This week, it appears that one mink will be feasting. According to unusual camera footage, an elusive Everglades mink looked to be lugging a big snake in its jaws while crossing a road recently.
Capturing a Mink on Cam
Carolina-based Hannah Cardenas captured the mink on camera and uploaded the film to Facebook, published by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). According to the footage, the snake seems to be nearly double the length of the mink's body.
When you see this Everglades mink scampering across the road carrying DINNER, imagine your astonishment! "The FWC made a Facebook post. This mink rushed across the road in front of them on their way home after a nature excursion at Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park - seconds later, it went BACK across the road with a GIANT SNAKE in its teeth!"
"Because this species is small-sized, fast-moving, and adept at keeping out of sight," says the FWC of the Everglades mink, which is threatened in Florida. People frequently confuse them with river otters, which are more common.
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Threatened Habitat
Changes in the water level in the Everglades wetlands threaten the Everglades mink's habitat. Drainage, logging, and the development of dikes, canals, and roads in the area are all reasons for this. According to Everglades Adventure, it is one of three varieties of American mink in Florida, all of which are threatened by exotic species such as the Burmese python.
You don't want to be the first to spot a mink. When the animals are disturbed, they may shoot forth a foul-smelling substance like skunk spray. Its goal is to keep predators at bay while also alerting other mink to their presence.
Except during breeding season, the mink is nocturnal and largely solitary. Female minks have litters of three to six pups at this period, which stay with them until fall.
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Conservation
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) keeps track of animal, plant, and fungal species on the verge of extinction. It's regarded as a barometer of world variety. It also identifies 40,000 species as endangered at the moment.
On that list is the European mink. It is currently in serious jeopardy. Hunting and trapping, notably for use in fashion garments and accessories, habitat degradation, invasive species, and illnesses are dangers to the species.
Compared to its European equivalent, the American mink fared slightly better. Action will be required to prevent the latter species from degrading to the next level on the IUCN's barometer, which is extinct in the wild.
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