Mink (Mustela vison) are found across eastern North America in wetlands and along creeks and rivers. This nocturnal carnivore is rarely seen but you might get a glimpse of one in winter when they’re a bit more active during the day. Mink have a chocolate brown to nearly black fur that was once prized for its soft, lustrous undercoat. Long, oily guard hairs cover the undercoat and keep it dry. However, this oil isn’t the same thing as the “mink oil” you apply to your leather boots. Rather, this mink oil comes from rendering the fat off harvested pelts. Mink are also well known for their large anal glands that expel a musky smell when they get excited or disturbed by a predator.
The Cherokee have a story for how the Mink got its dark coat and musky smell. It’s linked in the comments.
Photo by Nicole Beaulac, CC BY-NC-ND
