European mink - a small sneaky animal, which is on the verge of extinction and is listed in the Red Book. No one can pinpoint the reason for the disappearance of this cute creature from its usual places. Some scientists sin at hydroelectric power stations, because mink live near reservoirs, but their number decreased already at the beginning of the last century, and then there were no power stations. If earlier the animal was widespread throughout the wooded part of Europe, in Western Siberia, in the Caucasus, today it practically does not occur in its usual range, therefore it is carefully guarded by scientists.
The appearance of European mink
With its appearance, the European mink resembles a
steppe ferret or ermine, only it is not so elongated and squat, and it is much more densely folded. 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 underfur does not get wet in the water. Minks lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle, so they have interdigital septa. The fur is mainly dark brown, some individuals may have a reddish tint, completely black are also found. European mink can be recognized by a white chin and upper lip, sometimes there are bright spots on the chest and throat.
Animal Habitats
The main range 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 finding its traces is very problematic, it is classified as an endangered subspecies and is listed in the Red Book.
Special relationships with the aquatic environment
A semi-aquatic lifestyle suggests that the European mink prefers to settle near water bodies. Favorite places of animals are small cluttered flowing ponds hidden in the wilderness, brooks with gentle shores and forest rivers with a slow course are suitable for them. 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 pursuit. Minks dive, swim under the water surface, after 20 m emerge for several seconds to breathe air and again disappear under water. They can even walk along the bottom of a pond. The course 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 also arranges its home near water bodies. The description of the holes is almost uniform, they are shallow, with two exits, a restroom and a main chamber, which is lined with dry leaves, moss, feathers of birds. 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, therefore a trodden path stretches from it. In regions where there are many thick-gauge trees, animals are located in hollows located not far from the ground. They can find temporary shelter in
haystacks, under canopies of steep banks, twisted roots, in piles of windbreak. The mink carefully monitors the cleanliness of its housing, regularly cleans it from scraps.
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 season. In early spring, it feeds on tadpoles and caviar of frogs, in winter there is one hope for fish that suffocates in stagnant ponds, in summer and autumn the diet is more diverse: frogs, fish, rodents, etc. During periods of hunger strikes, the mink settles not far from settlements, it can steal home poultry, pick up food waste, sometimes it can only be saved by rowan berries, lingonberries, buckthorn.
Reproduction, care for offspring
At the end of winter or
early spring, European mink is especially active. Pictures of animals running in the snow are not uncommon, because at that time they forget about vigilance, chasing females. Entire trails form near the coasts, males fight among themselves, screaming, trying to attract the attention of a lady. With the end of the rut, the couples break up, the females independently raise their young. Pregnancy lasts 45-60 days, usually 5 mornings are born. Outwardly, at first they look like black trochees, the true color appears at the age of one and a half months. In mid-summer, the cubs catch up with their mother in size, and by the end of the summer they are completely compared with her. In the fall, everyone goes their own way, as the female ceases to give milk, and normata switch to a meat diet.
Character Features
European mink is very interesting in nature. If she does not rest, she is constantly on the move; she is most active in the dark. In summer, the animal leads a sedentary lifestyle, since it lives near a reservoir, which feeds and hides it in case of danger. But in winter he has to tight, for a day the animal runs more than one kilometer in search of food. European mink is characterized 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 its large size it cannot climb voles into its burrows, and constantly sniffing and looking for prey, manages to grab it in time.
Curious is the fact that the animal neglects the finished meat, preferring fresh food. In captivity, he can starve for a week before he touches rotten food. Thanks to such a habit, the European mink almost never falls into the hunting traps. The Red Book has replenished with this species 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.