What animal beats the bed with its paws and teeth. Kunye tribe of our country. Temporary homes for water rats

The mink (in Latin Lutreola), one of the most valuable fur-bearing animals in the world, does not actually dig any minks. IN wildlife it tends to settle near water, in the trunks of fallen trees or hollows. The only exception is if the mink suddenly likes the hole of a water rat. In such cases, she mercilessly drives the owner out of there, expropriates the hole and carries out its planning. The owner of precious fur is also a very good housewife who loves comfort. She expands the rat hole, lining the floor with leaves, dry grass, bird feathers, and moss. He fluffs up the bedding with his teeth and paws, makes several exits from the house and sets up a “latrine” near one of them, the farthest one.

The mink is a very dexterous, beautiful and graceful animal with a narrow, long body, a cute, intelligent face and unusually beautiful silky fur. The animal's paws are equipped with swimming membranes; it hunts a lot in the water, swims and dives superbly, and feeds on fish, crayfish, frogs, insects, and rodents. However, it can catch a duck and even a goose.

There are two types of minks living in Russia: European and American. The European one has long lived in Europe and the Trans-Urals, and the American one was brought to us at the beginning of the twentieth century, exclusively for breeding on fur farms. American women apparently quite often managed to escape into the wild, where she adapted perfectly and began to actively reproduce. We must assume that these were mass escapes, since European and American mink do not interbreed. Oddly enough, the European mink is much closer to the black polecat than to its American namesake. In those places where they live at the same time, minks mate with ferrets and even give birth to offspring, a hybrid called “mink-cuff”.

As a result of the expansion of American minks, there were so many that they began to significantly displace and even exterminate European ones. Until the fifties of the 20th century, its numbers increased unusually and in some forestry even threatened the natural balance. However, in the sixties, mink fishing assumed the scale of barbaric destruction. Now hunting for it is strictly regulated and limited winter time, after the females have already hatched and raised their cubs.

The American mink is larger than the European mink, it is as tall as a sable, and its fur is dark brown in color. Blue and white minks are artificially bred breeds and are not found in the wild.

Adults are not afraid of the cold, they do not fall into hibernation, swim and hunt in icy water, hide under the snow, but cubs up to two months of age cannot support constant temperature bodies. At minus ten degrees and below, they experience a state similar to clinical death. However, the female can warm them up and bring them back to life even after several hours of such suspended animation.

The mating season for these animals is approaching in early spring, and by the end of spring the cubs already appear. One female brings up to seven babies. Most mink habits are similar to the lifestyle of other animals. birds of the weasel family.

On our website you can also buy stuffed animals made in our workshop.

Mink- a close relative of the ferret. Now in Russia there are two types of minks: European and American. Minks have webbed feet. Their lifestyle and appearance are somewhat reminiscent of otter burrows: they settle near the water, swim and dive perfectly. They catch fish and frogs, crayfish, mollusks, insects, rodents, ducks, and sometimes even geese. American minks sometimes hunt hares. They eat berries. Where American and European minks meet, there are crossbreeds between them, but their relationship is generally not peaceful: American minks displace and even exterminate European minks.

Contrary to their name, these animals are reluctant to dig holes: most often their nests are located in hollows above the roots of old willows, under fallen trees. “There are usually one or two exits and entrances from the nesting chamber,” write V.V. Dezhkin and S.V. Marakov. - Near one of them, behind the threshold of the dwelling, there is a restroom. The mink has an innate habit of cleanliness... The floor is covered with dry grass, leaves, moss, pine needles... The animal often fluffs up its bed. He does this masterfully, with his paws and teeth at the same time, then he lies down and curls up into a ball.”

Geneticists have bred minks of various colors on fur farms: sapphire, pearl, topaz, silver, white, steel and others - more than two dozen color forms. The price of a skin of a new fashionable color at world auctions is sometimes $400.

Now we will talk about the largest animals weasel family. And the first of them is the sea otter, or sea ​​otter: Old males weigh 40 kg. Second place goes to the wolverine: the weight of mature ones is 32 kg (but females weigh only 16 kg).

