 Our Local EcologyStreams & PondsMink Mink – Mustele vison | Characteristics The male weighs .91to 1.36 kilograms (2 to 3 pounds) and is about twice as big as the female. In colour both are brown to dark brown, with a white patch under the chin. Movement on land is by a series of jumps which leave distinctive pairs of tracks common to many mustelids. |
HabitatMink live near water in marshes; along wooded streams, lakes and ponds. Mink are semi-aquatic by nature and readily swim and dive for their food, although the feet are not webbed. They are found throughout Prince Edward Island. Mink eat a variety of food, including fish, frogs, mice, birds and muskrats. They are solitary except during the mating season in February and March. Females bear four to eight young, often in an old muskrat bank den near water, during April and May. The young are cared for by the mother until fall, when they can look after themselves. While mink fur is one of the most sought after for its beauty and durability, the number of ranch raised mink today far exceeds that of the wild catch. Breeding has greatly improved pelt size and fur quality, and has produced a wide variety of mutant colour stains not found in the wild.  Copyright
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