American Mink
Neovison vison
Summary 2
The American mink is the only extant member of the genus Neovison. The American mink is a carnivore which feeds on rodents, fish, crustaceans, frogs, and birds.
The American mink has a long body, measuring between 12 - 18 inches, and weighing between 1 - 3 lbs. Tails are usually measured between 6 - 10 inches. Males are observed to be heavier, have a longer body length, and a longer tail length when compared to females. Maximum heaviness, for both males and females, occurs in autumn. Fur color is generally a very dark blackish-tawny that is evenly distributed over all the body, with the lower body being only slightly lighter than the upper body.
Tracks are approximately 3.0 - 3.5 cm in width and 2.5 - 4.0 cm in length. Both front and rear tracks show five toes, but occasionally the front track may only show 4 of the 5 toes. Toes are asymmetrical in arrangement, with the inner toe (the smallest one) being set back further in the track.
Scat is observed as a long and twisted shape with tapered ends, often comprised of bones and fur. Scat can been greenish, black, or brown. Scat is approximately 60 - 80 mm long and 10 mm thick with a foul smell, often described as burnt rubber and rotten meat.
Location 3
The American mink (Neovison vison) is a semi-aquatic species of mustelid native to North America, though human intervention has expanded its range to many parts of Europe and South America.
The American mink natural range encompasses North America from Alaska and Canada through the United States except Arizona and the more arid areas of California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and West Texas.
The American mink cannot be found in Iron County, Utah.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Brandon Wilburn, all rights reserved, uploaded by Brandon Wilburn
- Adapted by Brandon Wilburn from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neovison_vison
- (c) Brandon Wilburn, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
