Mustelids are very dependent on good prey populations due to small digestive tracts. The Labrador Duck fed primarily on mussels, and had an oddly-soft bill to help it probe for mollusks in the mud. If a sea mink escaped into a small hole on the rocky ledges, it was dug out by hunters using shovels and crowbars. Mead, concluding that the mink was restricted to nearshore islands, suggested that the large size was due to insular gigantism. Water pollution will hurt the populations of frogs, fish, and crayfish, hurting the mink populations. mink). [11] The species name macrodon translates to "large teeth". From the herds of Woodland Caribou that used to roam northern Maine, that’s where! Maine Ninety mink and 61 otter were collected by the Biodiversity Research Institute and licensed trap-pers during 2000–2003. [6], During the last glacial period, ending 12,000 years ago, the sea mink's range may have extended south of the Gulf of Maine. refuted Loomis by claiming that the size range for the largest sea mink specimen was beyond that of the American mink, thereby making it a separate species. It was probably found on the New England coast and the Maritime Provinces, though its range may have stretched further south during the last glacial period. It may have exhibited behavior similar to the American mink, in that it probably maintained home ranges, was polygynandrous, and had a similar diet, though more seaward-oriented. The last two recorded kills of a sea mink were made in Maine in 1880 near Jonesport, Maine, and Campobello Island, New Brunswick, in 1894,[14] although the 1894 kill is speculated to be of large American minks. [4], An extinct species of mustelid mammal from eastern North America, "Dental divergence supports species status of the extinct sea mink (, "Description of an extinct mink from the shell-heaps of the Maine coast", "Comment on "Skeleton of extinct North American sea mink (, "A new mink from the shell-heaps of Maine", "Updating the evolutionary history of Carnivora (Mammalia): a new species-level supertree complete with divergence time estimates", "The extinct sea mink, with taxonomic notes". It is possible that the fisher (Pekania pennanti) got its name from being mistakenly identified as the sea mink, which was also known as the fisher by fur traders. Most sea mink remains, nearly all of them skull fragments, have come from shell middens, but a complete specimen has never been found. To have the opportunity to observe wildlife, it is first important to know the habitat which animals are most likely to be in. [5][13], These minks were large and heavily built, with a low sagittal crest and short, wide postorbital processes (projections on the frontal bone behind the eye sockets). To have the opportunity to observe wildlife, it is first important to know the habitat which animals are most likely to be in. The sea mink produced a distinctive fishy odor, and had fur that was said to be coarser and redder than that of the American mink. They are an elongated, short legged weasel like animal. The northern bog … Timber Rattlesnakes are venomous predators of small mammals such as shrews, mice, rats, squirrels, and rabbits, though their powerful bites can kill humans. Furthermore, Graham reported that Mead assumed the smaller mink specimens to be the American mink, and the larger mink specimens outside the range of the American mink to be sea minks; this may have been a case of sexual dimorphism wherein all specimens were sea minks, the larger ones being males and the smaller ones being females. From Moose, Canada Lynx, and Black Bear in our northern forests to Gray Seals, Northern Right Whales, and Atlantic Puffins in the Gulf of Maine, we’re surrounded by fascinating creatures. Many different kinds of Mammals live in the variety of ecosystems found in Maine. However, that larger size meant they were a prime target, and unregulated trapping meant that Sea Mink were a rare sight as early as 1860. [4] Fur traders reported that sea mink dens had two entrances, and were made in the rocks piled up by the waves. [13] Their seafood-oriented diet may have increased their size. [4], The taxonomy of the minks was revised in 2000, resulting in the formation of a new genus, Neovison, which includes only the sea mink and the American mink. As only fragmentary skeletal remains of the sea mink exist, most of its external measurements are speculative and rely only on dental measurements. The rugged shorelines of the Down East region of Maine may have represented a northernmost barrier in their range. The largest of the minks, the sea mink was more desirable to fur traders and became extinct in the late 19th or early 20th century. [17] Sea mink bones have been unearthed in Canada, although these may have been carried there by Native Americans from the Gulf of Maine. [9] Graham challenged that hypothesis, stating that it is unlikely that all sea mink specimens originate from one population. Possibly the first description of this species was made by Sir Humphrey Gilbert Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Hedin Hall, BMHI Complex P.O. The last known Great Auks were killed on an island off Iceland in 1844. If it was out of reach of the hunters, it was shot and then retrieved using an iron rod with a screw on the far end. The sea mink (Neovison macrodon) is a recently extinct species of mink that lived on the eastern coast of North America around the Gulf of Maine on the New England seaboard. The last known Sea Mink in Maine was killed on an island near Jonesport in 1880. The only known remains are bone fragments unearthed in Native American shell middens. Woodland Caribou were uniquely suited to the old growth forests and deep snow of the Maine woods, where they fed primarily on lichens. [8] A study conducted in 2000 by Mead et al. The sea mink (Neovison macrodon) is a recently extinct species of mink that lived on the eastern coast of North America around the Gulf of Maine on the New England seaboard. It may have even evolved there, as Maine at that time would have been covered in glaciers, although the oldest known specimen only dates back to around 5,000 years; this could be due to the rising sea levels—older sea mink remains may be submerged underwater. Accounts from Native Americans in the New England/Atlantic Canadian regions reported that the sea mink had a fatter body than the American mink. Most sea mink remains are unearthed on the coast of Maine. The latter is most likely, as no other mink remains have been discovered between Casco Bay in Maine and southeastern Massachusetts. [4][5], Debate has occurred regarding whether the sea mink was its own species, or another subspecies of the American mink. The New England cottontail is listed as state endangered and now numbers less than 300 animals in Maine. [14], The sea mink was the largest of the minks. [14], Since the remains of brain cases found in shell middens are broken and many of the bones found exhibit cut marks, it is assumed that the sea mink was hunted by Native Americans for food, and possibly for exchange and ceremonial purposes. [21] A possible mounted sea mink specimen collected in 1894 in Connecticut measured 72 centimeters (28 in) from head to tail and the tail was 25.4 centimeters (10 in) in length; a 1996 study found this to be either a large American mink or possibly a hybrid.