Identification: The American Mink is slim and weasel-shaped. He has luxurious dark brown fur with a white patch under the chin. From nose to tail they tend to be about 25 inches. They are excellent swimmers, and tend to be sighted near water.The Mink and his Family; Good things in Small Packages
The mink belongs to a family of mammals known as mustelids. Some of his cousins include weasels, ferrets, wolverines, and badgers. I will readily admit to feeling a warm kinship with the mustelids, based on my diminutive stature. Although in this age of inclusive language and feel-good education the vertically challenged among us are not often explicitly disparaged, we sometimes find the smiles of fortune a bit diminished when cast our way. Although we at times break into the ranks of CEOs, prom kings, and other objects of public idolatry, in general we confront an unwitting conspiracy; occupying in the collective subconscious the less glamorous roles of sidekicks, comic relief, and sub par intellects. Now I'm not one to complain. Few characters provoke revulsion quite as readily as the disgruntled short man; the one with the "Napoleon complex," the one others assume is "compensating." I on the other hand, am normally content with the hand dealt me.
In the same way, many small animals are not without charm. A chipmunk will always bring a smile to my face. A bunny rabbit has no shortage of appeal. I would not scoff at a hamster.
Nevertheless, at times even the most docile among us feel less than resigned to our fate. Like Captain Ahab, we are tempted to wreak our hate on that inscrutable object, rebelling even against nature herself. Happily, mother nature has provided a solution. Every so often a Bruce Lee or Tony Jaa comes along to assure us that with a little discipline and self denial, we too could beat up NBA basketball players and handily defend ourselves from forty armed attackers. If we are not badasses, it is only because we choose not to be such. This in mind, we need not wreck the pequods that are our lives in vain striving.
In the same way, many small animals are not without charm. A chipmunk will always bring a smile to my face. A bunny rabbit has no shortage of appeal. I would not scoff at a hamster.
Nevertheless, at times even the most docile among us feel less than resigned to our fate. Like Captain Ahab, we are tempted to wreak our hate on that inscrutable object, rebelling even against nature herself. Happily, mother nature has provided a solution. Every so often a Bruce Lee or Tony Jaa comes along to assure us that with a little discipline and self denial, we too could beat up NBA basketball players and handily defend ourselves from forty armed attackers. If we are not badasses, it is only because we choose not to be such. This in mind, we need not wreck the pequods that are our lives in vain striving.
In the animal kingdom, the mustelids are somewhat like this. They are small, yet ferocious. A weasel-like polecat might not be much more than two pounds, but he will take time out of his day to kill off a full grown adult human; provided she happens to be an overbearing governess for a sickly English boy (if the account in Sredni Vashtar is to be believed). The beagle-sized wolverine has been known to slay moose, and although typically unsuccessful, is not averse to giving a duel with a black bear the old college try. Mustelids are tough, athletic, and fierce hunters. The American Mink is no exception.
Behavior and Characteristics
The american mink lives mostly around water. He tends to be out and about in the evening hours, when he's typically not an easy one to spot. He'll eat fish and frogs, then climb out of the water and go catch a rabbit. Not only is he tough, he's also highly intelligent. Mink are smarter than cats, which is pretty good as animals go. He's not going to be discovering cold fusion, or threatening our jobs in the knowledge economy any time soon, but he's no slouch. Again, you could definitely beat him in trivial pursuit, but he's got what it takes to outsmart and catch dullards such as voles.
His Fur; Should you Wear it?
If you've spent any time around the mink you know he is incredibly handsome. Slender, well dressed in elegant fur, it's no wonder we envy his outergarmets. I'm not one to preach. You won't catch me on a corner downtown dumping paint on furclad old women. If we were all subsistence farmers and hunter gatherers I would have no problem whatsoever with dressing up in mink fur. However, in this day and age it is not practical or environmentally sound to be trapping huge numbers of wild mink to make fur coats. The only alternative is farming. Farming mink has one possible pernicious ramification that renders it thoroughly distasteful to me. This is that farmed mink have the potential to become a bit more docile, and less intelligent. While the existence of this phenomenon is disputed (so please read the research and make up your own mind; don't take my word for it), the possibility is enough to repulse me. Seeing a fierce and brilliant predator degraded is not a pleasant prospect to me. That's just me. I won't judge others. But no mink coats for me.
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