The European mink is a small crafty animal that is on the verge of extinction and is listed in the Red Book. No one can accurately indicate the reason for the disappearance of this cute creature from its usual places. Some scientists sin at hydroelectric power plants, because minks live near reservoirs, but their numbers have declined already at the beginning of the last century, and then there were no power plants. If earlier the animal was widely distributed throughout the wooded part of Europe, in Western Siberia, in the Caucasus, today it is practically not found in its usual range, therefore it is carefully protected by scientists.
The appearance of the European mink
In appearance, the European mink resembles a steppe ferret or ermine, only it is not so elongated and squat, and it is built much denser. Its weight ranges from 500-800 g, the length of the body is 30-45 cm, and the tail is 12-20 cm. The pile of the animal is short, but very thick and dense,the undercoat does not get wet in the water. Minks lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle, so they have interdigital septa. The fur is mostly dark brown, some individuals may have a reddish tint, and completely black are also found. The European mink can be recognized by its white chin and upper lip, and sometimes light patches on the chest and throat.
Animal habitats
The main habitat of the animal is the forests of Europe, Western Siberia, the Caucasus. Unfortunately, in recent decades, the number of minks has declined significantly. Now they can be found in Western Europe, in some places in Poland, France, Finland. As for Russia, the Caucasian European mink was widespread here, but today it is very problematic to find traces of it, it is classified as an endangered subspecies and is listed in the Red Book.
Special relationship with the aquatic environment
The semi-aquatic lifestyle suggests that the European mink prefers to settle near water bodies. Favorite places of animals are small cluttered flowing reservoirs hidden in the wilderness, they are suitable for streams with gentle banks, forest rivers with a slow current. Here minks find reliable shelters and food. Such places attract them with coolness, high humidity, and they also give a sense of security, because at the sight of danger, the animal immediately rushes into the water to hide from persecution. Minks dive, swim under the surface of the water, after 20 m they emerge for a few seconds to breathe air and again hide under water. They can even walk on the bottomreservoir. The current is not dangerous for them, so they can live near fast-flowing rivers with whirlpools, whirlpools.
Home improvement
Since it is dependent on water, the European mink equips its dwelling near water bodies. The description of the burrows is almost uniform, they are shallow, with two exits, a latrine and a main chamber lined with dry leaves, moss, and bird feathers. Sometimes the animal borrows housing from water rats or other mustelids. One of the exits from the hole is hidden in the thicket of the forest, and the other leads to a reservoir. By the way, the mink uses the second path more often, so a trodden path stretches from it. In regions where there are many fat trees, the animals are located in hollows that are not high from the ground. They can find temporary shelter in haystacks, under canopies of steep banks, uprooted roots, in piles of windfall. Mink carefully monitors the cleanliness of her home, regularly cleans it from leftovers.
European mink food
This type of mink feeds on all small animals that live in rivers or somewhere nearby. The basis of the diet is small fish, various amphibians, as well as mouse-like rodents. What exactly the animal eats largely depends on the place of residence and the season. In early spring, it feeds on tadpoles and frog caviar, in winter there is only hope for fish that suffocate in stagnant water bodies, in summer and autumn the diet is more diverse: frogs, fish, rodents, etc. During periods of hunger strikes, the mink settles near settlements, can steal home bird,pick up food waste, sometimes only rowan berries, lingonberries, buckthorn save her.
Reproduction, offspring care
At the end of winter or early spring, the European mink is especially active. Pictures of animals running in the snow are not uncommon, because at this time they forget about their vigilance, chasing females. Entire paths are formed near the shores, males fight among themselves, squeal, trying to attract the attention of a lady. With the end of the rut, the couples break up, the females raise their cubs on their own. Pregnancy lasts 45-60 days, usually 5 calves are born. Outwardly, at first they look like black polecats, the real color appears at the age of one and a half months. In the middle of summer, the cubs catch up with their mother in size, and by the end of summer they are completely compared with her. In autumn, everyone goes their own way, as the female stops giving milk, and the minnows switch to a meat diet.
Character traits
The European mink is very interesting in nature. If she does not rest, then she is constantly in motion, she is most active in the dark. In summer, the animal leads a sedentary lifestyle, as it lives near a reservoir that feeds it and hides it in case of danger. But in winter it is hard for him, for a day the animal runs more than one kilometer in search of food. The European mink is distinguished by excessive fussiness, it can look under the bush several times, tirelessly returns to the same place. She does this for a reason, because due to her large size she does notcan crawl into the burrows of voles, and constantly sniffing and looking for prey, manages to grab it in time.
It is curious that the animal treats prepared meat with disdain, preferring fresh food. In captivity, he can starve for a whole week before touching rotten food. Thanks to this habit, the European mink almost never falls into hunting traps. The Red Book of this species was replenished relatively recently, but it is already on the verge of extinction. It is strictly forbidden to kill the European mink, but this is not enough to save it, it is important to preserve its natural habitat.
