Author Topic: Mystery mustelid mince  (Read 1483 times)

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Mystery mustelid mince
« on: 11 July, 2008, 08:54:19 am »
Seen this morning on the road: an all-black mustelid, about the size of a fert, tail about the length of my little finger.  Any idea what it was?  I didn't think mink got that big, and I didn't think the other bendy bounders got that black. 
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
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nicknack

  • Hornblower
Re: Mystery mustelid mince
« Reply #1 on: 11 July, 2008, 08:58:37 am »
I thought mink were bigger than ferrets - or at least as big. The ones round here are anyway.
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Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Mystery mustelid mince
« Reply #2 on: 11 July, 2008, 09:00:43 am »
I've never seen a mink, but I'd always imagined them to be larger than a ferret.

Northwestern Ontario Mammal Species - Mink says up to 2' long, which is indeed bigger than a ferret.
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Kathy

Re: Mystery mustelid mince
« Reply #3 on: 11 July, 2008, 09:05:23 am »
Melanism is a fairly common mutation in many mammals, and pseudo-melanism (markings so dark that the critter appears black) is not unknown in ferts.

Interestingly, the dark colour seems to be linked to higher testosterone, so if you ever meet a black fert, be very wary as they're often vicious little buggers!

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: Mystery mustelid mince
« Reply #4 on: 11 July, 2008, 01:09:44 pm »
Well here's hoping it didn't bring its friends...
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
OpenStreetMap UK & IRL Streetmap & Topo: ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps updates weekly.