Page 47 - Animals of the Sakhalin Region in myths and legends

Mink European

(Mustela lutreola)

The European mink is a fairly small animal. Males sometimes grow up to
40 cm with a weight of 750 g, and females even less — weighing about half a
kilogram and a little more than 25 cm long. The body is elongated, the limbs are
short. The tail is not fluffy, it is 10–15 cm long.
The muzzle is narrow, slightly flattened, with small round ears, almost
hidden in thick fur and nimble eyes. The toes of the mink are articulated with a
membrane, this is especially noticeable on the hind limbs.
The fur is thick, dense, not long, with a good fluff, which remains dry even
after prolonged water procedures. The color is monochromatic, from light to
dark brown, rarely black. There is a white spot on the chin and chest.
The basis of the diet is animal food: fish, small rodents, frogs, small snakes,
birds.
In 1981–1989 the species was introduced to the South Kuril Islands with the
aim of acclimatizing and preserving the genetic fund of the species in the natural
reserves of the islands isolated from the penetration of the American mink. To
date, it has survived only on island Kunashir, South Kuril urban district.

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