Comments on: Is This a Mink or a River Otter?

By: Tom Digio

Tom Digio — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 19:15:20 +0000

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 ?

By: briganduk

briganduk — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 02:33:17 +0000

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”.

By: » Mammals of the Indiana Dunes Mammals of the Indiana Dunes

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[...] Is This a Mink or a River Otter? [...]

By: Another Close Look: Mink vs. Otter

Another Close Look: Mink vs. Otter — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:05:21 +0000

[...] Is This a Mink or a River Otter? Northern River Otter vs. American Mink Solved: T’was a Northern River Otter [...]

By: Frasier

Frasier — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:17:23 +0000

Probably. . .could it have been a snake?

By: Sandra

Sandra — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 05:00:27 +0000

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???

By: Assorted Enthrallments - A Liddle Run-in: Panera Bread in Brentwood

Assorted Enthrallments - A Liddle Run-in: Panera Bread in Brentwood — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:10:06 +0000

[...] Radnor Lake – Is This a Mink or a River Otter? [...]

By: Julie

Julie — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 23:15:21 +0000

Loved the otter. Keep it coming.
Julie

By: Stephen

Stephen — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:07:40 +0000

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!

By: Brett

Brett — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 06:33:35 +0000

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?!