"to 20 growth layers in their tympanic bullae, which may correspond to about 15 to 20 years of age. Both sexes can live to about 50 years of age – the oldest in a study of Icelandic minke whales were 42 years for females and 47 years for males, respectively. Common minke whales have been described as ichthyophagous, but their diet also includes pelagic crustaceans and cephalopods and varies by region, season, and year. In the North Atlantic, they primarily eat small schooling fish, demersal fish, and krill. A 2007 study showed that off Spitsbergen they fed almost exclusively on"
"Mink Mink are dark-colored, semiaquatic, carnivorous mammals of the genera ""Neovison"" and ""Mustela"", and part of the family Mustelidae which also includes weasels, otters and ferrets. There are two extant species referred to as ""mink"": the American mink and the European mink. The extinct sea mink is related to the American mink, but was much larger. The American mink is larger and more adaptable than the European mink but, due to variations in size, an individual mink usually cannot be determined as European or American with certainty without looking at the skeleton; however, all European mink have a large white"
"not wild-colored. Mink Mink are dark-colored, semiaquatic, carnivorous mammals of the genera ""Neovison"" and ""Mustela"", and part of the family Mustelidae which also includes weasels, otters and ferrets. There are two extant species referred to as ""mink"": the American mink and the European mink. The extinct sea mink is related to the American mink, but was much larger. The American mink is larger and more adaptable than the European mink but, due to variations in size, an individual mink usually cannot be determined as European or American with certainty without looking at the skeleton; however, all European mink have a"
"in Europe dated to the Late Pleistocene being found in caves and some suggesting early exploitation by humans. Genetic analyses indicate, rather than being closely related to the American mink, the European mink's closest relative is the European polecat (perhaps due to past hybridization) and the Siberian weasel, being intermediate in form between true polecats and other members of the genus. The closeness between the mink and polecat is emphasized because the species can hybridize. , seven subspecies are recognised. The European mink is a typical representative of the genus ""Mustela"", having a greatly elongated body with short limbs. However,"
"European mink The European mink (""Mustela lutreola""), also known as the Russian mink and Eurasian mink, is a semiaquatic species of mustelid native to Europe. It is similar in colour to the American mink, but is slightly smaller and has a less specialized skull. Despite having a similar name, build and behaviour, the European mink is not closely related to the American mink, being much closer to the European polecat and Siberian weasel (""kolonok""). The European mink occurs primarily by forest streams unlikely to freeze in winter. It primarily feeds on voles, frogs, fish, crustaceans and insects. The European mink"
"invasive species in the United Kingdom, minks have been the subject of at least two novels. Ewan Clarkson's 1968 ""Break for Freedom"" (published as ""Syla, the Mink"" in the US) tells the story of a female mink escaped from a fur farm in a realistic style. On the other hand, A.R. Lloyd's 1982 ""Kine"" is a heroic fantasy with the minks as villains and the weasels and other indigenous animals as heroes. American mink The American mink (""Neovison vison"") is a semiaquatic species of mustelid native to North America, though human intervention has expanded its range to many parts of"
"compared to its close relative, the Siberian weasel, the mink is more compact and less thinly built, thus approaching ferrets and European polecats in build. The European mink has a large, broad head with short ears. The limbs are short, with relatively well-developed membranes between the digits, particularly on the hind feet. The mink's tail is short, and does not exceed half the animal's body length (constituting about 40% of its length). The European mink's skull is less elongated than the kolonok's, with more widely spaced zygomatic arches and has a less massive facial region. In general characteristics, the skull"
"is intermediate in shape between that of the Siberian weasel and the European polecat. Overall, the skull is less specialized for carnivory than that of polecats and the American mink. Males measure in body length, while females measure . Tail length is in males and . Overall weight is . It is a fast and agile animal, which swims and dives skilfully. It is able to run along stream beds, and stay underwater for one to two minutes. When swimming, it paddles with both its front and back limbs simultaneously. The winter fur of the European mink is very thick"
