Mammal
Sea Mink
Mustela macrodonAlso known as Bull Mink
The sea mink was a specialized coastal carnivore uniquely adapted to foraging along rocky intertidal shores and offshore islands. Roughly double the bulk of inland minks, it possessed a stout body, coarse reddish-brown fur, and robust jaws built to crush hard-shelled marine prey. Intensive commercial fur trapping completely eradicated the species by the late nineteenth century, leaving behind skeletal fragments primarily preserved in indigenous shell middens.
CarnivoreCoastal
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyMarine Fish, Crabs, Mollusks
Predators
- Human
- Bald Eagle
- Grey Wolf
ThreatsUnregulated commercial fur trapping and overhunting to extinction
HabitatsRocky coastal shorelines, intertidal zones, and offshore islands
Life spanEstimated 8–10 years in the wild
Classification
- FamilyMustelidae
- SpeciesMustela macrodon
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Extinct species; no living individuals exist to observe.
Responsible observation
- Museum Collections: Examine rare tooth and jaw fragments curated in natural history institutions.
- Archaeological Context: Learn about past distributions through preserved coastal shell midden records.
Close Relative Needsmoreritalin / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Same Family no rights reserved, uploaded by Adam Jackson · cc0
Same Family Mount Rainier National Park from Ashford, WA, United States / Public domain · cc0
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