Water Minx

Ow, my butt! You pesky little minx!

~Random Guy after being attacked by a Water Minx

The Water Minx is an aestheticly pleasing, sleek black creature, closely related to the weasel or sable.
It is known for swimming through waterways to hunt. This includes sewage pipes, which made it necessary to install grates on the sewer lines to prevent the beasts from swimming up into toilets and biting humans on the buttocks.
This behavior, plus the creatures' close relation to the American Mink, lead to the use of the homonym as its common name.

Basic Information

Anatomy

This species appears to be similar to a weasel or sable. It is only 12 inches long, with the tail, and has the slinky maneuverability of a ferret.
As the smallest of the mink species, it is most closely related to the American Mink. It shares characteristics with other members of the genus Mustela, commonly known as Muskies due to the musk glands they usually have.
Water Minx have a long slender body with a relatively short tail of only 3-4 inches. They have longer limbs than the American Mink, as well as slightly hooked claws and webbed toes to help them navigate through waterways, particularly underwater passages. They have a narrow skull, which allows them to maneuver through twisting passages as small as 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter.
Like beaver and otters, Water Minx can close off their nasal passages to help them hold their breath. With a sharp face and flat nose, they can find and breathe in air pockets that are only a few square centimeters.

Genetics and Reproduction

Water Minx are fickle mates, often pairing with the same individual for several seasons in a row, then simply dumping their partner for another.
They are well-documented as having no sexual preference in mates. Same sex couples will hunt together and, if female, raise any previous litters together. Litters average 12.5 pups for each season, which occurs once a year.

Growth Rate & Stages

Pups are born blind and barely mobile. Despite the small size of the Water Minx, pups develop slowly into adulthood compared to other Mustelidae, taking two full years to reach breeding age.
This may have happened because Water Minx require fully developed lungs to hunt underwater. Slowing the growth of the other body systems allows the pups to remain partially dependent on the parents long enough for the lungs to mature.
Pups will begin swimming as early as six months old, practicing "climbing" along submerged branches and rocks. By the time they reach adulthood, they can travel along an enclosed water system at 7-10 mph (11-16 kmph).

Dietary Needs and Habits

Water Minx are primarily carnivores, but do eat several species of plant regularly. They favor large insects, amphibians, and small birds and mammals.
While they are small, they are extremely aggressive. It is not impossible to spot a bird of prey falling from the sky after a Water Minx jumps on it and bites at its neck until it loses control.

Additional Information

Domestication

People have tried to domesticate Water Minx. They have universally regretted that choice.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Water Minx are low-light, nocturnal creatures. As such, they have excellent vision in the dark, but can be temporarily blinded by bright lights.
They seem to have the ability to distinguish between different individual's musks, but otherwise show no sensitivity to scent. This may be due to their evolution in and around human sewage disposal systems.
Water Minx do, however, have good hearing, being able to distinguish the sound of water rushing through springs, pipes or above-ground waterways. They seem to be drawn to the sound of water in pipes.

Scientific Name

Neovision cloacum

Origin/Ancestry

Likely descended from the American Mink

Lifespan

13 years

Geographic Distribution

• Lotus Land