Albino Mink, Polecat or Ferret?

[Bobperry2]

Photographed this chap on the old Quay at Grasspoint, Mull. He was hunting in and out of the stonework below the high water mark by the look of the shellfish. I was some distance away on an overlooking hill and I don't think he knew I was there.
Anybody any idea which he could be please?

[Little Firewall]

No idea what it is but what a superb pic! Congratulations on your capture.

[valleyforge]

Now that's an interesting sight Bob ...

Of course, polecats, ferrets and mink all belong to the same family (mustelids) and morphologically they are practically the same ... they are normally easily distinquished by their natural colourings, but in the albino form it can be quite difficult to tell them apart.

I think we can probably rule out polecat ... according to the Vincent Wildlife Trust all previous reported sightings on Mull turned out to be of feral ferrets.

The most obvious answer therefore is that this is an albino ferret ... except that I'm not convinced.

Ferrets are not generally fond of fish, far less shellfish, so unless this one is on the lookout for small rodents or birds, its in a very atypical environment for a feral ferret. There's no obvious indication that this is anything other than a healthy, well-fed individual, so it is clearly fending for itself rather well (or otherwise is just very recently escaped/been lost/been abandoned).

The clincher for me in determining that this may more probably be an albino mink is in the detail of the splaying of the toes on the visible foot.

This is more typical of the stance of a mink than of a ferret, where the toes are more typically held together ... could just be coincidence of course that the toes were apart at the moment of photographing ... if you have any further pics showing the feet that might be helpful?

[Bobperry2]

Thanks very much for that Valleyforge. I don't think there would be much hope of rodents in this spot below high water so it does look as if he was enjoying a marine diet. I'll see if I can post another pic.

[Bobperry2]

This one may show the feet a little better.

[valleyforge]

Yes ... also showing some splaying of the toes.

It's not 100% definitive I'm afraid, but I'd be inclined to think this is more probably a mink ... and a very handsome example too. Excellent photos.

[Bobperry2]

Thanks again Valley!

[Dogghound]

Facial characteristics like muzzle shape suggest mink too. Im sure there will be throwbacks to farmed varieties like blue, grey and albino, this is most likely one.

[gez]

This is a ferret!! i had them for about 10yrs when i was younger, they can be 6inch long or 16inch long. the 1st pics is indeed a ferret stance. ask some of the lads in the bushcraft section to comfirm.. gez

[Beekeeper]

Agree with gez, i also used to keep ferretts and this to me is a classic ferrett pose.

BK