Friends of Murphys Point Park

This week we are looking closely at the American Mink (Neogale vison). Plentiful at Murphys Point, these semi-aquatic carnivores primarily eat rodents, fish, crustaceans, frogs, and birds. Despite being active throughout the year, they are mostly nocturnal and not seen as often as expected. The long slender body of the American Mink allows it easy access to the dens of its prey, with their long tails making up approximately one-third of their body length.  They are very good swimmers and are known to swim for up to 3 hours at a time. With a weak sense of smell, they rely primarily on hearing when hunting. Their waterproof coat is predominantly brown to black with a white patch below the chin and throat. American Mink are widespread throughout Canada and the United States, with the exception of some of the Canadian Tundra, and parts of the continental United States. Mink have an average lifespan of 3 years in the wild.  Murphys Point Provincial Park is a great place to observe American Mink in its natural environment.

This Dog Vomit Slime Mould (Fuligo septica), our #SpeciesOfTheWeek, was found clinging to a dead tree along the Point Trail. This species is also commonly referred to as the scrambled egg slime due to its yellowish slimy nature. This slime mould is known to travel around damp and wet areas in search of nutrients and for reproduction. They can travel distances of over a meter. The good news is that this slime mould poses no threat to you or your dogs. Unlike regular fungi, slime moulds have no cell walls. Slime moulds, of which there are over 900 species, also inspired the science fiction movie “The Blob” which was released in 1958. Overall, Dog Vomit Slime Mould is certainly an interesting species to find while hiking one of the many trails at Murphys Point.

As a dragonfly, rather than a damselfly, the Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina) belongs to the suborder Anisoptera. Most dragonflies have uncoloured wings but the Halloween Pennants’ wings are tinted orange with brown markings. Their abdomen (tail) is black with orangey-red elongated spots. Halloween Pennants, like many Skimmers, are “perchers” — they spend a lot of time looking for prey from a flower, twig, or rock perch. Skimmers are usually found near calm water, therefore it’s no wonder that we often find them near the Main Beach, on Hogg Bay. As far as dragonfly identification in the field is concerned, skimmers, especially Halloween Pennants, are among the easiest, only to be confused with Calico Pennants. Leave us a comment about another species that you’ve seen at Murphys Point that could also be named for a holiday!