"American mink The American mink (""Neovison vison"") is a semiaquatic species of mustelid native to North America, though human intervention has expanded its range to many parts of Europe and South America. Because of range expansion, the American mink is classed as a least-concern species by the IUCN. Since the extinction of the sea mink, the American mink is the only extant member of the genus ""Neovison"". The American mink is a carnivore that feeds on rodents, fish, crustaceans, frogs, and birds. In its introduced range in Europe it has been classified as an invasive species linked to declines in"
"in size or morphology from modern populations, though a slight trend toward increased size is apparent from the Irvingtonian through to the Illinoian and Wisconsinan periods. Although superficially similar to the European mink, studies indicate the American mink's closest relative is the Siberian weasel (""kolonok"") of Asia. The American mink has been recorded to hybridize with European minks and polecats in captivity, though the hybrid embryos of the American and European minks are usually reabsorbed. , 15 subspecies are recognised. The American mink differs from members of the genus ""Mustela"" (stoats and weasels) by its larger size and stouter form,"
"sildepisker (""herring thresher""). Otto Fabricius, in his ""Fauna Groenlandica"" (1780), was the first to describe the minke, noting its small size and white baleen – but he described it erroneously under the name ""Balaena rostrata"" (the taxonomic designation for the beaked whale). In 1804, Baron de Lacepede named it ""Balaenoptera acuto-rostrata"", basing his description partly on the stranding of a juvenile female near Cherbourg, France in 1791. In 1872, the American whaleman and naturalist Charles Melville Scammon described and named ""Balaenoptera davidsoni"", after an pregnant female that was found dead on the north shore of Admiralty Inlet in October 1870"
"Transmissible mink encephalopathy Transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) is a rare sporadic disease that affects the central nervous system of ranch-raised adult mink. It is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, caused by proteins called prions. This illness has a minimum incubation period of 7 months with a maximum of 12 months. This disease results in mortality of adult animals. Clinical signs of TME include the characteristic behavioural changes such as confusion, loss of cleanliness, and aimless circling. An affected animal shows signs of weight loss, might develop matted fur, hindquarter ataxia, and its tail arched over its back. Seizures may very rarely"
"they are incredibly rare. Mink are kept in captivity primarily for the production of their fur. They are often kept in battery cages and frequently exhibit stereotypies. These abnormal, repetitive behaviours increase near their feeding time, specifically pacing and cage biting, both of which are thought to be the captive equivalent of hunting by the mink. Stereotypies have also been noted to increase during human presence. To attempt to eliminate stereotypies in captive mink, the National Farm Animal Care Council has implemented regulations on incorporating environmental enrichments into mink cages. Enrichments are pen-related alterations or the addition of novel objects"
"minks in size. Adult males are 28–39 cm long, while females reach 25–30.5 cm. The tail in males reaches 15.5–21 cm in length, while that of females reaches 13.3–16.4 cm. Males weigh 650–820 g, while females weigh 360–430 g. Exceptionally large individuals have on rare occasions occurred in the Baraba steppe. The skull is in several respects intermediate in form between that of the stoat and the mink ; it is longer and larger than that of the stoat, but is somewhat more flattened than the mink's. Their winter fur is very dense, soft and fluffy, with guard hairs reaching"
"memory. Minks were found to outperform ferrets, skunks, and cats in this task, but this letter (short paper) fails to account for a possible conflation of a cognitive ability (decision making, associative learning) with a largely perceptual ability (invariant object recognition). The species' natural range encompasses North America from Alaska and Canada through the United States except Arizona and the more arid areas of California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and West Texas. Feral American minks in Europe are thought to be of domesticated stock derived from the ""N. v. vison"", ""N. v. melampeplus"" and ""N. v. ingens"" subspecies. The first"
"she has to save the day. Dink: Matt's pet and a good monster. He speaks in its own language that only Matt can understand. He can fire electrical discharges from the horns on his head. The Mini-Monsters: Are small and good monsters who Matt keeps as pets. One of the Mini-Monsters is a greenish-brown sludge monster with only one eye, called Mika. The second Mini-Monster is a light purple creature with a cat-like head and the lower body of a squid, called Uxi. The third Mini-Monster is a small, golden colored dragon with glasses and small burgundy wings, called Sid."
