What was this animal?
Yesterday I was on the road and a small dark gray animal came running out in front of my car. It was shaped like a weasel and about 14 inches or 35 centimeters long. It didn’t run like a weasel but more like a squirrel, with both back legs pushing off at the same time and humping up the middle of the body with each stride. And it was completely dark grey, almost black. It had a predators head and jawline. I’ve spent a lot of time in the woods but never seen anything like it. And I managed to avoid running over him for the animal lovers out there.
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32 Answers
A marten perhaps?
They’re all similar, especially if just catching a quick glimpse, but your likely choices seem to be marten, ermine, weasel, fisher, or mink.
(That’s a very nice site, by the way!)
This was in Marathon NY in Cortland County of Upstate NY. It was also running towards a river if that helps.
Very small ears, much smaller than an otter.
@Dog River otters have a really distinctive humping gait, though (I get to go play with a couple of giant river otters soon! I helped save some orphaned babies – cutest things ever!).
It was longer and leaner than an otter. The Nature Center in Tupper Lake has several otter, so I’ve seen them close up.
@syz The place itself in Tupper Lake is out of this world. It’s my version of heaven. It’s officially the Wild Center if anyone has trouble finding the site.
@syz That just made my day. He or she is adorable.
I’m starting to think it might have been a juvenile mink. Also, this was around 10:00 AM that this happened.
@syz AWESOME!
That or perhaps a ferret? Too far north for a mongoose.
@Dog Not a ferret. My cousin had a pair of them.
@Syz- I scrolled through the otters and laughed at the santa dog and cat! ;)
I’m so sorry to have frightened you. I had shape shifted for a little fun, and after becoming hungry, was hunting for dinner.
@WillWorkForChocolate Well just look before crossing the road next time. I thought you were going to be roadkill and you were way too beautiful for that.
@Adirondackwannabe Well thank you for those kind words, and I do appreciate you not running me down and turning me into a coat. :P
@ Did you note the blue-eyed “I WILL kill you” look?
I didn’t catch that on the first run through. I’d be very afraid if I were you.
@marinelife No, it had a slender long body and was all dark gray, no white. I got a really good look because he came from the left side of the road and I almost got him with the drivers side tire. Also a longer snout than the ermine.
Sounds like a baby liger bro. It’s best you let it cross. You could have been in grave danger of having your car eaten.
@judochop Nice. Him I would have stopped to play with.
Did they look like a gopher?
Or possibley a muskrat or a large rat.
@Adirondackwannabe I agree with @syz. To me it sounds like womething in the weasel family. They tend to slink away quickly. They also tend to hunt near the creek bed by my home, yet it is rare for me to get more than a quick peek at one.
What about a mink? They escape from captivity sometimes.
@downtide They’re wild here. I glimpse them occassionally.
If it was an Ermine obviously some sort of weasely creature it might be in morph to it’s winter coat, from brown to grayish to white?
I caught a glimpse of a Wolverine in the Sierras once, very RARE! :-D
I once got an up close look at a badger…so not fun! Man those are some fiesty creatures.
@Coloma This one was solid gray, almost black. Most of the animals coats have already changed quite a bit around here. The artic foxes are almost white. I think it may be a mutant colored member of the weasel family.
The Hybrid Weasel..hey, that could be a new car name.. The all new 4wd Turbo Weasel hybrid. lol
You should trademark that. All the kids will want one of those.
Could be a new type of Weasel… never know.
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