I would be very interested in your feedback here; I am not sure whether this is a mink or a river otter.
This elongate mammal was seen scurrying up a steep hill on Sunday, March 30, 2008. I am so glad the movement happened to catch my attention, but I sure wish I could have procured better shots of it.
I was able to get one still photo and two short videos of this Radnor Lake mammal. The first video is by far the better of the two, but it leaves much to be desired. For now I shall post only the first video. Just wait ’til next time! 
April 2, 2008 at 12:33 am
That’s some scary footage. For a minute I thought Bigfoot (or maybe one of them blair witches) was going to walk into the frame. Imagine my disappointment when I found it was just a lake squirrel (that’s what we call otters hereabouts). Odd that it was running up a hill away from the lake (which is the natural habitat of the lake squirrel). Something must have spooked it. Possibly……..BIGFOOT?!
April 2, 2008 at 3:07 pm
I guess it is a river otter after all. Also, I probably don’t need to keep referring to it as a “river” otter since the other major species is the sea otter.
Leslie Ann, a Radnor Lake park ranger (lucky woman!), described a major difference between minks and river otters — d’oh! — otters, other than size/weight– and that is the tail.
According to Leslie Ann, the mink has a shorter, bushier tail; the otter has a long tail which is flattened for swimming. Thanks, Leslie Ann!
April 3, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Loved the otter. Keep it coming.
Julie
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September 13, 2008 at 11:00 pm
We stood for at least 20 minutes fascinated by something near the shore in Radner Lake at benches 14 and 15. It was extremely swift and would zoom up and grab something to eat and immediately disappear, quickly reappearing a few yards away. We never saw it surface to breathe, but it appeared snakelike. Was this an otter???
April 14, 2009 at 7:17 am
Probably. . .could it have been a snake?
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June 15, 2010 at 8:33 pm
I have looked at the clip, Mink or Otter a number of times. I would stake my reputation on it being a Mink, ‘mustela vision’. Although with Stoat, Weasel,Polecat domesticated Ferret, they are members of the ‘mustela family’ The animal on film has a very bendy spine, more pronounced than the Otter, it is also nearly black. I have watched Mink in my local woods by the Canal, have also watched Otters when fishing on the Canal. “Well thats my Two Penath in the pot”.
June 20, 2010 at 1:15 pm
I have a short video of an otter or is it a mink. I saw it June 11th , 2010 in the Jones Falls Stream just a mile or so in side the city line , Im not sure what it isbut it had a cray fish in its mouth, and disappeared quickly,agin I have the video to prove that hey are here in Baltimore’s streams, can any one suggest a way to learn more ?