"and less elongated, with more strongly developed projections and a wider, shorter cranium. The upper molars are larger and more massive than those of the European mink. The dental formula is . Domestic mink, which are bred in fur farms and are substandard genetically, have 19.6% smaller brains, 8.1% smaller hearts, and 28.2% smaller spleens than wild mink. The feet are broad, with webbed digits. It generally has eight nipples, with one pair of inguinal teats and three pairs of abdominal teats. The adult male's penis is long, and is covered by a sheath. The baculum is well-developed, being triangular"
"Mink frog The mink frog (""Lithobates septentrionalis"") is a small species of frog native to the United States and Canada. They are so named for their scent, which reportedly smells like a mink. The scent is more akin to that of rotting onions to those unfamiliar with mink. It is also sometimes referred to as the north frog. The mink frog is a small frog, growing up to . The dorsum is generally green in color, with darker green and brown blotching and the belly is a cream, yellow, or white. They are sexually dimorphic in that males typically have"
"possible in newly weaned kits. Mature mink often survive the disease after a period of sickness which may last several weeks. In addition to the overt signs a reduction of the number of leukocytes in the blood may be found in affected animals. Treatment consists of oral rehydration therapy in addition to supportive care. Surgical removal of necrotic tissue may be necessary. Canine parvovirus Mink enteritis virus Mink enteritis virus (MEV) is a species of parvovirus that infects mink and causes enteritis. Like all parvoviruses, it is a small (18–26 nm), spherical virus, and has a single-stranded DNA genome. The"
"Bink (animated character) Bink is a cartoon character and the unofficial mascot of Eric Miller Animation Studios. He was created by Eric M. Miller and Charlie Petrek at the Eric Miller Animation Studios in 2015, and designed by Valerio Fabbretti. Bink is an unknown species from Earth who is covered in yellow fur with blue spots, and cloth wraps around his forearms, and lower legs. He also wears an amulet around his neck which looks like a compass of some sort. Bink first appeared in the first episode of the animated web series ""Bink"" which was released in May 2016."
"Mink enteritis virus Mink enteritis virus (MEV) is a species of parvovirus that infects mink and causes enteritis. Like all parvoviruses, it is a small (18–26 nm), spherical virus, and has a single-stranded DNA genome. The signs and symptoms of enteritis usually appear within 4–7 days after infection. The virus replicates in the cells of the crypt epithelium in the duodenum and jejunum and, to a lesser extent the ileum, colon and caecum. The severity of the disease is directly related to necrosis of the crypt epithelium. Virus enteritis of mink was recognized first in 1947 when epizootics occurred among"
"farms use about 200,000 tons of dairy products. Great horned owls, bobcats, foxes, coyotes, wolves, and humans are all natural predators of mink. Mink are often hunted to protect the fish population in lakes and rivers, but are becoming endangered because of this. They are trapped for their fur (though the majority of mink fur on the market comes from fur farms.). Mink like to live near water and are seldom found far from riverbanks, lakes and marshes. Even when roaming, they tend to follow streams and ditches. Sometimes they leave the water altogether for a few hundred meters, especially"
"Britain and Ireland"", 1906, vol. 3, p. 279), ""Minkie was a Norwegian seaman who was always calling 'Hval' at whatever backfin he saw. He is now regarded as the type of the 'tenderfoot' at sea. Norwegians often refer to any small whale with some contempt or amusement as a 'Minkie' or 'Minkie's hval'."" The American marine biologist and painter Richard Ellis, citing the Norwegian scientist Age Jonsgård, stated ""that Meincke was a German laborer working for Svend Foyn, inventor of the grenade harpoon. Meincke 'one day mistook a school of this whale species for blue whales... most probably he made"
"American mink often carries light tick and flea infestations. Tick species known to infest minks include ""Ixodes hexagonus"", ""Ixodes canisuga"", ""Ixodes ricinus"", and ""Ixodes acuminatus"". Flea species known to infest minks include ""Palaeopsylla minor"", ""Malaraeus penicilliger"", ""Ctenopthalmus noblis"", ""Megabothris walkeri"", ""Typhloceras poppei"", and ""Nosopsyllus fasciatus"". Endoparasites include ""Skrjabingylus nasicola"" and ""Troglotrema acutum"". Trematode ""Metorchis conjunctus"" can also infect American minks. Transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) is a prion disease of mink, similar to BSE in cattle and scrapie in sheep. A 1985 outbreak of TME in Stetsonville, Wisconsin resulted in a 60% mortality rate for the minks. Further testing revealed this"
