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MAMMALS OF AMERICA 



AMERICAN MINK 

 Mustela vison Schrcbcr 



General Description. — Body Weasel-like ; heavier 

 and considerably larger than a Weasel ; legs short ; head 

 broadly triangular in shape; tail about Ys length of 

 body, bushy ; ears short ; soles hairy ; foot pads naked ; 

 five toes in front and behind. Females considerably 

 smaller than males. General color dark brown. 



Dental Formula. — Same as that given for Weasel. 



Pelage. — .Adults : No marked seasonal variation. 

 Pelage is composed of a long outer coat formed of 

 hard, lustrous hairs and a shorter denser coat of soft 

 under hairs dark in color like the longer coat but 

 generally lighter in tone; above, nearly uniform umber 

 brown, darker and glossier on the back, and on the tail, 

 becoming nearly black ; chin more or less white, and 

 occasionally irregular white spots on throat, breast or 

 belly. Young : Not quite as dark as adults and at 

 first lacking the long shining hairs of the outer coat. 



Measurements. — Length, male. 24 inches ; tail. 7 

 inches; hind foot. 2'A inches. Weight. 2 pounds. 

 Females, smaller ; weight, i pound 10 ounces. 



Range. — Central North .America from eastern 

 Canada to the Rockies. 



Food. — Small mammals, birds and their eggs, fish, 

 crayfish, mussels and clains. 



Remarks. — The Mink seems to be midway in its 

 development between the Weasel and the Otter, having 

 a good many characters in common with either animal. 

 The Minks of North America have not become differ- 

 entiated into as many different forms as have the 

 Weasels, and the Mink from Florida has almost pre- 

 cisely the same appearance as has the one from Alaska, 

 there being only a slight size and color difference. 

 .'Vbout ten species and sub-species are known. 



Rel.-\ted Species 



American Mink. — Mustela vison vison Schreber. 

 The typical animal of the above description. From 

 eastern Canada to the Rocky Mountains through central 

 North -America. 



Western Mink. — Mustela vison cncrgunicnos 

 (Bangs). Larger and darker than the .American Mink. 

 Western North America from northern California to 

 -Arctic regions and east to Saskatchewan. 



Alaska Mink. — Mustela vison ingcns (Osgood). 

 Very large and rather dark. Alaska. 



Florida Mink. — Mustela lulensis (Bangs). Smaller 

 than .American Mink, tail shorter; color paler, inore 

 yellowish. Florida. 



In both Europe and America, the Mink is semi- 

 aquatic, being commonly at home in districts 

 where water is found. In its water-loving pro- 

 pensities, it may be regarded as bearing 

 the same relationship to the Polecat as is 

 held by the Water-Vole to the Land-Vole. 

 " The Mink," writes Dr. Merriam, " not only 

 swims and dives with facility, but can remain 

 long under water, and pursues and captures 

 fish by following them under logs or other 

 places from which there is no escape. It has 

 thus been known to catch as swift and agile a 

 fish as the brook-trout, and -Audubon says that 

 he has seen a Mink catch a trout of upwards 

 of a foot in length. It is remarkably strong for 

 so small an animal, and a single one has been 

 known to drag a mallard duck more than a mile, 

 in order to get to its hole, where its mate joined 

 in the feast." Generally, the food of the Mink 

 consists of various aquatic creatures, such as 

 frogs, crayfish, and molluscs ; but it will also 

 eat various small aquatic mammals, such as 

 voles, as well as mice and rats. Marsh-fre- 

 quenting birds also fall victims to the Mink, and 

 their eggs are probably also consumed. Other 

 wild birds are, however, comparatively safe 

 from the attacks of this animal, as its climbing 

 powers are of the feeblest. Poultry are not un- 

 f requently attacked ; but in these and other at- 



tacks the Mink does not exhibit that wholesale 

 destructiveness characteristic of the Ermine. In 

 hunting, the Mink has been often observed to 

 pursue its prey entirely by scent ; and it may be 

 observed on its hunting expeditions both by night 

 and by day. 



As a rule. Minks appear to be comparatively 

 solitary animals ; rarely are more than two seen 

 in company. The abode of the Mink is usually 

 a hole in the bank of a stream or lake ; and a 

 well-trodden path always leads from the entrance 

 of the burrow down to the water. From such 

 abiding places the animal will not only make 

 daily excursions for the sake of procuring food, 

 but also wander into neighboring districts, from 

 which it sometimes does not return till after the 

 lapse of a week or two. 



Minks have been extensively bred in captivity 

 for the jHirjiose of being used as Ferrets, and in 

 this condition it appears that the number of 

 young in a litter may vary from three to as many 

 as ten. The scent characteristic of all the mem- 

 bers of the Weasel group is extraordinarily de- 

 veloped in the Mink, Dr. Coues observing that 

 no animal, with the exception of the Skunk, pos- 

 sesses such a powerful, penetrating and lasting 

 effluvium. 



All who have hunted the Mink bear witness to 

 its extraordinarv tenacitv of life, the writer last 



