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EUROPEAN MINK |
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AMERICAN MINK |
The American mink and the European
mink are the only two species referred to as 'Mink'. A third one which was the
sea mink is extinct. All three are semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals and
of the Mustelidae family. The same family the weasel and the otter belongs to.
The European mink is smaller than its
cousin the American mink. The European mink also has a bigger white patch. The
American mink not only has a smaller white patch, sometimes it has none.
The mink animal was brought over from
North America to Britain. It was bred commercially from 1929 for mink coats.
The breeding was very successful. The animals' right groups objected to this
and released the animals. Thus the mink found its way into the wild. By now it
is classified as a pest because it is causing so much damage. Trapping had to
be done to take control of the situation.
The male measures 24 in (61cm)
body-length and weighs 1 kg. The female measures 20 in (51cm) body-length and
weighs 600 g. Their tails is 5-9 in (23 cm) long. In captivity they live 8 to
10 years.
It hunts at night and mostly
alongside of rivers and lakes. It kills waterfowl, trout, and salmon and kills
even when it is not hungry. This is the reason why wild minks or minks gone
wild causes so much damage.
It has a glossy dark-brown coat and
it looks almost black, especially when it is wet. Only the wild mink has this
colour. Minks bred in captivity have colours ranging from white to almost
black.
Wild mink nest in tree roots or
tunnels near the water edge.
Their mating season is from April to
May and it takes 45-52 days till the five or six kittens are born which is in
the spring.
Their diets consist of fish, rabbits
and waterfowls.
Mink's predators are the Great Horned
Owl, bobcat and fox. Yet their biggest enemy is man. They hunt them to keep the
fish stock, hit by cars or trap them for their fur.
A male mink will keep his territory
and fight any other male but won't fight any female moving in. One fascinating
point, they have a central area (core) in their territory. He spends most of
his time there. The core is rich on fish supply and/or rabbit warren. After
staying there several days, he wanders off to his outer territory. These excursions
are to make sure that no other male intruded.
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