European mink
Mustela lutreola
Alina Urusova · Volgograd
Key facts in one look
- Size
- 35–43 cm body
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Status in Georgia
- Possibly extinct
- Habitat
- Densely vegetated riverbanks
- Family
- Mustelidae
- Conservation
- CR / CR
The European mink (Mustela lutreola) is a semi-aquatic predator: it swims, dives and rarely strays far from fresh water. In the 1930s it was common and widespread on the rivers of north-western Georgia that flow into the Black Sea. By the early 1990s, if it survived at all, it must have been very rare. Globally it is Critically Endangered: its range has shrunk by more than 85% since the mid-19th century. If you see a dark animal with white lips on a riverbank, that would be a rare and valuable observation.
Identification
European mink: how to identify it
A small, long-bodied, short-legged predator with dark brown fur. The face has no pattern, but the upper and lower lips and the chin are white. The most reliable mark is the white upper lip: the American mink almost never has it.
A male's body is 373–430 mm long, a female's 352–400 mm. The tail is about 40% of body length: 153–190 mm in males, 150–180 mm in females. Weight is 550–800 g. These figures describe the species as a whole, not animals measured in Georgia.
The fur ranges from dark brown to almost blackish brown, while light animals are reddish brown. The face is plain, with only the upper and lower lips and the chin white. These white lips show well even from a distance.
The American mink almost never has white on the upper lip, and its tail is longer, almost half its body length. The Eurasian otter lives on the same rivers but is a much larger animal. If you see a small, dark animal by the water with both lips white, it is a European mink.
Colour
Swatches are illustrative. Do not identify a species by colour alone.
Often confused with
The European mink lives on densely vegetated banks of rivers and streams, and in the warm season sometimes on lake shores. It rarely strays more than 100 m from fresh water and has never been recorded on the sea coast. It favours forest streams that do not freeze in winter. In the Caucasus it lives by streams and lakes surrounded by forest. It occurs up to 1,120 m above sea level. Its permanent burrow lies within 6–10 m of the water's edge. In Georgia, in the 1930s, it was common and widespread on the north-western rivers flowing into the Black Sea. By the early 1990s, if it still existed, it must have been very rare. Information on its status has been very scarce since then.
The European mink hunts both on the bank and in the water. Its main food is voles, followed by crustaceans, frogs and water insects. In floodplains fish is important food too, and it also eats small mammals and birds. It needs 140–180 g of food a day.
The European mink is active mainly at dusk and at night, and sometimes hunts on overcast days too. It swims and dives well and can stay underwater for up to two minutes. When alarmed, it dives and surfaces 10–20 m away. It is sedentary: it lives along a 250–2,000 m stretch of shore, and in hard frosts it stays in its burrow for long periods. Mating takes place from February to April. Pregnancy lasts 40–43 days, and the young are born in April–May. A litter usually has 4–5 young, from 2 to 7. The mother nurses them for 10 weeks, and they become independent at 70–84 days. Females mature by the next breeding season, at 11 months.
The European mink is globally Critically Endangered (CR, 2016). Over the last three generations its numbers have fallen by more than half, and over the next three the decline may exceed 80%. Its range has shrunk by more than 85% since the mid-19th century, and its numbers have probably fallen by more than 90% since the early 20th century. The 2011 global assessment counted Georgia among the countries where the species has disappeared. In Georgia's 2021 national assessment the European mink is Critically Endangered (CR), and its population trend is unknown. The main threats are habitat loss, overhunting for fur and the American mink. Hybridisation with the European polecat (Mustela putorius), road deaths and disease also threaten local populations.
Related guides
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It is not known for certain. In the 1930s it was common on the rivers of north-western Georgia that flow into the Black Sea. By the early 1990s, if it survived, it must have been very rare. The 2011 global assessment counted it as extinct in Georgia, while the national assessment treats it as Critically Endangered.
By the lips. The European mink has white upper and lower lips and chin, while the American mink almost never has white on the upper lip. The American mink also has a longer tail, almost half its body length. If the upper lip is white, you are looking at a European mink.
By size. The Eurasian otter is a much larger animal, while the European mink weighs 550–800 g. The European mink has both lips white. Both live on riverbanks and swim well, so from a distance pay attention to size.
On densely vegetated banks of rivers and streams, and sometimes on lake shores. It rarely strays more than 100 m from fresh water. It favours forest streams that do not freeze in winter. It occurs up to 1,120 m above sea level.
Mainly voles, followed by crustaceans, frogs and water insects. In floodplains it also eats a lot of fish. It needs 140–180 g of food a day.
No. The European mink is not venomous and does not attack people. On the contrary, it is itself in very great danger. If you see one, do not approach it and photograph it from a distance.
Because of several causes acting together. Riverbanks were destroyed, it was hunted on a massive scale for fur in the early 20th century, and then the American mink spread. Its range has shrunk by more than 85% since the mid-19th century. Globally it is Critically Endangered (CR, 2016).
References
What this profile is based on
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