“This is a kudoy, ​​very kudoy, ​​the very last beast,” as A.A. says. Cherkasov, the wolverine has long been a characteristic in Siberia. “Kudoy” (i.e. thin, bad) - because she eats carrion and does not disdain snakes. “She, damned, clouds her vision, so that after that the dogs see poorly and lose her from their eyes,” disgusting with the stench that she emits when the dogs surround her. Wolverine steals every suppressed animal and bird from traps (however, she manages not to fall into the trap). Hunting grub, food supplies left in the forest, also steals. And what it won’t eat or carry away, it pours its odorous liquid on it in order to mark it with its smell.

Most animals that live underground settle in ready-made burrows left by previous residents. However, most mammals arrange their own homes themselves. They conscientiously take care of order and regularly clean their burrow, changing the bedding.

Moles (genus Tair) lead a solitary life in a labyrinth of underground corridors that can occupy an area of ​​up to 1200 m2. In the molehills, visible from the outside, there are ventilation shafts or a large chamber, which is intended for sleeping.

Badgers live in families. An ordinary hole reaches thirty meters in diameter and has several exits. The badger most readily settles in quiet areas of the forest with soft soil, but it can also be found in the steppe or semi-desert areas. On the trees not far from its hole, marks from the badger's claws are visible - this is how the animal cleans or sharpens its claws.

Wild rabbits They dig holes with their strong front paws. They are able to build large galleries with numerous rooms in which a large colony of these animals can live.

The marsupial mole, which lives in the northeast and south of Australia, moves underground in a special way - it seems as if the animal is swimming. The mole loosens the ground in front of it, quickly working with strong, pointed claws of the third and fourth fingers of the forelimbs. Then the mole pushes it away with his head and rakes the soil under himself, making quick movements with his whole body, the mole deftly slips into the dug hole.

• Sometimes foxes settle in part of the Badger Hole. The badger cannot stand their smell, so it is often forced to leave its hole.
• The marsupial mole digs temporary short feeding passages. After an animal walks over them, the ground crumbles. In these temporary tunnels, the marsupial mole searches underground for invertebrates, which form the bulk of its menu. Sometimes a marsupial mole gets to the surface and continues to dig a tunnel in a new place. The muzzle of the marsupial mole is protected by a keratinized shield.
• Many mammals benefit from living underground. When it’s cold, they hide in underground galleries from the cold, and when it’s hot outside, they hide from the heat. In addition, the animals are protected from enemies and can safely raise their young.

Many representatives of the mustelid family dig underground storage facilities (for example, the badger), or occupy other people's abandoned burrows, as do ferrets and stoats. Rodents also live underground - gray rats, voles and shrews; insectivores - moles.

Moles most spend their lives underground. They come to the surface to collect construction material for a nest or if frost occurs - then the animals go outside to search for food. Moles are hunted by many different predators, including red foxes.

The badger is practically omnivorous. He leads night look life. The badger loves to eat earthworms. Other animals that live underground, such as African meerkats, come out to hunt during the day. They feed mainly on insects.

Animals living in countries with temperate climate, they hide in burrows from the cold. And desert residents hide underground from the sweltering midday heat.

The body shape of mammals leading an underground lifestyle is ideal for moving through underground tunnels. Thus, the mole has a pointed mouth and spade-shaped forelimbs with long claws, with which it is convenient for him to dig the ground. The mole's body tapers slightly towards the tail. Thanks to this shape, it moves forward like a rotor, and at the same time pushes part of the excavated earth towards the walls of the tunnel. The mole moves the remaining soil to its hind paws and uses them to reject them back. The mole's vision is practically undeveloped, but such an important defect, it would seem, does not prevent him from leading. active image life.

All eight species of badgers have a strong body with short legs that are covered with thick short hair. Their claws are very strong, non-retractable, and are perfectly suited for digging. In Australia, the equivalent of badgers is the wombat. The pouch, which is located on the abdomen of a female wombat, opens not forward, like in most marsupials (for example, a kangaroo), but backwards. Thanks to this, clay and sand do not get into it when digging tunnels.

The wombat's forelimbs are very short, with hard claws. The wombat digs with one or the other front paw.

Bengal and Indian bandicoots live in tropical regions of Asia. These small animals also live underground. Bandicoots have relatively small ears; Their eyesight is poor: all this is a consequence of the underground lifestyle, because underground the sense of smell is more important than sight and hearing.

Many animals hibernate during the cold season and build winter chambers underground. But not all species of mammals living underground fall into true hibernation. So, the chipmunk hibernates. He prepares a special storage room for himself for the winter. Chipmunks close the entrance to the hole so tightly that the cold does not get inside, sometimes they suffocate from lack of oxygen.

