There’s nothing like a photo of a “mystery beast” to get Bangor Daily News readers revved up, I’ve learned. Sometimes those beasts look big and scary. Other times, they seem to float through the air like a UFO. And sometimes, they’re tiny and nearly cute.
(Of course, since we’re in the mystery business, we also assume those nearly cute critters also have razor-sharp teeth).
We’ve featured several mystery beasts over the years, and had a ball doing so. And apparently, we’ve gained a bit of a reputation for doing so, and folks are sending in their own photos to try to figure out what kind of animals are slinking around their homes in the dark.
Today’s surprise comes from Peggy Murray of Scarborough, who’d like to hear what you think about her trail cam mystery beast.
“These pictures were taken in Scarborough. The top photo of a fox is for size perspective. [I] am hoping you might be able to help me identify the animal in the bottom picture. We did capture a shot of a skunk earlier, and one possum several days before, but they were mature and easy to identify. My brother subscribes to BDN and suggested that you might help. Thank you!”
Your brother’s on the right track, Peggy. If our readers can’t solve this mystery, we’ll find someone who can.
My personal observation: The critter is certainly a lot smaller than the fox, so I’m leaning toward ermine. But in southern Maine, there are a few opossums, as Murray points out, so maybe that’s what we’re seeing. The white coat of the animal would also seem to eliminate many other species of small mammals, unless, of course, this mystery beast is actually piebald or albino.
So, what do you see here? Pass along your thoughts, and I’ll reach out to a wildlife biologist or two to get their expert opinions, too.
Keep those great photos and videos coming. And long live the mystery beasts!
Do you have a trail camera photo or video to share? Send it to jholyoke@bangordailynews.com and tell us “I consent to the BDN using my photo.” In order to prevent neighbors from stopping by to try to tag particularly large bucks, moose or bears, some identities and towns of origin may be omitted.
