Description ²

Mink fur is usually dark brown with white patches on the chin, chest, and throat areas. The fur is soft and thick, with oily outer hairs that waterproof the animal's coat. The body is long and slender with short legs and a pointy, flat face. The toes are partially webbed. Body length is usually around 2 feet or 610 mm with up to half of this length being the tail. Females, on average, are smaller than males.

Habitat ³

Although mink are found throughout North America, they tend to prefer forested areas that are close to water. Streams, ponds, and lakes, with some sort of brushy or rocky cover nearby are considered good mink habitat.

Conservation status ⁴

The biggest threat towards mink survival is the continued existence of the fur market. Another threat includes the destruction of wetland habitat. The presence of pollution such as mercury and hydrocarbon compounds build up within the mink's tissues and can cause problems in reproduction or even threaten the animal's life. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Brendan Lally, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/American_mink_2.jpg
2. Adapted by okaloosascience from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/25065943
3. (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/25065942
4. Adapted by okaloosascience from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/25065952

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• ASM Mammal Diversity Database
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• iNaturalist Mammal Working Group
• VertNet

Range Map

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