The European mink is a predatory fur small animal from family marten. Its distinctive feature is very valuable fur. There is an opinion that fur caused sharp reduction of population of these lovely animals.
The European mink – who it?
This is the predatory fur small animal consisting in one relationship with martens, polecats, gluttons, caress and ermines. Favourite habitats of the European mink are the silent creeks which grew with dense bushes and also the cluttered-up abrupt coast of forest rivulets. The European mink is famous not only valuable fur, but also the swimming membrane connecting among themselves toes: the animal is considered the excellent diver and the excellent swimmer capable to fool the enemy.
The European mink resembles the immediate family superficially - a steppe polecat and an ermine. Nevertheless, the small animal not such extended (as, for example, an ermine) and a constitution at a mink is much more dense. Length of a trunk of the European mink varies from 30 cm to 45 cm, about 15 cm are the share of a tail. This being up to 800 g weighs. The mink possesses the short, but very dense and dense pile which is not becoming wet in water. Color of fur fluctuates from dark brown to red and black.
Where does the European mink live?
The main habitats of this being are Western Siberia, the Caucasus and a number of the European woods. As for the last few years population of these beings was sharply reduced, now they inhabit only Western Europe, France, Finland and slightly Poland. The European mink is included in the Red List as the look which is on the verge of extinction.
The European mink - the true swimmer!
The European mink is a semi-water small animal: she perfectly feels both in water, and on the land. Favourite places of the settlement of this creation are the flowing reservoirs located in backwoods. Minks adore swimming in streamlets with abrupt coast and in forest rivulets with very slow current. Exactly here the small animal finds to himself both food, and the shelter from enemies. Having brought the enemy, the mink plunges into the water, disappearing from prosecution. Zoologists note that the European minks not only perfectly dive and float under a water smooth surface, but also perfectly go on a reservoir bottom. At the same time the watercourse does not constitute any danger to a small animal.
The European mink – a valuable trade small animal
The mankind from time immemorial conducts merciless hunting for these small animals for the sake of their valuable fur: mink coats and caps are very expensively appreciated at all times. Despite the cunning way to avoid prosecution, the European mink, nevertheless, often comes across in the traps placed by the person. Now these beings are taken under protection: hunting for them and shooting is controlled by public authorities of the Russian Federation.