But usually they instinctively wake up at the moment when the oxygen in their “sleeping” runs out. Well-isolated corridors in the chipmunk's hole are 7 m long, one of them turns into a nesting chamber, as the animals mate immediately after waking up from hibernation.

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The simplest structure that mammals build, or rather dig, is a burrow. Burrows are dug by the platypus and red fox, rabbit and armadillo, marmot and jerboa, hamster and badger and many other animals, inhabitants of all continents. The European mole is a very skilled craftsman in creating underground galleries among animals. Its burrows are complex labyrinths. The network of underground corridors laid by moles can be partially judged by the well-known molehills - mounds of discarded earth. Under one of these molehills there is a house for a mole-digger. Typically, a molehill with housing is located in a safer place, for example, under the roots, under a lying tree, and is located at a fairly large distance from the mole’s hunting area. The housing is arranged very skillfully. Inside the molehill there is a round chamber, or nest, lined with moss, dry grass, and soft roots. A tunnel leads from the nest, first down and then to the surface. It is used in case of danger to escape. Multi-meter passages branch off in different directions.

The badger hole also has a rather complex structure, with several floors and many entrances and exits. The main room, where the entire badger family gathers, is located at a depth of up to 5 meters. It is lined with dry grass, which is regularly replaced with new grass. There is order and cleanliness, fresh air in the hole.

Over many millions of years, some animals have adapted to build nests in trees. Of such kind cozy nest built by the well-known squirrel. Its spherical nest is placed on the branches. Outer layer The nests are woven from thin twigs, the inner one is made from dry grass, moss, and lichen. In those places where there are more harsh winters, squirrels thicken the walls of the nest and line it with additional down and feathers. The nest is covered with a cone-shaped roof made of tightly folded brushwood and pieces of bark to prevent rain from penetrating into the housing. And in winter, nature itself completes the snow roof. The nest has one or two entrances. When going hunting, a squirrel covers the entrance to the nest with moss or dry grass.

The squirrel is very sensitive to rain and thunderstorms. Already several hours before the storm, she worries. And as soon as it starts to rain, she climbs into her home and sits there until good weather comes.

An ingenious structure the size of an average orange is the spherical nest of a tiny mouse. This animal is a real architect, and its construction is an original structure. He builds a nest from blades of grass and leaves. Usually, the mouse weaves living plant leaves into the walls of the nest: the nest rests on them, and the plants continue to grow. Often a baby mouse hangs its nest from several stems of cereals, nettles or other plants at a height of 20 to 80 centimeters.

The baby mouse's nest has neither entrance nor exit. It's quite loose. Therefore, when the mouse goes to feed or returns from it, it easily pushes the wall of the house and climbs inside. The baby mouse's home is temporary: it only uses it to hatch its young.

The most outstanding builder among mammals is the beaver. Many people know his famous huts, dams, and dams. The beaver builds a hut from branches, pieces of young tree trunks, held together with silt. There is an access hole in the ceiling of the hut fresh air. The hut occupies a single room approximately 1.5 meters wide and about 1 meter high. There is an underwater exit leading outside the hut. Beaver lodges reach considerable sizes - they can be up to 10 meters in diameter and up to 3 meters in height. Usually beavers place them in a shallow area of ​​a river or lake.

A hive is the home of bees - the latter themselves found places for themselves either in the crevices of rocks, or in some hollow sides.

The most primitive type of shelter is a den. It is located in a small depression in the soil among fallen leaves, in a hole, in a windfall, under tree roots and stumps turned out of the ground. Hares and ungulates generally do not have permanent homes; they have disposable roosts.

Who taught them this art? All this behavior that appears to be intelligent is explained by with the most complex instincts, which have developed in animals over the course of their long historical development. However, it is also important that animals, from generation to generation, adopting the experience of their elders, and gradually consolidating it, learned to apply principles unknown to them and began to show exceptional construction talent, which is only known in the animal world.

Additional material

Burrows are passages dug by animals in the ground.

A nest is a temporary and even often short-term dwelling where the offspring of birds are located. Bird nests are extremely diverse in size, design, material and location

Rookeries are coastal beaches where large concentrations of animals form. Typically, this term is applied to describe biology marine mammals. For example, coastal rookeries form eared seals- northern fur seal, sea lion, etc.

