Interview With An American Mink
Reporter: “We’re here to meet the fearless nocturnal predator, the Neogale vison, or as you may better know them, the American mink of the Mustelidae (or weasel) family. Like other members of the family, minks possess long slender bodies, measuring 12-18 inches with short legs. Their bushy tails range from six-nine inches long. They will be particularly hard to spy with their dark chocolate-brown coats of sleek, soft, thick fur. Look for the white lower lip and chin on their pointy, flat faces. Dark, oily-covered guard hairs along with the dense fur make their coats extremely water resistant.
“This riverbank looks like a perfect place to spot a mink. Keep a lookout! Mink do not make a lot of noise. We should also check the trees as they easily climb them with their sharp claws. Watch the water for these excellent web-toed swimmers. Look! Here comes one bounding through the brush now. Hello there Mr. Mink!”
Mink: “I thought I marked my territory boundaries very well with the stinky musk from my anal glands. Didn’t you smell it? Some say it smells worse than a skunk! Most of the time that’s enough to warn intruders to stay away. I prefer a solitary life. I will defend my territory from a trespassing male or predator with my piercing shrieks and hisses. I will also arch my back, puff up, lash my tail, stomp and scrape the ground with my feet while opening my mouth in a threatening gape. But, if all else fails, it’s fight time. Do you want to fight?”
Reporter: “No sir. We came to learn more about your fascinating life. Like, where do you live?”
Mink: “American mink reside throughout most of Canada and the United States except in the Arctic Circle and deserts of the Southwest. We prefer to live near water such as lakes, rivers, streams, or ponds with brushy or rocky cover nearby. For daytime privacy, we like to sleep in a burrow dug into a riverbank, under a log, in a tree stump or roots, or in the crevices of rock piles. We either dig it ourselves or take over one dug by a muskrat, beaver, or skunk. Our burrows usually measure four inches in diameter. They can be ten-twelve feet long and two-three feet deep with twisting passages, and one to eight entrances. A mink mom creates a one-foot diameter nest chamber for her kits lining it with dry grass, feathers, and fur from prey.”
Reporter: “Incredible! How do you keep up your strength?”
Mink: “With our diet, of course! We are extraordinary apex hunters with a wide-ranging diet. Using our keen eyesight, great hearing, and sense of smell, we hunt crayfish, fish, small mammals like muskrats (a favorite), waterfowl, and sometimes prey larger than ourselves. In warm water we can swim for three hours without stopping. While hunting, we can cruise under water for up to 100 feet and dive to depths of 15 feet. ”
Reporter: “Excellent! Thank you for your time today. We have intruded long enough on your privacy. Good night!
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