| The word mink comes from a Swedish word Maenk.In United States history, it was the first animal to be sold as a fur.The first mink originally evolved in North America, but a later European
breed started.The European mink was a little different from the North
American breed.The European minks' fur was a little lighter shade of
brown, and the fur was thinner.It was in 1866 that the mink fur began
to be raised on mink ranches.By 1940, about 300,000 animals were sold
from mink ranches.Minks have very unique physical features.The mink has a bushy tail and an arched back.It has beady black
eyes.The mink has a more cylindrical, more compact body shape compared
to the other members of the weasel family such as the skunk.Their tracks are very similar
to the gray squirrel's tracks.Minks have whiskers, but they are difficult
to see.Domestic minks vary in many colors, but wild minks are usually
brown to black.Minks always have a white spot on heir chest and under
their chin.The back of mink is darker that the front.The mink mots twice
a year.The winter coat is thick and dark.The mink usually lives a short life.The death of a mink is caused by mainly two factors.Minks are killed often by their natural enemies, the great horned or
snowy owl, foxes, coyotes, wolves, and fierce dogs.Of course, humans
kill minks for their fur also.The mink can also die because of parasites
and diseases.Minks have many different personality traits, habits, and capabilities.They depend on mostly their sense of smell for hunting.If a mink is angry, startled, or threatened, they
might squeal, hiss, or snarl.They are excellent divers and can dive
up to 20 feet.However, baby minks are playful
and they can become attached to the person that cares for them.Picture of mink included with the permission of Howard Towner, Biology
Department, Loyola Marymount University.Created for the Museums in the Classroom program sponsored by Illinois
State Board of Education, the Brookfield Zoo, the Illinois State Museum.Kildeer Countryside CCSD 96.Skip to Main Page Content.The mink (Mustela vison) and other fur bearing animals attracted trappers, traders, and settlers to Alaska from around the world.Some of the most valuable furbearers belong to the Mustelidae or
weasel family, which includes the mink.Mink are found in every part of the state
with the exceptions of Kodiak Island, Aleutian Islands, the
offshore islands of the Bering Sea, and most of the Arctic Slope.General description: A mink's fur is in prime condition when guard hairs are thickest.Mink are then a chocolate brown with some
irregular white patches on the chin, throat, and belly.White
patches are usually larger on females and often occur on the
abdomen in the area of the mammary glands.Several albino mink have
been reported from Alaska.They may weigh from three to almost five pounds (1.Like skunks, mink
discharge a fetid liquid from their scent glands when they are
afraid or excited.The odor is very strong and unpleasant to most
people.Life history: In Alaska, northern mink breed about two weeks later than those further south, because onset of breeding is determined
by the beginning of long days.The breeding season extends from
March through April, depending on the latitude.Males and females may breed with more then one other mink.In
mink and other weasels, the fertilized egg does not attach to the
uterus to develop right away as in most mammals.This delayed
implantation accounts for the great variation in length of the
gestation period.Once the egg implants, fetal development takes
about 30 days to complete.The den is generally a
burrow or hollow log near a pond or a stream.In most cases the
den used has been constructed and deserted by other animals.Young
mink remain in the den about a month.They grow rapidly and attain
their adult size by September.Food habits: Mink will eat virtually anything they can catch and kill, including fish, birds, bird eggs, insects, crabs, clams, and
small mammals.Mink prefer streams,
ponds, beaches, or marshes.An abundance of hares or mice may cause
them to move inland.Adult mink have been known to kill and eat
young mink.Predators: Little is known about the overall effects of other
predators on mink populations.Occasional predators of mink
include wolves, foxes, hawks, owls, lynx, and river otters.The
relationship between otters and mink is unclear.If there are
otters along a stream, usually they will not tolerate the presence
of mink within their territory.Trapping: Mink trapping provides both recreation and income for some Alaskans.Trapping mink as a livelihood requires an unusual
amount of stamina, perseverance, and knowledge of the animals'
habits.The value of mink furs, or pelts, changes dramatically
depending on the current demand in the fur clothing business, and
the trapper's income may go up and down accordingly.Text: John Burns
Illustration: R.Sleek with thick, chocolate brown fur, minks are related to the badger and skunk through the same weasel family.They weigh an average of 3 pounds.Look for an obvious patch or streak of white on the chin, throat, chest or belly.Their bushy tail can be slightly darker than the body fur color.Have you seen a mink?Mink have small heads with beady black eyes.Five partially webbed toes on each foot help them get around in the water as they swim and dive in streams, rivers, ponds, lakes and marshes searching for whatever comes in their path.Mink like to munch on muskrats but they'll supplement their diet with fish, frogs, crayfish, snakes, birds, and other rodents.You may see them sneaking around on their stomach to stalk prey or bounding across the land when they're traveling.The kits are born hairless at birth but quickly grow hair and open their eyes after 25 days.Startled mink may squeal, hiss or snarl and then release a scent similar to a skunk.This scent is also used as a marker to advertise their presence to other mink.Remember to watch wildlife with respect and give them plenty of space, especially the mink and skunk!"Clicking here will take you to the EEK!"The American Mink" is a trademark of the American Legend Cooperative
