Mink Tracks

This year’s Winter Wildlife Tracks and Sign series has covered a lot of ground so far, but one entire group of PEI wildlife has been notably absent: the Weasel Family (Mustelidae).  Let’s address that today with a focus on Mink!

Photo 1: A perfect Mink track on PEI.

Mink are common on PEI, but – for me – tracking them is like finding a needle in a haystack. Many times I’ve been in good Mink habitat, know they’re around, but been unable to find a single print. My efforts were rewarded recently when I found some textbook-perfect tracks on my own property. The timing couldn’t have been better: I was leading a wildlife track and sign workshop at the time.  Thank you, Mink!

All members of the Weasel Family have tracks with distinctive features. Unlike Canines or Felines, Mustelids have five toes in a bit of a hand-like pattern, with the ‘thumb’ set a little lower back on the foot. While that is superficially the same pattern as Raccoon, toe prints from members of the Weasel family are teardrop-shaped and unmistakeable. 

Photo 2: Partial Mink tracks like these are more common..

In really clear Mink tracks, you can see not only this pattern, but also the individual, round palm pads and the heel pad at the back of the foot (Photo 1). Unfortunately, it’s common for only four of the five toes to register in the track, and rare to be able to see palm and heel pads. So, while those features are great to know, I find the teardrop shape of the toes to be a far more useful feature. If you can recognize that, you’ll be able to identify even a partial Mink track (Photo 2). 

Photo 3: River Otter tracks. Photo by So Sinopoulos-Lloyd, used with permission.

There are only three members of this Family on the Island: Short-tailed Weasel (aka Ermine), Mink, and River Otter. (A fourth member of the Family – American Marten – were extirpated by the late 1800s). Weasel tracks are the smallest of the lot, just 1.5 cm (about 0.5 inch) long.  Mink tracks are at least twice that size, usually over 3 cm (more than 1 inch), and those from escaped ranched Mink can be larger still. The largest member of this family on PEI is Otter, with tracks that can range up to 10 cm (4 inches) (Photo 3, by So Sinopoulos-Lloyd, used with permission).  After a century of absence, River Otter have been confirmed on PEI and so these are tracks worth keeping an eye out for. 

Photo 4: Fisher tracks in Nova Scotia. Photo by Rachel Goodwin Clark, used with permission.

Now that you know what to look for, you can identify Mustelidae tracks anywhere, such as these Fisher tracks from Nova Scotia (Photo 4, photo by Rachel Goodwin Clark, used with permission).  The five toes, lower ‘thumb’, and teardrop-shapes immediately point to the Weasel Family. The size is too big for Mink (or for Marten, which are present – though rare – in NS) and too small for an Otter; the only option that fits is Fisher.

You may not always see PEI’s wildlife, but tracks and sign tell you who’s around. On my recent field workshop, we found prints from 12 different animals along a trail of less than two kilometres (about 1.2 miles). Learning tracks and sign is one of the many great ways to reconnect with PEI untamed!