The first mink originally evolved in North America, but a later European breed started. The European mink was a little different from the North American breed. The Euorpean minks' fur was a little lighter shade of brown, and the fur was thinner. It was in 1866 that the mink fur began to be raised on mink ranches. By 1940, about 300,000 animals were sold from mink ranches.
Minks have very unique physical features.
They are slender with short legs. The mink has a bushy tail and an arched back. Their ears are close-set to their heads, and the ears are about an inch long. It has beady black eyes. The mink has a more cylindrical, more compact body shape compared to the other members of the weasel family such as the skunk.