The American Mink, Mustela vison, is a North American member of the Mustelidae family found in Alaska, Canada and most of the United States.They are also raised in fur farms for their lustrous fur, which is highly esteemed.In recent years, animal rights activists have also released several thousands in their attacks on fur farms.The larger American male will mate with European Mink females earlier in the spring than the males of the same species; the offspring are not born, but the females do not then breed again that season.American Mink have also been implicated in the decline of the Water Vole in the United Kingdom and linked to the decline of water fowl across their range in Europe.They can be found in wooded areas and fields near streams and lakes.They dig burrows in river banks or take over dens abandoned by other animals.These animals are mainly active at night and do not hibernate.Their predators include coyotes, the Great Horned Owl, red foxes and wolves.They are also trapped for their fur.Their numbers have been reduced due to loss of habitat and the effects of pollution on their aquatic food supply.They are usually solitary animals.Females give birth to 3 or 4 young during early spring.American mink in fiction
A mink which has escaped from a farm in England is the protagonist of Ewan Clarkson's novel Syla, whereas several mink in the same setting play the villainous invaders in A.Lloyd's Kine, where the hero is a weasel.References
Mustelid Specialist Group (1996).Least weasels in Southern Finland."This page was last modified 22:26, 13 December 2007.All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.Although he is beyond middle age, a surgeon would envy his
eye for detail and the sureness of his hands.He is a veteran
mink trapper.Males are larger than females.Mink pelts are composed of soft, silky, dense underfur, covered
by long, glistening guard hairs.The neck of a mink is long and thick almost as big
around as the slender elongated body.Throughout most of the year, the male mink is a solitary traveler.Mink breed during March, and the male takes no further part in reproductive
affairs.Mink dens may be located in hollow logs, under stumps,
bridge abutments, rock piles and in drain tiles.Young are born in late April or May, 42 days after conception.Their eyes open,
and they begin to take solid food at about 1 month of age.Because mink are primarily aquatic and eat only flesh, small fish,
frogs, crayfish and muskrats are high on their menu.Mink are, by nature, curious and at the same time, cautious.Mink will inspect holes, crevices and dens as
they search for prey.Instead of placing bait in an excavation,
the bait is secured to a strong stake run through the trap ring.Trapping continues to be an important tool in mink management.Mink are found in every county in Illinois.HabitatMink live along rivers, streams, lakes, ponds and marshes.Mink are well adapted to traveling on land and in water.Mink rely heavily on smell to locate prey while on land.An average of 51 days passes between mating and the birth of young.LEVEL CONTENT CATEGORY
hbx.FORM VALIDATION MINIMUM ELEMENTS OR SUBMIT FUNCTION NAME
hbx.DOWNLOAD FILE NAMING
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hbx.Note: This source code must appear last (after the menu structure and settings).The mink (Mustela vison) is a member of the weasel family, which also includes skunks, otters, and wolverines.They are perhaps best know for their dark brown fur, which turns white at the chin and runs to black at the tips of their tails.They have long, slender torsos atop short legs.Minks are found along rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and marshes throughout North America, northern Europe, and the former Soviet Union.Minks den in cavities in brush or rock piles, logjams, exposed roots of trees, and abandoned muskrat burrows.Wild minks are less abundant than they were 50 years ago.The quality of their habitat has been degraded through development, stream channelization, and the drainage of wetlands.Trapping and the fur industry have also depleted wild mink populations.An average of 115,000 wild minks were killed in traps each year between 1995 and 1998, even though the mink industry has increasingly turned to raising its animals in cages (26 million caged minks were killed each year between 1995 and 1998).The average lifespan of a mink is less than one year, a number greatly affected by high infant mortality; it is uncommon for a mink to live as long as four years.Mink prey upon frogs, mice, rats, rabbits, fish, crayfish, birds, squirrels, and muskrats.Fierce fighters, they are capable of attacking prey much larger than themselves.They rely heavily on smell to hunt on land.Usually a mink will take prey back to the den before eating it, sometimes storing food for later.Minks are nocturnal animals, active from dusk to dawn.They do not hibernate during the winter, though they do sometimes stay in their dens for a day or so during snowy or cold periods.Minks travel well on both land and water, swimming as deep as 50 feet under water on one breath and reaching surface speeds of up to 1.Mink live alone except when raising young.Females start breeding at 10 to 12 months of age.February and March are the months in which mating occurs.At this time, males mate with many different females.They will be able to care for themselves by the end of the summer.The Humane Society of the United States.The mink is the most common water mammal predator (meat eater) in Minnesota.It can be found in nearly every wetland, lake, and creek in the state, including those in cities and towns.It eats many kinds of small fish, ducks, and water mammals.The mink is an expert swimmer.Food
Mink eat just about any type of animal that lives in and near water, including fish, frogs, ducks, crayfish, eggs, and land animals such as mice and rabbits.Predators
Except for otters, mink have few natural predators.Wherever there is water, there are likely wild mink.However, some chemically polluted waters containing mercury or PCBs somehow sterilize mink so that they cannot reproduce.Population and management
Wild mink have been one of the most valued furbearers for two centuries, and thousands are trapped throughout Minnesota each autumn by licensed trappers.The mink population remains healthy.Fun facts
Look for mink tracks along stream banks, especially where there are small holes in the banks.Mink often leave their droppings on rocks and logs at the stream edge, and sometimes even on boat and fishing docks.Mink
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