Reproductive endocrinology of the mink (Mustela vison).

Abstract

Introduction THE MINK (Mustela vison) is a seasonally breeding, semiaquatic animal that is a delayed implanter belonging to the mammalian order Carnivora. It is not a traditional laboratory animal; nevertheless it is of great importance because it is a valuable fur-bearing animal bred and raised in captivity in significant numbers [25.9 million pelts produced 1982/1983 in the world (1)]. The animal has a short life cycle in that the period of time from breeding (early March) to pelting (late November and early December) is roughly 9 months. Few reviews exist on reproduction and endocrinology of the mink (2–5), although some books and book chapters have been written about their breeding (6–22). This review will, therefore, focus on the current knowledge on the reproductive endocrinology of mink. Endocrinology of Mink Reproduction The hypothalamic-pituitary unit Anatomy. As in other animals, the mink hypothalamus and pituitary gland form a close anatomical and functional unit (23–26) in which the hypothalam...