Mink

The name mink may have originated in the Swedish maenk applied to the European animal. Captain John Smith, in his History of Virginia (1626), at p. 27 speaks of "Martins, Powlecats, Weesels and Minkes" referring to the American Mink and showing that the term had already been incorporated into the English language by that time. By later authors, as Lawson (1709) and Pennant (1784), it is often written “Minx.”

The two best-known extant species are the European Mink (Mustela lutreola), sometimes known as the marsh-otter, and the American Mink (Mustela vison). Another form, Mustela sibirica from eastern Asia, is variously known as the Siberian Weasel, Siberian Mink, or Siberian Polecat. It is closely related to the European Mink.

The European Mink inhabits Sweden, Poland and the greater part of Russia, though not found east of the Ural Mountains. Formerly it extended westward into central Germany and into Finland in north, but it is now extinct in those countries.

The American Mink is found in places which suit its habits throughout almost the whole of North America, from Florida to the Arctic. An endangered subspecies, the Everglades Mink (Mustela vison evergladensis), is endemic to the Florida Everglades.

American Mink of other subspecies have found their way into the wild in Europe (including Great Britain) and South America, as escapees from fur farms, and are currently expanding their range on those continents. In some areas of Russia deliberate introduction of this species has also occurred to provide quarry for fur trappers.

An unfortunate trend in recent years has been the release of farmed minks into the wild by animal rights activists. The result of the introduction of the American Mink has been disastrous for the European Mink, who occupies almost the same ecological niche but is outcompeted by the larger and better-swimming American species. Attempts are now underway to introduce the European Mink to islands too far from the continent for American Mink to swim to, in an attempt to prevent the species from becoming extinct.

The following description, chiefly of the American species but almost equally applicable to that of Europe, is from Dr Elliott Coues's Fur-bearing Animals of North America, 1877.

In size it much resembles the English polecat—the length of the head and body being usually from 15 to 18 inches [380 to 460 mm], that of the tail to the end of the hair about 9 in [230 mm]. The female is considerably smaller than the male. The tail is bushy, but tapering at the end. The ears are small, low, rounded, and scarcely project beyond the adjacent fur. The pelage consists of a dense, soft, matted under-fur, mixed with long, stiff, lustrous hairs on all parts of the body and tail. The gloss is greatest on the upper parts; on the tail the bristly hairs predominate. Northern specimens have the finest and most glistening pelage; in those from southern regions there is less difference between the under- and over- fur, and the whole pelage is coarser and harsher. In colour different specimens present a considerable range of variation, but the animal is ordinarily of a rich dark brown." The coat can be almost black or black, and tends to be darker and thicker in the winter. To compensate for the fact that the animal has little subcutaneous fat, this fur traps air bubbles that keep it warm during its frequent dives into often-frigid water to search for prey.

Occasionally in Europe American mink of other colors, such as Silverblu (greyish) and Sapphire (basically, blonde) can be seen. These mink inherited two copies of recessive coat color genes that are found at low frequencies in the wild, presumably because mink with these colors are less well-camouflaged. They are descendants, likely recent, of animals bred in fur farms specifically for these colors. (See Mendelian genetics for detailed information on principles of inheritance.) Other animals that have been bred by humans for coat color variety include the domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus, whose wild ancestors were muted, blotched tabbies) and the domestic ferret.

Female European Mink are roughly 1.3 lb (600 g) and males roughly 2 lb (900 g); female American Mink are roughly 2 lb (900 g) and male American Mink roughly 3.5 lb (1,600 g), although weight can vary considerably. In general, since male American Mink continue to grow into the winter but females do not, sexual dimorphism is lower in that species as environmental conditions become more hostile.

Mink fur has been highly prized for its use in clothing, with hunting giving way to large-scale mink farming. It has also been a focus of much animal rights protesting.