A Mink Is Not A Coat

A few months ago one of our Board members brought up an animal that had been killed in the road by Tanglewood. She had it in a ziplock bag and I got to get a really good look at it. It was an American Mink (Mustela vision), the cute little guy to the left (photo from www.nyfalls.com). They are native and widespread in New York State, although most people probably haven't seen one except maybe on Grandma's old fur coat. Mink were the first animals trapped and sold for their fur in the United States. Thank goodness furs are not acceptable for the most part anymore. I was really surprised at the weight of the mink in the bag. He was pretty big, solid and quite beautiful. Minks can reach up to 24 inches and 4.5 pounds. They are carniverous relatives of weasels, living in/near watery habitats and eating prey such as fish, crayfish, waterfowl and muskrat (a.k.a. swamp bunny). Because of their dietary needs, they are consequently good swimmers; they can dive up to 20 feet and swim underwater up to 100 feet without coming up for breath. Mink can be ferocious creatures and if they are frightened, they give off a really stinky musk. Hopefully my next mink encounter will not be with a coat or in a bag, I'd prefer the natural habitat, please.