American Mink

Habitat:

American mink can be found in forested riparian areas across the United States and Canada. They prefer habitats with lots of cover, and waterways to forage within, as a large portion of their diet is made up of aquatic and semiaquatic animals.

Behavior:

Mink are solitary and nocturnal, being most active around dawn and dusk. They are both good climbers and good swimmers, capable of diving up to 15 deep in water. They maintain dens furnished with fur, leaves, and plant material, often on stream banks and in hollow trees or abandoned muskrat or beaver dens.

Diet:

Mink are generalist carnivores, eating fish, aquatic invertebrates and amphibians, small rodents, birds, and reptiles. During the summer, aquatic animals make up the bulk of their diet, while they tend to resort to terrestrial prey in winter as streams and ponds ice over.

Reproduction:

During the breeding season, intermale dominance fights may occur. Delayed embryo implantation means gestation can vary from 40-75 days, and litters are often multiply sired - meaning not all young have the same father. An average of 4 young are born in late spring, and stay with the mother until the fall. Both sexes reach sexual maturity at 10 months.

Associated Species:

Crayfish are a common food source for American mink. North American river otters inhabit similar environments and prefer similar prey to mink, and may end up competing for resources in places where both species are present. Great horned owls have been known to predate upon mink.

Sources: http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Neovison_vison/, https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=americanmink.printerfriendly, https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/american-mink