| Mustela frenata | Long-tailed Weasel | 2017-05-12 | Max Southers | 1 | Observed the animal while driving down Huntersville-Concord Road. Appeared to be foraging in the grass shoulder. Moved into the heavier brush when I became close to it. This area in the Huntersville community is along the proposed Mecklenburg Greenspace Trail/ Rocky Branch creek near the Vermillion Development and near large wooded and grown-up area, called the "old anchor mill site" Animal looked healthy and moved in a normal manner. The coat color was much more a reddish chestnut brown, rather than the darker color of a mink, which I am quite familiar with. When I first saw the animal, it caught my attention due to the color and the size and shape, being longer and thinner than a cat or other animals that I know well. The animal that I saw did not have as pronounced white underbelly as some of those I found online, and was in grass that was a few inches high, so I had a limited view of the underside. However, I was able to observe for about 30 seconds total and got a good view of the animal, long enough to be very sure of the identification. - Seen next to the Huntersville-Concord Road, about 150 yards west of the intersection with Cinnabar Place. on the North side of the road. | | 05_Sight |
