The mink may look small and friendly with a beautiful coat you'd love to pet, but this creature is an aggressive little beast with a nasty side. The mink chases enemies and rivals out of its territory and can finish the job with a fatal bite to the victim's neck. A skilled hunter on land, the mink is also an expert swimmer, which allows it to eat its fill of fish, frogs, and even an occasional waterbird.
Twister: The mink's sleek, muscular body helps it navigate just about any type of terrain on land. With its body twisting almost like a snake, the creature can scurry through dense foliage, over rocks and up into trees to snag a meal.
Don't Be Fooled: This little mammal may look cute and cuddly, but the mink has a ferocious nature. Surprisingly strong jaws and sharp teeth kill prey quickly, and the mink defends itself well against predators.
Suited for Diving[]
The mink comes out mostly at dusk and dawn, and spends most of its time hunting around lakes and slow-moving rivers (shown left.) The creature's body is streamlined, and its toes are partially webbed for strong strokes in the water. Plus, its fur is covered with waterproof oils that keep it from becoming waterlogged. The mink often sits near the shore watching for fish, then leaps in when it spots a potential victim. A mink's target rarely escapes, as the mammal can dive to depths up to 20 feet and swim up to 100 feet without taking a breath.
Maximum Stench: A mink rarely wants another mink around, so it marks its territory with oils from its rear that some say smell worse than a skunk's spray. If a mink crosses another mink's stinky warning, the two fight viciously, sometimes to the death.
Freedom Fight: Some people like to wear coats made from mink fur, so the animals have been taken to farms where they're bred for their fur. Minks don't like captivity, though, and often escape into new habitats, where they devastate local wildlife.
Revenge of the Mink[]
- As a trapper makes his rounds, he sees a mink caught in one of his traps. He casually walks up, taking out a small club with which to knock out his helpless victim. Little does he know, though, that the mink is actually chewing through its own leg so it can escape.
- When the trapper closes in, the mink leaps toward its attacker, ripping its foot off at the ankle. The mink climbs up the stunned trapper's shirt, scratches at his face and bites his cheek. The mink scurries into the woods, free, even if it is crippled.
Trading Card[]
Trivia[]
- The scientific names on the knowledge card are for American Mink and European Mink, respectively.
- The mink is featured in Desert Disorder on Monster Mania 57.