"when looking for rabbits, one of their favorite foods. In some places, particularly in Scotland and in Iceland, where they have become a problem, they live along the seashore. Sometimes they live in towns, if suitable water is available. Mink may be present at all hours, even when people are nearby. Mink are very territorial animals. A male mink will not tolerate another male within his territory, but appears to be less aggressive towards females. Generally, the territories of both male and female animals are separate, but a female's territory may sometimes overlap with that of a male. Very occasionally,"
"European mink, Pyrenean desman, and water vole populations. It is the animal most frequently farmed for its fur, exceeding the silver fox, sable, marten, and skunk in economic importance. As a species, the American mink represents a more specialized form than the European mink in the direction of carnivory, as indicated by the more developed structure of the skull. Fossil records of the American mink go back as far as the Irvingtonian, though the species is uncommon among Pleistocene animals. Its fossil range corresponds with the species' current natural range. The American minks of the Pleistocene did not differ much"
"smallest species of whales. There are also smaller numbers killed of gray whales, sei whales, Bryde's whales, bowhead whales, fin whales and humpback whales. Recent scientific surveys estimate a population of 103,000 minkes in the northeast Atlantic. With respect to the populations of Antarctic minke whales, as of January 2010, the IWC states that it is ""unable to provide reliable estimates at the present time"" and that a ""major review is underway by the Scientific Committee."" Whale oil is used little today and modern whaling is primarily done for food: for pets, fur farms, sled dogs and humans, and for"
"being greater on the left side than on the right. In contrast, dwarf minkes have smaller baleen plates of only in length, have a greater number of white plates (over 54%, often 100%) that lack this asymmetrical coloration, and have a narrow dark gray border (when present) of less than 6% of the width of the plate. Antarctic minkes have an average of 42 to 44 thin, narrow ventral grooves (range 32 to 70) that extend to about 48% of the length of the body – well short of the umbilicus. Antarctic minke whales occur throughout much of the Southern"
"known to prey on the critically endangered, native European mink (""Mustela lutreola"") (perhaps due to its shier habits) which the American mink are known to have been outcompeting in some areas (but the European has mainly declined due to massive overhunting by humans as a furbearer). Kits of larger mammals such as Eurasian (""Castor fiber"") and North American beavers (""Castor canadensis"") (introduced) and of European badger (""Meles meles"") have been found as prey. The most widely reported mammalian prey known (albeit usually as a supplemental prey species) in the non-native muskrat (""Ondatra zibethicus""), which averages about , and may be"
"Polecat–mink hybrid A polecat–mink hybrid, also known as ""khor'-tumak"" by furriers and ""khonorik"" by fanciers, is a hybrid between a European polecat (""Mustela putorius"") and a European mink (""M. lutreola""). Such hybridisation is very rare in the wild, and typically only occurs where European mink are declining. The two species likely began hybridising during the early 20th century, when Northern Europe underwent a warm climatic period which coincided with an expansion of the range of the polecat into the mink's habitat. Polecat–mink hybrids have a poorly defined facial mask, have yellow fur on the ears, grey-yellow underfur and long, dark-brown"
"tours taken on the east coast of Canada. They are also one of the most commonly sighted whales seen on whale-watches from New England and eastern Canada. In contrast to humpback whales, minkes do not raise their flukes out of the water when diving and are less likely to breach (jump clear of the sea surface). This, combined with the fact that minkes can stay submerged for as long as 20 minutes, has led some whale-watchers to label them 'stinky minkes'. In the northern Great Barrier Reef (Australia), a swim-with-whales tourism industry has developed based on the June and July"
"guard hairs. They are fairly large, with males attaining the peak sizes known for European polecats (weighing 1.12-1.75 kg and measuring 41–47 cm in length) and females being much larger than female European minks (weighing around 0.75 kg and measuring 37 cm in length). The majority of polecat–mink hybrids have skulls bearing greater similarities to those of polecats than to minks. Hybrids can swim well like minks and burrow for food like polecats. They are very difficult to tame and breed, as males are sterile, though females are fertile. The first captive-bred polecat–mink hybrid was produced in 1978 by Soviet"
"it may be totally within a male's. The territories, which tend to be long and narrow, stretch along river banks, or around the edges of lakes or marshes. Territory sizes vary, but they can be several miles long. Female territories are smaller than those of males. Each territory has one or two central areas (core areas) where the mink spends most of its time. The core area is usually associated with a good food supply, such as a pool rich in fish, or a good rabbit warren. The mink may stay in its core area, which can be quite small,"