Incredible strength, amazing agility and absolute fearlessness.
Constantly hungry predator, for which the size of the prey is not at all
important. The hero of today's video is a small hunter with very great capabilities.
It's about the American mink. Let's start.
The American mink is a typical carnivore of the Mustelidae family.
The animal looks like his European relative but somewhat surpasses his in size, including a longer
tail, reaching 25 centimeters. The animal body length doesn't exceed half a meter, the average
weight of females is about a kilogram. And males can weigh more than 2 kilograms. The slender,
light and incredibly flexible body of the animal is covered with thick dark brown fur, and there
is a white spot on the lower lip. The European mink also has a white spot on the upper lip.
The historical homeland of the animal is North America, but since the 30s of the last century,
the mink was brought to the USSR, and later to the countries of Europe and Asia.
The American mink prefers to settle in forests and along the banks of small bodies of water,
equipping a shelter in the immediate vicinity of water.
Muskrat burrows, tree hollows and their fallen trunks are perfect for the role of a dwelling.
Minks are very dexterous, cunning and inventive animals that also run fast, swim well and can
dive to a depth of 4 meters. These abilities allow you to hunt a wide range of prey, such
as rodents, amphibians, fish, and crustaceans. Predators are most active at dusk and at night
but if they don't feel threatened, then they can afford to hunt during the day.
The mink can very easily cope with prey close to her in size. For example, here another inhabitant
of the coastal territories, the muskrat, falls into the tenacious embrace of a predator.
The animal carries out a masterful attack and bites his teeth into the victim's neck.
A fine-tuned scheme against most opponents.
As you can see, the target size doesn't scare the mink at all. The predator immediately bites
his teeth into the neck of the swan, which is five times heavier than the attacker.
However, the bird still managed to escape from the predator embrace, and she leaves the company
of the insidious hunter in a hurry. The animal doesn't miss the opportunity to eat fresh fish.
The webbings on the feet is less developed than the European mink,
so the American mink can't swim quickly. She has to rely on surprise or to rely on chance.
For example, in this episode, the pike got stuck in shallow water but this was not the end of her
troubles. After all, a large fish riveted the attention of a hungry mink, which can't
pass by such a tempting prey. The pike's mouth is dotted with three hundred razor-sharp teeth but in
this situation, she is absolutely helpless against a small but very strong and stubborn animal.
And this is not an isolated case. Here, the prey was the brown trout,
a large fish of the salmon family. The mink found fish feeding in shallow water,
and this was enough to dig into the fish with sharp teeth like a tick.
But the reserves of air and strength came to an end. The mink is not afraid of such difficulties,
and after a short rest, she attacks the victim with renewed vigor. Amazing perseverance and
endurance helps her emerge victorious from this grueling battle. Fishing was a success!
Minks were able to adapt to the prey of a fauna wide variety,
and even a huge crab will be no exception. The armored carapace and sharp pincers don't
frighten the predator, which is enough to deprive the prey of the main weapon.
A frequent occurrence in the wild, when even the most skilled hunter can become
a victim. The red lynx is much larger, stronger and more dangerous than the mink but she didn't
expect such a turn of events at all. The prey is fighting back hard, and the felines seem to be
confused. The fight continues but the will to live and the furious resistance of the mink ultimately
discourage her from continuing the fight. Perhaps the animal's secret weapon played a role.
The mink glands give off an odorous liquid in moments of danger, almost like a skunk.
The fearlessness inherent in the weasel family has not spared this animal either. The best
defense is an attack. The mink shows the coyote who is the real owner here, with this motto.
Animals don't hibernate, but in severe frosts, they may not leave their shelter for several days.
Minks don't go far from their shelter when they have an food abundance
but sometimes hunger forces them to roam, walking up to five kilometers a day. In such situations,
they often make raids on chicken coops, exterminating all the animals they come across.
In the second half of spring, the American mink bears offspring.
Usually, she has 5-6 cubs but rarely their number can even reach 16. Females develop faster. They
reach adult size as early as 4 months of age. And males grow up only after the first year of life.
Both American and European minks are easily taught from a young age. They are very mobile
and willful, but they can become a loyal friend with proper attention and care.
The American mink's lifespan is limited to ten years, but in the wild, she lives half as long,
not only because of predators but also because of disease and hunger.
Animals have been hunted since ancient times because of their valuable fur
but now hunting is not very relevant, because mink farms function in many countries.
Just imagine, one fur coat costs the life of 23 males or 40 females. By the way,
the imported American minks began to be at enmity with the European minks, gradually displacing
them from the occupied territories. And now they are on the brink of extinction in many regions.
It turns out that a person has once again violated the natural balance for his own personal purposes.
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