Exciting HCT video: Marvelous mustelids in action

Lights, camera, mustelids! Check out HCT volunteer Andrea Petitto’s fantastic wildlife video, featuring members of the mustelid family, including an otter, a fisher and an American ermine (also called stoat).

Thankfully, you and other HCT supporters rallied to save the land that these beautiful reclusive mammals call home. Without your generous support, these forest and wooded wetland habitats could have been converted into a multi-lot subdivision. But now, these furry movie stars are free to shine!

According to the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW), there are currently five species of mustelids in Massachusetts: long-tailed weasels, ermines, fishers, American minks and North American River otters. Mustelids are noted for their elongated bodies, short legs and thick fur.

Here is DFW’s rundown on what each animal looks like:

Fisher

Appearance:
– Length: 2 – 3 ft., tail is about 1/3 of total body length
– Weight: 4 – 16 lbs.
– Rich brown to black fur with grizzled grayish coloring on the head and shoulders, can have white patches of fur on their chest and lower abdomen
– Long, slender body with short legs and furred tail  
– Pointed face with large, rounded ears set close to the head
– Sharp, retractable claws that make them well-adapted for climbing trees

Habitat:
– Upland forests

Diet:
– Small rodents, squirrels, rabbits, birds, eggs, fruit, porcupines, and carrion

North American river otter

Appearance:
– Length: 3 – 4 ft., tail is about 1/3 of total body length
– Weight: 11 – 30 lbs.
– Dark brown water-repellent coat, a lighter colored belly, and silver-gray throat
– Long, slender body with short legs and webbed feet
– Thick tail that tapers to a point that make them efficient underwater hunters

Habitat:
– Marshes, lakes, rivers, swamps, and estuaries

Diet:
– Fish, crayfish, snakes, frogs, insects, crustaceans, amphibians, and mammals

American mink

Appearance:
– Length: 1.5 – 2.5 ft., tail is about 1/3 of total body length
– Weight: 2 – 3 lbs.
– Dark brown waterproof coat with a white spot on their chin, occasional white markings on the throat, chest, or belly
– Long, slender body with short legs and partially webbed toes
– Short, rounded ears and a pointed nose
– Moderately bushy, near-black tipped tail

Habitat:
– Lake shores, creeks and streams, swamps, salt and freshwater marshes, and coastlines

Diet:
– Fish, frogs, crustaceans, muskrats, and small mammals

Ermine

Appearance:
– Length: 6 in. – 1 ft., tail is about 1/3 of total body length
– Weight: 1.3 – 3.7 oz.  
– Summer coat has brown fur with white underbelly and black tipped tail, winter coat has white fur with black tipped tail  
– Long, slender body with short legs and small rounded ears
– Will move rapidly in a random pattern or burrow beneath the snow when hunting

Habitat:
– Deciduous forests, riparian woodlands, stream banks, forest edges, and rocky areas

Diet:
– Rodents, shrews, rabbits, red squirrels, and insects

Long-tailed weasel

Appearance:
– Length: 1 – 1.5 ft., tail is about 2/3 total body length
– Weight: 3 – 11 oz.
– Summer coat has brown fur with white underbelly and black tipped tail, winter coat has white fur with black tipped tail
– Long, slender body with short legs and small rounded ears
– Long-tailed weasels are more common than ermines in Massachusetts

Habitat:
– Woodlands, brushy areas next to fields, and grassy areas alongside wetlands

Diet:
– Rabbits, snowshoe hare, rodents, shrews, moles, and eggs

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—Your tax-deductible contributions help fulfill the mission of the Harwich Conservation Trust to preserve land that protects woods, water, wildlife and our shared quality of life. And your land-saving financial support helps us preserve beautiful properties that can become stellar trail destinations. Find out how to donate by clicking here.