Realm: Animal kingdom Animalia
Phylum: Chordata phylum Chordata
Order: Mammalia
Eyes: Meat meat carnivora
Family: Mustelidae
Genus: Mustela
Species: European mink M. lutreola
Species Overview Summary
Chinese name: European mink (pinyin: ōu zhōu shuǐ diāo);
English name: European mink;
Scientific name: Mustela lutreola (Linnaeus, 1761).
The European mink, also known as the European water ferret, the Eurasian mink, and the Russian mink, is a semi-aquatic ferret native to Europe. It is found in Italy, Spain, France, Romania, Ukraine, Estonia and Russia (but not in the area east of the Ural Mountains). They used to be found throughout Europe, as far north as Finland, but have disappeared from these regions. They resemble American mink in appearance, but are slightly smaller and have less special skulls.
The IUCN Red List (2016) is listed as: Critically Endangered (CR)
Outline feature Description
Despite similar names, body shapes, and behaviors, the European mink is not closely related to the American mink, and it is closer to the chicken ferret. The European mink is a typical representative of the genus Mink, which has a very slender body and short limbs. However, compared to its close relative, the Siberian weasel, the mink is more compact and less emaciated, so it is close in stature to ferrets and chicken ferrets.
The European mink has a large, wide head and short ears. The limbs are short and have a relatively developed membrane between the toes, especially on the hind feet. The tail of the European mink is short, accounting for about 40% of the body length. The skull of the European mink is not as slender as that of the weasel, the zygomatic arches are more spaced, and the facial area is not as large. In general, the shape of the skull is somewhere between the weasel and the ferret. Overall, its skull is less specialized in terms of carnivorous meat than chicken ferrets and American minks. Males are 373–430 mm long, while females are 352–400 mm long. The tail length is 153-190 mm for males and 150-180 mm for females. The total weight is 550-800 grams. It can run on a riverbed and stay underwater for a minute or two. When swimming, it paddles simultaneously with its forelimbs and hind limbs.
In dark-colored individuals, the fur is dark brown or almost black-brown, while light-colored individuals are reddish-brown. The color of the fur is evenly distributed throughout the body, although in rare cases the abdomen is a little lighter than the upper part. In particularly dark individuals, there will be a dark, wide strap. The limbs and tail are slightly darker in color than the torso. The face has no color pattern, although its upper and lower lips and chin are pure white. White markings may also appear on the lower surface of the neck and chest. Occasionally, color mutations such as albinism and white spots throughout the fur also occur. In summer, the fur is lighter in color, dirtier in tone, and has more red highlights.
▲ The face of the European mink, pay attention to the white markings on the upper lip, which is not found in American species
The winter fur of european mink is very thick and dense, but not long, and quite loose. Its undersoles are particularly thick compared to more land-based mink members. The hair guard is quite thick and shiny, with very wide contoured hairs, with a flat middle, which is typical in aquatic mammals. There is little difference in hair length on the back and abdomen, which is a further adaptation to the semi-aquatic lifestyle of European mink. Summer fur is shorter, thicker, and less dense than winter fur, but much less different from purely terrestrial ferrets.
Ecological Habits
European mink are mainly found in forest streams that are unlikely to freeze in winter. European mink do not form large territories, which may be due to the abundance of food on the shores of small bodies of water. The size of each territory varies according to the availability of food; in areas with aquatic weeds, there is very little food, and the range of the home is 60-100 hectares, although more commonly the territory is 12-14 hectares. The summer territory is smaller than the winter territory. Along the coastline, the length of the home area varies from 250-2000 meters and the width is 50-60 meters.
European minks have both permanent burrows and temporary shelters. The former is used all year round except during flood periods and is no more than 6-10 meters away from the water's edge. The structure of the cave is not complicated, usually consisting of one or two passages with a diameter of 8-10 cm and a length of 1.40-1.50 m, leading to a nest chamber of 48 cm × 55 cm. The nest chamber is lined with straw, moss, rat hair and bird feathers. It is more sedentary than the American mink, and in very cold weather, it will hide itself in burrows for a long time.
Growth and Breed
During the mating season, the female's sexual organs are greatly enlarged and the color turns pinkish-purple, which is the opposite of the female American mink, whose organs do not change. A litter consists of an average of 3-7 cubs. At birth, the cubs weigh about 6.5 grams, grow rapidly, and triple their weight 10 days after birth. They are born blind; after 30-31 days, their eyes open. The lactation period lasts 2-2.5 months, but the cubs eat solid food after 20-25 days. They accompany their mother on hunting activities at 56-70 days and become independent at 70-84 days.
Geographical distribution Distribution
European mink is mainly confined to Europe. In the 19th century, it spread widely, from northern Spain in the west, to the Ob River (east of the Ural Mountains) in the east, to the Arkhangelsk region in the north, and to the North Caucasus region in the south. However, over the past 150 years, it has fallen by more than 90 percent, becoming extinct or greatly reduced in much of its predecessor. The current range includes an isolated population in northern Spain and western France, which is widely separated from the main distribution areas of Eastern Europe (Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, Ukraine, the central region of Europe and Russia, the Danube Delta of Romania and the northwestern part of Bulgaria). In Estonia, European mink populations have been successfully re-established on Hiiumaa Island and plan to repeat the process on the nearby island of Saaremaa.