Are There Weasels In Florida

FWC biologists want to know more about weasels and mink in Florida, and they're asking the public to assist them assemble information. Both species announced to be quite rare in Florida, and their secretive nature makes them very difficult to study. Because of these challenges, biologists know little well-nigh their distribution and abundance in the country. Long-tailed weasels are typically found in a wide multifariousness of habitats like forests and prairies but are usually plant in close proximity to water bodies. Mink are semi-aquatic animals mutual in common salt marshes and freshwater marshes.

Mink on an oyster bar. Photograph credit: Jason Cleary

Long-tailed weasel with lunch. Photo credit: Patty Pickett

a weasel on the beach holding a dead animal in mouth

To better our agreement of these species and gather better information, the FWC launched a Web-based reporting system that allows citizens and visitors of Florida to share weasel and mink sightings with biologists.

This reporting system has a Google Maps tool that helps citizens easily locate and marking sightings by species, likewise as a comments field in which users can share notes on beliefs and habitat use. Those who are lucky enough to snap pictures of one of these elusive critters can also attach photos to their reports.

The FWC would like to thank everyone who has submitted a report for their contributions to wildlife research and encourages citizens to proceed a watchful eye for these notoriously shy animals. The more data citizens share through the reporting organisation, the better biologists will be able to evaluate the condition of weasels and mink in Florida.

If you lot see a weasel or mink in Florida, please share your sighting in the FWC'southward online reporting system. If you have questions virtually the reporting organization or general inquiries virtually weasel and mink or associated research, please contact FWC wild animals biologist Lisa Smith at weasels@MyFWC.com.

What practise weasels and mink await like?

Both weasels and mink belong to the mustelid family, which are carnivorous mammals that vary greatly in size and behavior, just are typically distinguishable past their elongated bodies, short legs, and small, round ears.

Long-tailed weasels

Long-tailed weasels are more often than not brown with a buffy or yellowish neck, throat, and underside. Long-tailed weasels have a black tipped tail and may have white markings on the face. Weasels have a trunk length of about 9-12 inches, not including the tail, or are roughly the size of a tube of 3 lawn tennis balls.

Long-tailed weasels
Photograph credit: Patty Pickett (left) and Jeffrey Offermann (right).

American mink

Mink are slightly larger than weasels with a more uniform dark brown coloring, and have a long sleek body, thick tail, minor ears and small eyes. With a body length of 12 to 16 inches, not including the tail, mink can weigh up to 4 pounds every bit adults, and may take a pocket-sized patch of white along the chin and throat. Mink are sometimes confused with otters, but otters are much larger in size, weighing 10 to 30 pounds, with a blunted nose and tail that is thick at the base and tapers.

American mink
Photo credit: Heather England (left) and George Gentry, USFWS (right)

Identification Guide

Florida is habitation to three mustelid species, the long-tailed weasel, the American mink, and the river otter, all of which take a similar brown coloration and body shape. Ane quick way to assistance you determine which species you've seen is size. Long-tailed weasels are the smallest of the three mustelids. Mink are slightly larger than a weasel and slightly smaller than a cat. The river otter is the largest of these three species and is more than twice as large as a mink.

Where can yous find weasels and mink?

The distribution of long-tailed weasels is not well documented in Florida. Long-tailed weasels accept historically been found in areas where in that location are large tracts of undisturbed forest habitat, including Ocala National Wood, Blackwater River Land Forest, Osceola Wildlife Management Area, and the Apalachicola National Forest.

For reasons unknown, mink appear to be absent from the freshwater streams, rivers, and wetlands of fundamental and northern Florida. In this part of the state, mink are more likely to be seen in table salt marsh habitat forth the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. In southern Florida, mink tin can be found in the freshwater and saltwater marshes of the Everglades. Some known mink hotspots include table salt-marsh areas near Fort Clinch Country Park, Big Talbot Island State Parks, Cedar Key Scrub State Preserve and the wood of Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park.