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Mink
Page Index:
The Species: Mustela Vison
For some mammals, the arrival of winter means rest and sleep in warm, cosy dens or burrows. But the mink continues to lead an active life throughout the cold weather. By travelling in air pockets under the ice of ponds and streams, the mink is able to pursue prey such as fish and muskrats. With its long, lithe body sheathed in thick fur, this solitary creature is suited to an amphibious lifestyle all year long.
Distribution
Mink inhabit forested areas near ponds, streams, and lakes. They are present in valley-bottoms throughout the Yukon, except for the far northern tundra and icefields. Since muskrats comprise a large percentage of their diet, mink are commonly found in areas where muskrats are abundant such as the Old Crow Flats.
During its life, a male mink uses many different dens and forages throughout a large territory of up to five square kilometres. His female counterpart ranges in a much smaller area and may only use one or two dens during a year. A male mink may share his territory with a female but never with another male. The mink sprays a strong scent to mark its territory and warn other animals of its domain.
Characteristics
Mink are well adapted to a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Long guard hairs and soft, thick underfur with an oily sheen serve as a perfect insulation against icy cold waters and severe winters. Short, sturdy legs with slightly webbed paws enable mink to bound quickly on land and swim smoothly through water. Unlike otters, their lungs and eyesight are not designed for underwater hunting. As a result, most mink dives are short and to the point. Mink locate prey from stream banks before plunging into shallow and slow-moving water. They have powerful jaws and long necks that enable them to kill prey instantly and swallow smaller carcasses whole.
A mature male mink may be a half metre long and weigh one and a half kilograms. Females are much smaller.
Life History
Mink use dens for shelter and for raising young. They do not dig their own dens but prefer to occupy abandoned burrows or naturally formed den sites. They often move into empty beaver lodges or muskrat dens. If none are available, mink will seek shelter under tree roots along stream banks. In the Yukon, these dens are located in permafrost-free areas and are usually hidden by dense vegetation.
Mink live solitary lives except during the mating season. From late February to April, mink mate with a number of different partners. The young within a single litter can be the result of fertilization by different males. As with some other members of the weasel family, reproduction takes place through delayed implantation. This term describes a process in which the females carry the fertilized egg for 10-45 days before it implants in the uterine wall and begins to develop. Approximately 51 days later, the young are born.
In May or June, female mink give birth to an average of five kits. At birth, the young are covered with fine white hair. For the first month, they remain in the den. At five weeks they are weaned, and by the end of their second month, able to fend for themselves, they join their mothers on hunting expeditions.
This carnivorous animal will eat anything it can kill. Its diet includes muskrat, mice, snowshoe hares, fish, frogs, and, to a small extent, birds. Because of their size, male mink feed on larger prey than females. Most hunting takes place at night.
Despite their small size, mink are very aggressive and often fight larger opponents over food. Battles between males during the mating season sometimes result in death.
Mink face predation from black bears, wolves, lynx, coyotes, red foxes, great horned owls and river otters.
When autumn arrives, juvenile mink leave their mothers and set out to establish their own territories. Females reach sexual maturity at 12 months, and males at 18 months.
Come snow, cold and ice, mink hardly change their hunting routines. Their lean bodies are well suited to hunting under snow and ferreting out muskrats from their pushups, or feeding stations. On frozen lakes or streams, a gap of air between the ice and water enables mink to search for prey.
Mink and People
In early Tlingit Indian cultures, women were sometimes "possessed" by mink. To exorcise the spirit, a woman might lay down over a smoldering smudge of rose branches, devil's club, porcupine quills and dog hair until the smoke became unbearable for the spirit, causing it to leave.
Mink trapping has a long history in the Yukon. In the 1930's, several mink farms were established in the Teslin, Carmacks and the Dawson City areas. These farms were stocked with mink from the wild. There are no longer any mink farms in the Yukon. Two to three hundred wild mink are trapped in the Yukon each year.
Viewing Opportunities
With its active and nocturnal lifestyle, the mink is seldom seen by people. Look for it near wetlands, lakeshores, forest edges and stream banks in early morning or evening. The mink's tracks can often be found in the mud or snow at the water's edge. Slip marks on river banks or lakeshores indicate where mink have slid down on their bellies.
While canoeing on a small stream, you may spot a mink walking on a log or poised to dive in the shallow water.