THE MINKS, SKUNKS AND OTTKKS. 



565 



According to Mr. Bussel, the young, which ninnber from five to ' 

 eleven, are moved about a great deal after they are a month old. 

 lie says that it is almost impossible to find the dens because they 

 are moved every time a man or dog comes near. A single dog ven- 

 turing too near the den, will be attacked by both of the old coyotes 

 and badly injured or killed. 



Family MUSTELIDAE. 



MINKS, WEASELS, SKUNKS, BADGERS, OTTER, ETC. 



Carniv()r(ms animals of small or medium size, with digitigrade 

 feet and claws partially or not at all retractile; five toes on fore 

 and hiiul feet; anal glands which secrete a fetid fluid, often 

 present. 



This family contains more genera and species than any other 

 in the order Ferae, and is found in all parts of the world except 

 the Australian region. As the common names indicate, the species 

 differ very greatly in appearance and also in the anatomical char- 

 acters which fit them for different modes of life. Some are almost 

 wholly arboreal; others burrow into the ground and some are 

 aquatic, the sea otter being better adapted to aquatic life than any 

 other mammal excepting the whales and seals. 



The family is generally divided into several subfamilies and 20 

 or more genera. Ten or more genera occur in North America, 

 eight of which are recorded from Indiana. 



Genus Lutra Erxleben. 

 Lutra Erxleben, Syst. regni animal, I, p. 445, 1777. 

 Dental Formula.— I, C, Pm, M, ^ = 36. 



Generic characters. — Toes webbed, with small curved claws; 

 head very broad and flat; tail thick at the base and tapering to- 

 ward the tip ; fur very dense, short and generally colored plain 

 brown ; habits aquatic. 



The genus has a distribution nearly as wide as that of the fam- 

 ily, but does not contain a great number of species. About seven 

 forms are now recognized in North America. There is a little un- 

 certainty as to just which of the subspecies occurs in Indiana, and 

 it is even possible that the otter of the Lower Wabash Valley differ 

 from those of the Kankakee Valley. The point can not be easily 

 determined at the present time. 



