Mink or Otter?
- Thread starter Dave
- Start date
Got a mink look to it that one; otters hold their heads, I want to say more like dogs, but don't know if that makes things any clearer? 
Excellent to get so close for a photo though
cheers,
M
Excellent to get so close for a photo though
cheers,
M
Paganwolf
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mink.Its Ferret sized. Put an otter and a mink together although the same family they are very different looking, the base of the tail and tail in that pic give it away. A mink looks basically like a polecat ferret and are roughly the same size, Otters are lighter in colour and larger.
Mink. The colour and posture give it away. Also this is taken in broad daylight - mink operate at all hours and otter are predominantly nocturnal. I suppose I could add that your proximity also says mink they don't care so much about human presence.
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Mink.
Otters have a noticeably wide and flat muzzle, not at all pointed and are much larger.
Bushwacker, the otters who nested on my pontoon were very active during the day. Might have been due to the kits (pups?) keeping mum awake.
Otters have a noticeably wide and flat muzzle, not at all pointed and are much larger.
Bushwacker, the otters who nested on my pontoon were very active during the day. Might have been due to the kits (pups?) keeping mum awake.
Never got a decent pic. 'Mum' would pop her head out of the water, look at us and pop back down. So saw her clearly lots of times from just a few feet away, but only for a second or two.
The babies were on top of barrels under the pontoon. Very dark. I could have got a photo using flash but didn't want to disturb them. They didn't half stink of fish and really kicked up a racket! Proof that they are a 'top predator' on the river; no worries about keeping quiet. Our cat used to go for the mink, but he scarpered when the otter came out for a look-see.
It was a very special summer, having them there. We've since moved off the boats and only visit them on weekends. Sometimes see their prints in the mud and snow.
I don't think they are around this summer, because the mink have moved back onto the pontoons. Bloody nuisance.
The babies were on top of barrels under the pontoon. Very dark. I could have got a photo using flash but didn't want to disturb them. They didn't half stink of fish and really kicked up a racket! Proof that they are a 'top predator' on the river; no worries about keeping quiet. Our cat used to go for the mink, but he scarpered when the otter came out for a look-see.
It was a very special summer, having them there. We've since moved off the boats and only visit them on weekends. Sometimes see their prints in the mud and snow.
I don't think they are around this summer, because the mink have moved back onto the pontoons. Bloody nuisance.
I'll guarantee that the mink won't be hanging around when the otter comes back.
My mate found a dead mink a while back with his balls bitten off and I also know of another recent case whereby someone's terrier stuck its nose in where it wasn't wanted and had its face bitten all to hell.
Was it 1-1/2 foot long or 4 feet long?
Did it have a white lip or white chin and bib?
Here’s how big an Otter (with eel) looks on a mobile phone @ around 10m.
Probably because the summer days are so long and the winter days so short but they are certainly not shy around here. Last winter I was putting food out for one when the loch was froze over, I was standing in front of the hide looking at the Otter tracks on the ice when she came out of the reeds to around 10 m thought twice and went back into the reeds.
If you read through the log book in the bird hide its probably seen every day diving or eating fish, eels or fresh water snails. There was a dead Cormorant at the edge of the loch that Mr. G turned over to look for a ring the next day the whole breast was eaten out.
The ones at the Highland Wildlife Park get steak the lucky fishers.
Did it have a white lip or white chin and bib?
Here’s how big an Otter (with eel) looks on a mobile phone @ around 10m.
Probably because the summer days are so long and the winter days so short but they are certainly not shy around here. Last winter I was putting food out for one when the loch was froze over, I was standing in front of the hide looking at the Otter tracks on the ice when she came out of the reeds to around 10 m thought twice and went back into the reeds.
If you read through the log book in the bird hide its probably seen every day diving or eating fish, eels or fresh water snails. There was a dead Cormorant at the edge of the loch that Mr. G turned over to look for a ring the next day the whole breast was eaten out.
The ones at the Highland Wildlife Park get steak the lucky fishers.
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Twas about 1.5 - 2 feet. Have seen young otters that size. Have seen a number of otters, on different rivers. But never a Mink.
Here's another photo of the little tyke as it scampered away:
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I'll have to go back up with a 'proper' camera.
I would hate to think that by reporting the mink, it led to Otters, or other wildlife being trapped by mistake.
Here's another photo of the little tyke as it scampered away:
I'll have to go back up with a 'proper' camera.
I would hate to think that by reporting the mink, it led to Otters, or other wildlife being trapped by mistake.
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