This weeks episode of the extinct will feature an animal which also went extinct due to human activities, they were hunted to extinction for their fur, nothing was done to stop the overhunting so they went extict before anyone could notice, the sea mink was not studied so most of the information about them was inferred with respect to their remains, closely related living species and accounts by humans who met them. Welcome to The Extinct #5
Source
Description
Not much was known about the sea mink as their extinction occurred just before any form of scientific study was done on them. Hence their appearance and their behaviour were not documented well but inferred from their remains and relatives and also from the description given by some fur traders and some Native American.
Ernest Seton who was a wildlife Artist made some probable dimension of the sea mink. Possible dimensions of the sea mink were said to be about 82.6- 91.4 cm when measured from the head to its tail. And they have a tail dimension to be about 25.4cm.
Females were said to be smaller than the males; this prediction was given with respect to the skulls of this animal which was excavated
A naturalist by name Joseph bank who saw their existence said they were a bit large than the Fox with tapered tail at end and having leg a bit long.
Where They Were Found
The sea mink was known to be a marine mammal which lived in New England along the rocky coast and also in the southern Maritime Province. Their remain was also found in the Maine coast. They were also suspected to have inhabited the Rhode Island and Connecticut, but analysis shows that they mostly trapped along the Gulf of Maine and was said to formally exist in the southwest part of Nova Scotia.
Bones of this animal was also found in Massachusetts; analysis was that they might have reached the area travelling up the river or probably brought there being carried by some Native American which might just be true as no other remains were found in the area.
A conclusion was brought that American minks alone were inhabitants of the mainlands and the sea mink covered range along Island hence all their remains found in the mainland was brought there, but this was challenged by a man named Graham with the hypothesis that all of this species must have originated from a population. But we can not conclude now on their range since they are now amongst the Extinct.
Their Diet And Behavior
As a marine mammal the sea mink played a large role in the Marine ecosystem, they were suggested to be an intertidal predator and had a similar diet with the American mink being that they consumed seabirds and their eggs,fish, marine invertebrate which was thought to be their main diet.
According to reports by fur traders, dens of the sea mink had two entrance, and their dens were in the rocks which were piled up, remains of the ocean post and the toad sculpins were the most common in their dens and also the garden band snail was also being reported as part of their meal
They must have gotten their large size due to the seafood diet they had, and according to reports by fur traders, during the day, they are to be found in rocks and caves.
Since their range with the American mink overlap, the sea mink was thought to hybridise with the American mink and also, they were considered aquatic since they were found in coastal waters but not like the otter which was considered to be the most aquatic of the species, taxon.
Only little was known about their social behaviour, but inferred with other species of the Mustela genus the sea mink would have to fall under the solitary animals category. Minks are territorial and males usually aggressive to other male minks. It was believed that each male tries to defend its territory which was a linear territory few kilometres from the bank of the river. Their female territory may overlap with that of the male, but male territory does not extend to another male's territory, their scent is a signal of another present and trespassing by a male was said to result to violence.
Reproduction
According to inferred reproduction, they are promiscuous animals mating with several partners and male roaming from their territories for more partners.
They give birth to the rang of 5-10 offspring which tend to stick to the mother for about 13-14 weeks, but their independent are faced with dangers which led to a high mortality rate.
How The Sea Mink Went Extinct
Weasel family was historically hunted for their fur, since their fur is very warm and soft most especially during the winter on growing of thick coats and this was the main reason for the hunt to extinct.
Since there was no law then to regulate the hunting and killing of the endangered species or those vulnerable the hunting for fur was done at an extreme with the hunters taking as many mink as they could lay their hands on since there was a huge demand for fur of this nature in Europe leading to the extinction of the sea mink.
Earlier the hunting of this animal was by native Americans which was not a big issue then, but it was a population declining factor since they were hunted for their meat before the fur traders from Europe came.
The issue of hunting led to a drastic decline in the population of the sea mink since they could not give birth to infants as fast to keep up with the population. Also, the sea mink had a very over the line infant mortality rate; this implies that their young ones often die at a young age not likely to reach adulthood.
Also, the issue of conservation had not been seen seriously then. Hence the sea mink was not given any form of protection neither were there plans to save them as they were already extinct before we could see the cause of our actions.
We Could Not Save The Sea Mink, But There Is Hope For The European Mink.
The European mink
And this is the section of this series where I introduce a related endangered species which we can do something about
Though similar in colour with regards to the American mink, and having a name similar, similar behaviour and build, the European mink is not very related with them. They occur in the forest streams which is not known for freezing during winter.
Their diet is primarily fish, frogs, voles insects and crustaceans. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN, they are listed amongst the critically endangered animals because of their decline with respect to their population. The number of the European mink seal began to decline in the 19th century and thats due to the factors listed below.
Reason For Decline
Loss Of Their Habitat: This related decline started in the ice age which was further increased by human activities as this species are dependent on the wetlands. Their decline in Finland, Central Europe, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine is linked to drainage of little Rivers. The effect of land drainage has taken effect to their population most especially in Germany during the 19th century, but in areas where there still is a stable ecosystem their decline is more than the change of wetlands and can also be caused due to increased agriculture by humans.
Overhunting: history has seen this mink hunted in an overrated manner Most especially in Russia where a temporary ban on mink hunting has been set to try to increase their population.
Predation has also contributed to the decline of this species; predators include the American mink, the European polecat, the red fox, and the large owls. The increase in the number of red foxes may have contributed to their decrease as the red fox is known to prey on mustelid.
Also, the decline in crayfish have also contributed to their decline; the record shows that the decline of the European mink in Finland was due to a plague which came on the crayfish in the area as the European mink won't be found in any place the crayfish is not found.
This is an animal worth the save so we should try as much as possible in ways possible to conserve the European mink as humans stand between the gap against extinction of a species.
My Thoughts
Though not much was known about the sea mink (and nothing more can be known since they are extinct), the sea mink, as can be seen, was a cool animal, and their extinction can tell how the actions of humans can lead to wiping out a population of animals, hence this should build in us the need to stand in the gap between the verge of extinction. Here is a collection video made with respect to the sea mink.
The sea mink was extinct before anyone could notice, but there is still hope for the European mink and other endangered species.
Have You Seen Other Episodes Of This Series?
Refrences
The sea mink
The Sea mink 2
How They Went Extinct
The european mink
The European mink status