A lair is a place for long-term rest, hibernation, or breeding of young in some mammals.

Dens used for a short period of time are called bedding; They are hosted by hares, rodents and most ungulates.

The shell is a shelter, a home for the mollusk, which is part of its body.

A turtle shell is a real portable home. The fact is that a turtle is a very slow and clumsy creature. Any predator could catch and eat her. And the shell helps to avoid this.

Beehive - home of bees

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A good hole, nest or shell protects animals from rain, wind, heat or cold. In addition, they can become a refuge from predators, a storehouse of food supplies and a place for the birth and raising of offspring. Trees, caves or rocks, if available, are best suited for these purposes. However, in flat places, such as the prairies of North America, they, unfortunately, do not exist. Therefore, animals like prairie dogs, settle underground in entire colonies, in which there can be thousands of animals. The burrows of these animals are like entire underground cities.

mobile home

Cephalopod nautilus (ship) lives in Indian and Pacific Oceans. Its house is a mother-of-pearl spiral shell divided into a large number of cameras The diameter of the shell can reach 25 cm. The nautilus lives in the outermost chamber, the others are filled with air and connected to the mollusk by a tube. The air pressure in the chambers is regulated by glands and allows the nautilus to float or submerge.

Stitched nest

Tailor ants living in tropical and sub-tropical tropical forests, build nests from leaves rolled into tubes. To do this, some of them connect the ends of two leaves with jaws and paws, others “sew” them together. The threads for this are provided by ant larvae, each of which contains a sticky substance. The ants lightly press on the larvae, and glue comes out of them, as if from tubes. This does not harm the larvae in any way, and they continue to develop normally.

Animal builders

Many animals build durable burrows where they eat, sleep, hide from enemies, raise their young, and also hide from the piercing cold or sultry heat. Some of the animals build homes in the water. Others “weave” hanging nests close to neighboring ones, settle in hundreds and lead a social lifestyle. There are animals that build high ground dwellings, inside of which there are passages and chambers different sizes, and life there proceeds as in a well-organized state.

Beavers

Beavers used to be very common in Europe, Asia and North America. They are now protected by law because huge numbers of them have been exterminated for their fine fur and the musk they produce, which is used in the perfume industry. The beaver is one of the heaviest rodents, it can weigh up to 30 kg. The beaver is an excellent swimmer, it has webbed swimming on its hind legs and a very strong tail, which it uses as a rudder. Beavers eat fresh bark and young shoots of trees, which they cut down with their long incisors. In the fall, beavers make provisions for the winter and store them near their home. For their houses, beavers bring branches, bushes and tree trunks from the nearest forest to the river; they use grass, stones and silt as fastening materials. The cone-shaped hut that beavers build has a ventilation hole at the top and can be up to 1.8 m high. The entrance to the hut is always located under water. If the water is very low, beavers build a dam and turn part of the river into a reservoir, where they can swim and dive. In addition, the dam serves to protect the beaver’s home from attacks by enemies. Beaver dams last quite a long time. Some were built by previous generations. The record among such dams is the beaver family dam in Montana - its length is 685 m.

Hanging Cities

They live in the savannas of southwest Africa community weavers- small birds, but great builders. They place their public nests, which can be up to 5 m in diameter, on tree branches or on telegraph poles. On the underside of this huge nest there are more than 100 holes, each of which leads to a separate small “apartment” for the bird couple, in whose privacy the neighbors do not interfere.

Termites

To live, termites of the dry savannah of Africa need to maintain a constant temperature in their home. Therefore, when building their huge, durable home, they must take care of good ventilation and thermoregulation in the labyrinth of numerous chambers and galleries. The size of the termite mound is impressive in itself, but its internal structure is also surprising. The passages in the walls play the role of an air conditioner: warm air rises up, gives off heat and falls down.
The nests of termites living in tropical rain forests are equipped with “umbrellas” that prevent water from getting inside. African savanna dotted with termite mounds built from particles of red clay glued together with saliva. These houses with a “pipe” reach 9 m in height.

In the state of termites, roles are assigned from birth. The queen's only concern is laying eggs. Millions of worker termites provide food and keep the “palace” clean and tidy. The termite queen, who occupies a special chamber in the depths of the termite mound, is the largest individual in the colony. The king who mates with her, the workers who feed her, and the soldiers who protect her are much smaller. The queen is a long-lived insect; she can live for decades.

