thursday's event - lives out in the Rose Garden.

Fox's White House correspondents have seen a similar looking animal roaming around near the channel's live shot position on the other side of the building. No word on whether the two are related.