Just as I returned to the Jeep from a little romp in Fakahatchee, I spotted a small mammal bounding across the dirt road. This was one of the better areas for water during the visit (the summer rains hadn’t yet arrived), so I immediately thought of a juvenile river otter, Lontra canadensis. But this wasn’t a river otter. I figured that much out by the way it hopped across the road. It almost moved like a ferret.
Later, I pulled up unit management plans for Fakahatchee Strand to see what carnivores were recorded as being in the area. Other than the river otter, two stuck out: the Long-tailed weasel and the American mink. All three of these species belong to Family Mustelidae, the weasels and allies. But what of this little critter? The tiny little scamper I barely managed to photograph before it disappeared again into the brush?
Well, the gait was so much like a ferret, I want to lean toward Mustela frenata, the long-tailed weasel; however, the coloration (all dark) seems to point toward the American mink, Neovison vison. I put the question up on Facebook and Project Noah and received votes for both, though the mink is currently in the lead — based primarily on coloration (or, at least, from what you can see in the photo).
For now, I’m tagging this under both Mustela frenata and Neovison vison. Hopefully a Mustelidae UberFan will stumble across this post at some point and have an opinion?
This post will certainly be updated if and when I receive more feedback!
~ janson
Filed under: Florida, Mammals Tagged: Mustela frenata, Neovison vison
