Species Guide: American Mink (Neovison vison)
Family: Mustelidae
APPEARANCE
Mink are often mistaken for otters since they both inhabit similar semi-aquatic habitats and have a similar lifestyle and appearance. Mink have thin, elongated bodies, short legs, and thin, pointy faces. They also have rounded ears, giving them an almost teddy bearish appearance. Their fur is a dark-brown color, often with black at the ends of their tails. Indeed, they can look entirely black when they are wet. They typically have a distinctive white patch on their chin. It is also worth noting that farmed mink comes in an assortment of colors. They are well adapted for semi-aquatic life, with partially webbed feet and coats that are thick with oily, water-repellent guard hairs.
DIET
Mink are efficient hunters and are equally at home hunting in trees, on the land, and in the water. They are obligate carnivores and hunt and eat birds’ eggs as well as the birds themselves. Waders and river birds such as goldeneye and moorhen are particularly vulnerable, as well as inland birds such as curlew, lapwing, and the corncrake mentioned above. Even nesting seabird colonies, such as terns, are targets for the mink. As well as birds, they hunt and kill small mammals, and like their cousin, the otter, as adept swimmers, Mink can even tackle fish, shellfish, amphibians, and crustaceans.
HABITAT
Mink favors areas with slow-moving fresh water, such as lochs, streams, rivers, etc. They also thrive in coastal areas, where there are estuaries and rock pool systems. Mink tend not to burrow their nests; more commonly, they will colonize already established environments such as rock formations, holes in trees, etc. Their burrows are always positioned close to a body of water.
Distribution (shown in green highlight) is a rough illustration based on UKG officially recorded sightings data from the year 2005.1
BEHAVIOR
Mink are generally solitary, although territories can overlap, resulting in territorial disputes amongst males, particularly during mating season. Breeding once a year between February and April, with cubs (or kits) being born around 1 to 2 months after breeding; whereby the female can delay birth by up to 6 weeks based on environmental factors such as food supply and weather. A litter is typically between 1 to 8 cubs, which are born blind and furless. Cubs are fully independent after around 14 weeks and reach sexual maturity after a year.
BIOMETRICS2
| Body Length | 460-700 mm |
| Body Weight | 900-1600 grams |
| Longevity | 10-12 Years |
NATURAL PREDATORS
Mink have no natural predators in the UK or Europe.
CONSERVATION STATUS
They were first introduced in the U.K., halfway through the 20th century, when many managed to escape from fur farms. Further, animal rights activists released hundreds more, as they believed that the farming of these animals was cruel and unethical. Unfortunately, their illegal actions lead to the devastation of many of our native birds as well as mammals. Mink were reported to be breeding in the wild in the late 1950s, and by the end of the 1960s, they had even found their way into Scotland’s Outer Hebrides. It’s a similar story across Europe, in particular, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland, reporting major impacts on native bird populations.3
Conservation Status
Mink tend to kill prey on sight, whether or not they intend to eat it. Many native animals, such as corncrakes and water voles, stood no chance, and their numbers were decimated to the point that these particular animals are now classed as endangered.
SPOT IT REPORT IT!
Whilst mink undoubtedly look cute and cuddly, they do not have many supporters in the UK due to the catastrophic impact they have had on biodiversity. Therefore, if you do spot a mink, it is recommended that you also report the sighting to the appropriate authority. In the U.K., this can be done through the INNS Mapper website and/or if you are in Scotland, on the official Scotland Environment website.
Note that if a mink comes into your care, under U.K. law, it must be humanely euthanized.
Citations
- Battersby, J. (Ed) & Tracking Mammals Partnership. 2005. UK Mammals: Species Status and Population Trends. First Report by the Tracking Mammals Partnership. JNCC/Tracking Mammals Partnership, Peterborough. [Accessed 09/03/2025] ↩︎
- Johnsgard, Paul A.. Wildlife of Nebraska : A Natural History, University of Nebraska Press, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central. [Accessed 09/03.2025] ↩︎
- Wittenberg, R., and M.J.W. Cock. Invasive Alien Species : A Toolkit of Best Prevention and Management Practices, CABI, 2001. [Accessed 09/03/2025] ↩︎
References
- Naughton, Donna, and Museum of Nature, Canadian Museum Canadian. The Natural History of Canadian Mammals, University of Toronto Press, 2012. ProQuest Ebook Central. [Accessed 09/03/2025]