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A burrow is a tunnel underground with one or more passages out, dug by animals to create space for living, temporary shelter, or simply a by-product of movement in the ground. Burrows are one of the types of protection from a number of predators, a place for storing food, therefore the burrowing lifestyle is widespread. The burrows are home to a range of fish, amphibians, reptiles (including small dinosaurs) and birds, as well as numerous invertebrates, including insects, spiders, sea ​​urchins, crustaceans, molluscs and worms. Among mammals, animals such as rabbits and gophers live in burrows; One of the types of holes is a bear's den.

A den is a wintering shelter for a bear in natural conditions. In rare cases, dens are called burrows of other mammals.

Device

The den can be located in a specially dug hole, hollow (at Himalayan bear), a hole under a tree root, a cave, a dug up anthill. Modern hunters divide dens into mounted and ground ones. The den may be located far from the bear’s summer habitat if he is not sure of its safety. It happens that many bears build dens in the neighborhood, but in the spring they scatter in different directions again. It has been observed that females build dens better than males.

The bear drags rags, moss and dry leaves into the chosen den, and covers the den with brushwood and spruce on top. The bear lies down in the den alone, while the she-bear sometimes goes with last year’s cubs and her nurse, and always lies in front of them. All bears curl up in a ball in the den, resting their muzzle on their chest and crossing their paws in front of their muzzle; hence the incorrect belief that bears suck their paws in winter. Since the animals lie with their heads towards the exit hole, their breathing causes the mouth of the den (the mouth of the den), as well as close standing trees and the bushes are covered with yellowish frost, which in open areas is visible from afar and often gives the animal away to hunters. Extremely important sign The den is also served by the fact that there are no animal traces near it, since animals, fearing a bear, avoid places that are dangerous for them.

Lie down brown bears into the den in November, wake up in March. Their offspring are born there.

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Beaver

The beaver is a mammal of the rodent genus. It has thick brown fur. The beaver is a fairly large animal, it can weigh up to thirty kilograms and reach more than a meter in length (including the tail). Lives in colonies forest rivers, swims and dives well. The beaver skin is covered with two types of fur. Some hairs are long, black and shiny, others are shorter and softer, forming a dense undercoat that prevents water from coming into contact with the skin. The beaver feeds mainly tree bark, as well as reeds, nettles and young shoots of trees. To fell a tree, the beaver begins to bite deep into the trunk on one side and continues working in a circle until the tree falls to the ground.

The beaver digs a hole underground, but makes its entrance and exit below the water level, which protects it from predators. The hole is large: it should fit the whole family and a supply of food for the winter. The beaver lives in forests on the banks of rivers and lakes, mainly in North America and Russia; sometimes found in Western Europe.

The beaver moves on land clumsily, but in water it is very mobile. It is water that serves as the real habitat of this animal. When there is little supply, the beaver will cut down trees to build a dam and increase the area where he can dig a burrow.

The beaver's nose, eyes and ears, like many other aquatic animals, are located so that it can see, hear and breathe while swimming without raising its head

Helping each other, beavers make a structure out of the trunks and branches they have fallen, which seems, at first glance, chaotic. In fact, this is a very durable structure that can withstand even high water.

The beaver has four long, sharp incisors covered with yellow-orange enamel. The jaw muscles are so strong that they develop pressure of up to 100 kg. The beaver needs such incisors to cut down trees and tear off the bark on which it feeds.

Another builder. Another rodent can also build complex burrows made of reeds and reeds in lakeside areas. This is a muskrat, whose homeland is North America. Colonies of wild muskrats are also found in Europe.

When there is no hole, the otter “blows through” the ice: it breathes on it, tears it with its teeth and makes a hole for itself if the ice is not too thick. Imperceptibly it swims on its back under a motionless pike and grabs it by the belly near the head. He will drag a large fish onto the ice, eat the middle, and throw the rest away. Foxes and stoats readily pick up these scraps.

Following the otter's tracks, fishermen find schools of fish in deep reservoirs in winter.

Sometimes it happens that a predator gets caught in a net stretched under the ice and suffocates. And it also happens: an ice fishing enthusiast instead large fish sees in the water... a mustachioed muzzle. A captive otter screams shrilly, breaks the fishing line with a sharp jerk, and most often leaves.

