American Mink
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The long, think, furry body of the American Mink (Mustela vison), gives it the appearance of any of the Mustela weasels.
With the exception of the Southwest, the mink inhabits most forest areas of North America, especially those with a running water body, where they tend to establish their dens.
The soft fur, which holds up under the pressure of the mink's semi-aquatic life, sets the mink apart from other weasels.
They have long been hunted and factory farmed for their fur.
Their continent wide presence coupled with the fact of an active domestic fur factory industry means that mink populations are generally stable in the aggregate.Population stress has been noted with some subspecies. The Everglades mink (Mustela vison evergladensis), for example, has a limited range with two small, identified populations. There has been discussion of listing it as a threatened species under the terms of the Endangered Species Act.
Elsewhere, the lure of the American Mink's fur proved too difficult for others to resist. In parts of Russia, Europe and South American, they were introduced into fur farms and/or were released into the wild. In many of those areas they are now considered as invasive pests. Their presence in Europe, for example, creates population pressures on the native European Mink population.
© 2010. Patricia A. Michaels