Unidentified mammal, Union Canal, Edinburgh

Amoeba · #1 (**permalink**) 04-03-2011, 11:28 AM

It was about three times the size of the brown rats I've seen around here. It had a longish, winding body and a short, flattish tail, as well as a longish neck and a short face. Underside lighter in colour than its upper side. Its ears weren't visible from what I could tell. It was moving around on the canal bank (the side with no path) and occasionally it would drop into the water, swim underwater, and then reappear out of the water a few metres away at another part of the canal bank. It seemed to be moving along the canal gradually.

This was at around 7 or 8 at night and it was dark. It was about 3 or 4 nights ago. What might it have been?

Farplace · #2 (**permalink**) 04-03-2011, 11:39 AM

mink?

Amoeba · #3 (**permalink**) 04-03-2011, 11:46 AM

Can minks have light undersides?

Wild-Woman · #4 (**permalink**) 04-03-2011, 11:50 AM

Otters are lighter on the belly but you said a short tail so I'm a bit puzzled.

Farplace · #5 (**permalink**) 04-03-2011, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amoeba

Can minks have light undersides?

The few mink that I have seen have been dark all over. However, I am sure it's possible to have local variations? Can't think of anything else it might be if it had a shortish tail and was going in the water. Would a ferret swim? Puzzled......

Amoeba · #6 (**permalink**) 04-03-2011, 11:54 AM

Yeah. I don't think otters or minks have short tails. Its tail wasn't short like a rabbit's tail, but it is still not long. Like, think of an otter's and take maybe 30-40% off of the end. About that short in relation to body length.

Endrick · #7 (**permalink**) 04-03-2011, 01:41 PM

The mink has quite a short tail and the otter tail isn't all that big either. I've looked out a couple of pictures showing the mink tail and the otter tail for comparison. I haven't seen a mink with a white underside but they do have a white patch under the jaw

christ1979 · #8 (**permalink**) 04-03-2011, 07:53 PM

Sounds exactly like mink behaviour to me

Amoeba · #9 (**permalink**) 05-03-2011, 10:25 AM

Thanks, although we won't know for certain, I think now it was probably a mink. Am I right in saying that they are smaller than otters usually? Because I was thinking it looked too small (and its body too long and winding) to be an otter but far too big to be a rat.