Mink

Mink are semi-aquatic carnivores, belonging to the Mustelidae family. The American Mink (Mustela vision) is found throughout North America, and today it can also be found in South America and Europe, because there have been escapes from fur farms. The American Mink is common to wooded or shrubby areas near water. Individuals maintain territories around 3-4 miles along the river, and may have several dens within a range.

Mink are land hunters, preying basically on rodents, birds and small mammals. However, they are renowned for their knack for hunting in water. They feed on various types of fish and may also attack waterfowl. Mink are wasteful hunters, because they kill much more prey than they can take in one go. On the other hand, they usually do it on the eve of winter so that the kill is frozen and can be stored for an extended period of time.

There is another widely spread Mink species – the European Mink (Mustela lutreola), common to Great Britain, West and East Europe. The European Mink has a direct relative in Asia – the Siberian Mink (Mustela sibirica,) often referred to as the Siberian weasel or Siberian Polecat. Not infrequently, Mink are confused with Otters, another great water hunter. Otters are much larger than Mink: Mink measure 15-18 inches in length, while Otters are about twice that length. Otters have light-colored coat, compared to that of Mink that have dark chocolate brown coat. Mink have a distinctive white marking on the throat. Otters have paler throat than the rest of the body.

Mink start mating by the beginning of spring, and kits are born in about two months after mating. Mink have 2-6 kits, and the female assumes full responsibility for weaning the young. The young become relatively independent in two months after birth. They stay around the mother until the beginning of the fall and then they begin to form their own home ranges.

In the wild, Mink live about 3 to 5 years, while captive species can live 10-12 years. Wild Mink have an extremely high mortality rate. Because of their high value fur, Mink farming is common in various countries. On several occasions, Mink that were brought in Europe escaped and took up residence in local habitats.