Fishers and Minks

Endangered NJ gets lots of reports of wildlife sightings. Unfortunately, the majority are not accompanied by photos, videos, or any kind of physical evidence (such as tracks), so we can't always confirm the sighting.

Jamie in Lincoln Park sent us the backyard trail camera photo below of a fisher taken this month. The area borders the Great Piece Meadows Preserve off of RT 80. 

Fisher 

An earlier email was another possible fisher sighting about a half mile from Bearfort fire tower in West Milford near Cedar Pond, but the photos were too unclear to verify. 

Fishers (Martes pennanti) are the rarest of our state's water-loving mammals. They have made a comeback in northwestern New Jersey. Fishers were extirpated from New Jersey in the 1800s as their range in Sussex and Warren counties was taken over by farmland early in the country's history, forcing the animals to deeper woods. 

They are fierce carnivores and will hunt squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, mice, raccoons, shrews and even porcupines. 

Fisher    Photo: Mass Audubon

"Also referred to as the fisher cat and Appalachian black cat, this animal looks like fluffy cat meets fox, with a wolverine-like disposition. However, it is neither a feline nor does it catch fish. The fisher is a member of the Mustelidae family, which includes otters, badgers, martens, ferrets, minks, wolverines and more."    source

Minks are also part of that family and are native New Jersey mammals found in and around freshwater. They and other aquatic and semi-aquatic mammals – including beavers, otters, weasels, ermine, fishers and muskrats – live in our state but are not easy to spot.

I recently saw a post on Instagram from the Verona Park Conservancy of their resident mink. You don't always have to go into the deep woods to find wildlife.

You might be surprised to learn that the American mink is actually a very common species found along watercourses, ponds, lakes and swamps throughout New Jersey. However, they are primarily nocturnal and quite solitary animals, so people rarely encounter them.

Mink (Mustela vision) were well known for their beautiful, soft fur which was prized by trappers and for a long time was used for women's fur coats and clothing. Thankfully, that practice became unpopular as awareness of wildlife becoming threatened and endangered became better known. 

The American mink has a lanky body, long tail, short legs, and partially webbed toes, which make them excellent swimmers. They are quite territorial and feed on crayfish, frogs, fish, mice, reptiles, earthworms, and waterfowl. They aren't a threat to humans but like their skunk cousins, they will defend themselves by spraying a foul-smelling liquid.

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