Wild Mink

The mink is both a marten and a member of the otter family. There are two types of mink, the European and the American. The European can only be found in Eastern Europe and in Russia. It is much smaller than the American mink, which can be found throughout North America, down to Mexico. If anyone talks about mink, they are usually referring to the American mink, which is also bred in farms for its coat.

An adult American mink measures approximately 60cm incl. tail (male) and  50cm incl. tail (female) and weighs about 1000 and 600 grammes respectively. Wild mink colour varies from light to dark brown with a white mark under the chin; the same mark can be found on all farm bred mink too.

In the wild, mink live alone and have their own territory. The territory can range from 1 to 5 km² dependant on the amount of food available in the area. Mink always live near water and never leave it. Your best bet to see wild mink is, therefore, on riverbanks or lakes, especially in areas with a lot of ground cover. Mink are active throughout the day and at night, fishing, swimming, hunting or playing.

Mating occurs early in the spring for a few weeks. Mink find each other and stay together until the mating season is over, then the males leave. The female is pregnant for between 40 – 50 days, after which 1 to 7 young can be born. The young leave the nest, made from all sorts of material, after 2 months. The young stay with their mother until the autumn and then leave to search for their own territory. Wild mink usually have a lifespan of between 3 – 5 years.

American mink are not normally found in The Netherlands, however, it is possible that you will see wild American mink. They are usually mink that have escaped from the mink farms. In some European countries, the American mink has done so well in the wild that it is almost seen as indigenous.