Otters and mink, on the other hand, are bounders and can move fairly quickly (mink especially can dash about like a weasel). You can check out some otter movement on land in this video that I made several years ago: 3) The last question is: How long is the animal’s neck?
However, their faces are narrower proportionally than a beaver’s, and you can also look for the white “mask” coming down from the snout and over the mouth. I’m guessing if it looked grayish and you saw it further down as you were traveling, then it may well have been an otter.
Can you tell the difference and identify the following three animals?If you answered Muskrat, Beaver, Otter, you are correct. One in or near a river or lake could be an otter or a mink. I’m with my kids in the San Juan islands and we were able to figure out that we saw an otter (we are pretty sure now! I imagine group size and the movement on the surface are your best clues here. First, they’re long and slender, looking downright “athletic” compared to the other two. They’ve also got fur from head to toe to tail. It really looks like a little beaver with a skinny tail.” I replied. Thanks for all the helpful info and wonderful pictures.Nicole, I’m glad you found it helpful. ), so there’s a lot of body trailing in the water.
Unfortunately it was at a distance and moving fast and disappeared under boardwalk/bridge. If you answered Muskrat, Beaver, Otter, you are correct. I have been watching what I think are muskrats in a local pond, Then one day, recently, I was seeing so much of their tails, and very active tails, and started to wonder if they could be beavers. Having trouble figuring out which.Peter, I’ve updated the post to include James’ photos at the bottom of the page.I am interested in seeing the picture of the two of them in the same frame pleaseThanks for your great explanation.. There are a few more differences between each species so if a person is in a part of North America where all three live, well, they’ll want to do more research.
Muskrat vs. Beaver happens a lot. Sometimes it swam with head and tail showing, and a few times I saw its body as well.Stephanie, it definitely sounds like an otter.
I was feeling sort of inferior about this since I am such a nature lover and nature writer and it seems I really should know! Their narrow hind feet, about 3 inches long, have five toes and are only partially webbed.
Muskrats can still look beaver-like out of water, especially when they’re sitting, all balled up and fuzzy. Can I have your permission to use your checklists from this post (including the bear, for a laugh!) Listen here as I discuss what to look for and how to tell the difference in this week’s edition of All Things Natural with Ed Kanze. Ok, but what are the sound differences. VA. I have not been able to get a picture as it stays in the middle of the pond We have lived here in Easton for about 15 years & have never seen this animal in the pond.Hi Trudy. Sometimes when they’re swimming, the tail may be curved slightly out of the water, or even pointing straight up, as erect as an antenna.Look for that wide, flat tail.
I haven’t been able to identify our critter on the pond yet. The nose is also noticeably larger.The main difference is that with swimming river otters, you often just see the head and neck, not the full length of the body. If they find out it’s an otter on the pond, eating their fish(they stock the pond), I’m afraid I won’t see it anymore. And what about otters?It’s a whole different body type when you see it out of water. I am working on a book of essays on nature. Because I’ve seen nutria in the south, I incorrectly identified a muskrat in Yellowstone as a nutria. No beaver sign at all. Muskrats often go for greener, almost seedweed-like grasses to munch on. about 50 ft out on the tidal mudflats, foraging for little crustaeans (I assume! Although there are reported to be beavers across the way on Belle Isle, I think it’s more likely a muskrat or an otter. Its head looks similar to a seal with ihe whiskers. So my hopes were buoyed, and I returned to the lake a couple times with clients in subsequent weeks in hopes of getting lucky. Granted, beavers will go out and grab vegetation too, but usually large sticks or branches to bring back to the lodge. It’s pretty rare to see a muskrat or beaver do that while in the water unless they are in shallow water or have something to stand on.
Mink also have darker coats and, unlike otters, don’t have any webbing on the feet. Does the movement on the ice help with what it is? They are in Ohio, but none have been spotted in Lorain county. And the whiskers are a good giveaway… they’re much more prominent on otters than beavers or muskrats.Wow well written. A muskrat can hold its breath for 17 minutes and hide underwater until danger disappears. I’ve heard a lot of mistaken IDs over the years, and have certainly made my share of slip-ups when seeing some animals at first glance.Muskrat vs. Beaver happens a lot. But go back and look at the first swimming beaver photo posted up top. The seem to head to my pond nearly every fall sometimes staying for the winter. Considered a Beaver but did not see any evidence of chewed vegitation around this lake as I have seen at other locations.I actually saw the Muskrat breach, probably going after a small fish, and I had remembered Beavers were Herbivores so had honed in on Muskrat but you post confirmed it.BTW I know a Waugh family personally. So let’s go back and look at a few more examples of these critters in the water, and identify a few final clues that can help you with your spotting. I will study your photos and tips more; leaning towards muskrat but very grateful for the help!Max, it’s Katherine again. But then I got more curious, knowing there are river otters in this county I found your article. There are at least three of them in the pondy-marshland I where I observed them; but there may also be what looks like maybe muskrat mounds in the pond.
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