Most dangerous enemy otters - lynx, lying in wait for her near water bodies.

Prints of the front (top) and hind (bottom) paws otters.

Contrary to their name, these animals are reluctant to dig holes, and more often they make nests in low hollows or trunks of fallen trees. Sometimes the animal is driven out from under a hummock water rat, and expands the hole, putting things in order: the mink is a born neat person. The floor is covered with dry grass, leaves, moss, and bird feathers. He shakes his bed with his paws and teeth. And at one of the exits, outside, he sets up a “restroom.”

Once upon a time european mink lived throughout Europe, but is now preserved mainly in Russia.

Minks do not climb trees well. Like otters, they live near the water, swim and dive well, and their paws are also webbed. They feed on small fish, frogs, crayfish, insects, and rodents. Sometimes they catch ducks, even geese, and “American women” catch hares. Where the European mink meets the black polecat, there are crosses between them - these animals are called cuff mink. But European and American minks do not interbreed. The “Americans,” larger, stronger and more fertile, are gradually displacing, and in some places even exterminating, the “Europeans.”

In the wild, the mink is extremely secretive and cautious, and if you see it near the river, consider yourself lucky.

On fur farms where they breed American mink, about 20 varieties have already been bred with magnificent fur of platinum, black, white, blue, and sapphire colors.

Quite strange, even absurd: stocky, with a body flattened on the sides, shaggy, like a bear, but with a long and fluffy tail; the brown back is arched, clumps as it walks, and “intertwines” its legs. In the mustelid family, it is the first largest among its forest relatives (body length up to 1 m, weight up to 32 kg).

Wolverine - typical terrestrial predator: strong, very brave, gluttonous. Hunts fox, otter, roe deer, musk deer, beaver, young moose and deer.

A large carcass is dragged along by a drag. On the move he will refresh himself, rest, and then drag himself along again. She feeds on her for several days, unless her relatives come running to a bloody feast. In a hungry winter, he will not even be afraid to take prey from a lynx.

In spring, a female gives birth to 2–4 cubs in a deep hole or hollow tree.

In Siberia, the wolverine has a disgusting reputation: according to local residents- “a very thin beast.” It feeds on carrion and snakes, steals animals and birds from traps and snares, and steals food supplies from hunting huts. And what he doesn’t eat and carry away, he pours out his stinking liquid...

« She, damned, clouds her vision, so that the dogs then see poorly and lose her from their eyes“,” noted naturalist Cherkasov. According to local legends, evil spirits live in wolverines...

In the taiga, winters are harsh and the snow is deep. And in order not to starve during the cold season, the wolverine acquired wide and short legs. So he runs on them like hunting skis, without getting stuck in the snowdrifts.

And the hardy predator has to move a lot, because its hunting territory cannot be called modest - about 150,000 hectares.

The wolverine leads a wandering lifestyle and keeps to itself within its territory, leaving stinking marks on everything that belongs to it - on its prey and on the border of its lands. Wet snow and even water are not a problem for the wolverine, because its fur practically does not absorb water. It is not for nothing that the northern peoples line the edges of the sleeves and collars of their clothes with wolverine fur - thick, long, rough, black-brown in color, so as not to become stiff in the cold from moisture.

It seems that the wolverine is an enemy of forest animals and humans; the animal is certainly harmful. But is it?

Not at all. The wolverine mainly feeds on carrion - the half-decomposed remains of the prey of bears and wolves, and the corpses of animals that died from diseases. By eating them, predators prevent the spread of infection. It turns out that wolverines are hardworking taiga scavengers and orderlies!

RIVER HUNTERS

What animals lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle?

