Mink are dark-coloured, semiaquatic, carnivorous mammals in the genera Mustela and Neogale and part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, stoats, martens, otters, badgers, and others. There are two extant species referred to as "mink", the American mink and the European mink. The extinct sea mink was related to the American mink but was much larger. The American mink's fur has been highly prized for use in clothing. Their treatment on fur farms has been a focus of animal rights and animal welfare activism. American mink have established feral populations in Europe (including Great Britain and Denmark) and South America. In some cases this happened after the animals were released from mink farms by animal rights activists, in others, mink escaped from captivity by themselves. In the UK, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is illegal to release mink into the wild. In some countries, any live mink caught in traps must be humanely killed. American mink are believed by some to have contributed to the decline of the less hardy European mink through competition (though not through hybridisation; European mink are more closely related to polecats than to North American mink). Trapping is used to control or eliminate introduced American mink populations. Mink oil is used in some medical products and cosmetics, as well as to treat, preserve, and waterproof leather.
Species The American mink (Neogale vison) is larger and more adaptable than the European mink (Mustela lutreola) but, due to variations in size, an individual mink usually cannot be determined as European or American with certainty without looking at the skeleton. However, all European mink have a large white patch on their upper lip, whereas only some American mink have this marking. Therefore, any mink without the patch is certainly of the American species. Taxonomically, both American and European mink were placed in the same genus Mustela but the American mink was reclassified as belonging to its own genus, Neovison, though it has recently been reclassified alongside several other weasels into the genus Neogale. The sea mink (Neogale macrodon), native to the New England area, is considered to be a close relative of the American mink. Its extinction in the late 19th century, was chiefly result of hunting for the fur trade.
Description A wild male mink weighs about 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) and is about 60 cm (23+1⁄2 in) in length. Farm-bred males can reach 3.2 kg (7 lb 1 oz). The female weighs about 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) and reaches a length of about 50 cm (19+1⁄2 in). The sizes above do not include the tail, which can be from 12.8 to 22.8 cm (5+1⁄16 to 9 in). A mink's rich glossy coat in its wild state is brown and looks silky. Farm-bred mink can vary from white to almost black, which is reflected in the feral mink in Britain. Their natural pelage is deep, rich brown, with or without white spots on the underparts, and consists of a slick, dense underfur overlaid with dark, glossy, almost stiff guard hairs. Mink show the curious phenomenon of delayed implantation. Although the true gestation period is 39 days, the embryo may stop developing for a variable period, so that as long as 76 days may elapse before the litter arrives. Between 45 and 52 days is normal. There is only one litter per year. They typically have between six and 10 kits per litter. Litters as large as 16 have been recorded at fur farms. The maximum lifespan of a mink is usually around ten years, but rarely exceeds three years in the wild.
Diet
Mink prey on fish and other aquatic life, small mammals, birds, and eggs; adults may eat young mink. Mink raised on farms primarily eat expired cheese, eggs, fish, meat and poultry slaughterhouse byproducts, dog food, and turkey livers, as well as prepared commercial foods. A farm with 3,000 mink may use as much as two tons of food per day.
Habitats Mink like to live near water and are seldom found far from riverbanks, lakes, and marshes. Even when roaming, they tend to follow streams and ditches. Sometimes they leave the water altogether for a few hundred metres, especially when looking for rabbits, one of their favourite foods. In some places, particularly in Scotland and in Iceland, they live along the seashore. Sometimes they live in towns if suitable water is available. Mink may be active at all hours, even when people are nearby.
Territory Mink are territorial animals. A male mink will not tolerate another male within his territory but appears to be less aggressive towards females. Generally, the territories of both male and female animals are separate, but a female's territory may sometimes overlap with that of a male.
The territories, which tend to be long and narrow, stretch along river banks, or around the edges of lakes or marshes. Territory sizes vary, but they can be several miles long. Female territories are smaller than those of males. Each territory has one or two central areas (core areas) where the mink spends most of its time. The core area is usually associated with a good food supply, such as a pool rich in fish, or a good rabbit warren. The mink may stay in its core area, which can be quite small, for several days at a time, but it also makes excursions to the ends of its territory. These excursions seem to be associated with the defense of the territory against intruders. The mink likely checks for any signs of a stranger mink and leaves droppings (scat) with its own personal scent to reinforce its territorial rights.
Human uses
Farming
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