A mink was the answer to the July 22 Take a Wild Guess contest, but only one family submitted the correct guess, as of press time last Tuesday.
Dustin Moore and his 6-year-old son, Brennan, of Jersey Shore, identified the mammal as an American mink.
The species sticks close to fresh water and forests. Its preferred meals include fish, frogs and insects as well as muskrats, mice and rabbits and waterfowl, chickens and eggs.
Minks resemble weasels in their general body form - short legs, long and bushy tail, sinuous neck and body and a short head with a pointed muzzle. They weigh up to 2 pounds and may grow to 2 feet in length, including a tail of 8 inches or so.
Their coats are thick, full and soft, according to the state Game Commission, and long has been the source of expensive coats and other types of clothing. Mink are considered furbearers in Pennsylvania and are trapped during certain seasons.
This is the last week for the mammal category. Moths will be the subject for August. All photos will be of species seen in Pennsylvania.