Among the predators, forest lakes and rivers are favored by the otter and mink from the mustelid family: the otter belongs to the genus of otters, and the mink to the genus of weasels. The otter is a medium-sized animal (5-10 kg) and a real thunderstorm of fish. But where otters are destroyed, the fish often begin to get sicker and die.
Otter fur, which is highly valued, with guard hairs and silky, very thick underfur, is almost not wetted by water. In terms of strength, it simply has no equal. The skin on the head and back is dark brown or dark brown, on the belly it is lighter, with a silvery tint.
The otter's body is elongated, squat, with short legs and a long, laterally flattened tail. She swims and dives superbly, staying under water for 3-4 minutes. At this time, her nostrils and ears are closed with special valves.
Mink is also valuable fur-bearing animal. In appearance, it is similar to a ferret, but stockier, with shorter and denser hair. There are now two species living in Russia - the European mink (500–800 g) and the acclimatized American mink, larger (up to 1.5 kg), whose fur is more valuable.
The natural color of the animals is from reddish-brown to dark brown, lighter on the abdomen, darker on the legs and tail. Sometimes on the chest White spot. However, on fur farms, minks of a wide variety of colors are bred: sapphire, pearl, topaz, silver, white, steel... More than 20 color varieties!

Where and how do otters live?

In summer, the otter’s habitat stretches in a narrow strip 2–6 km long along both banks of the river. Usually she has a permanent hole, which the predator digs herself, but she also has several temporary shelters for rest.

“The otter... on land... runs quickly, as if gliding, rises on its hind legs, even climbs trees (growing obliquely), but in water it feels as if in its native element, like a fish.”
A. Bram “Animal Life”

Cubs (2–4) are born in spring, summer, and winter. Otter families are friendly; grown otters live with their parents or nearby until late autumn. The male helps the female raise and protect the children.
In summer, the whole family lives in a permanent hole on the river bank, and does not go far from it. The only entrance is always under water, and for ventilation there are 1-3 narrow passages, they go outside somewhere in the bushes and are carefully camouflaged.
Otters are very playful, and their favorite pastime is skiing down the mountain: in winter - from an icy one, in summer - from a clay cliff straight into the river!
When the animal is full and wants to have fun, it plays cat and mouse with the fish.
Unlike its bloodthirsty relatives, the otter never catches more than it can eat. It hunts ducklings, hares, frogs, crayfish, in the summer it eats beetles, small rodents... But its main food, of course, is fish.
When tracking prey, the otter lurks on the shore and looks into the water, sometimes lowering its muzzle there to see better. Noticing a school of fish, it will silently slide into the river, rush... And the prey is in its teeth! Big fish drags it to the shore, deals with the shallow stuff right in the water.

The otter feeds mainly on fish. In winter, when there are fewer fish and ice holes freeze, they have to migrate, covering 10–15 km per day.

In winter, otters wander, walking tens and sometimes even hundreds of kilometers, getting stuck in the snow with their short paws. On the ice of a river or lake, having run up, they slide on their belly, as if on a sled.
When there is no hole, the otter “blows through” the ice: it breathes on it, tears it with its teeth and makes a hole for itself if the ice is not too thick. Imperceptibly it swims on its back under a motionless pike and grabs it by the belly near the head. He will drag a large fish onto the ice, eat the middle, and throw the rest away. Foxes and stoats readily pick up these scraps.
Following the otter's tracks, fishermen find schools of fish in deep reservoirs in winter.
Sometimes it happens that a predator gets caught in a net stretched under the ice and suffocates. And it also happens: an ice fishing enthusiast sees in the water, instead of a large fish... a mustachioed muzzle. A captive otter screams shrilly, breaks the fishing line with a sharp jerk, and most often leaves.
The otter's most dangerous enemy is the lynx, which lies in wait for it near water bodies.

What are the habits of a mink?

Contrary to their name, these animals are reluctant to dig holes, and more often they make nests in low hollows or trunks of fallen trees. Sometimes the animal drives a water rat out from under a hummock, and expands the hole, putting things in order: a mink is a born tidy. The floor is covered with dry grass, leaves, moss, and bird feathers. He shakes his bed with his paws and teeth. And at one of the exits, outside, he sets up a “restroom.”

Minks do not climb trees well. Like otters, they live near the water, swim and dive well, and their paws are also webbed. They feed on small fish, frogs, crayfish, insects, and rodents. Sometimes they catch ducks, even geese, and “American women” catch hares. Where the European mink meets the black polecat, there are crosses between them - these animals are called cuff mink. But European and American minks do not interbreed. The “Americans,” larger, stronger and more fertile, are gradually displacing, and in some places even exterminating, the “Europeans.”
In the wild, the mink is extremely secretive and cautious, and if you see it near the river, consider yourself lucky.

On fur farms where American mink are bred, about 20 varieties with magnificent fur of platinum, black, white, blue, and sapphire colors have already been bred.