The American Mink, Mustela vison, that inhabit Virginia also inhabit much of Canada, Alaska and the lower 48 states, excluding parts of the southwest). This carnivorous mammal is a small, quick and agile member of the weasel family, Mustelidae. The mink has been highly prized for centuries, in Virginia as well as other parts of the world, for it valuable pelt. (“Mink -Encyclopedia Americana”, 2004) This paper will discuss the life history of the species, the distribution of the mink within the state of Virginia, the ecological relationships it has, and the conservation efforts, if any, that are being taken, as mink populations had been reported as declining in the state of Virginia in the mid-1980s. (Ogle, Scanlon, Kirkpatrick, & Gwynn, 1985, p. 29)

Mink Overview:

Adult male minks have an overall length of 16 to 26 inches and weigh on average between 1.5 to 5 pounds, making them much larger than their European counterpart. Female adult minks are smaller than the males. The coloring of minks can vary naturally from deep brown to almost black, with a lighter abdomen, which may have white spotting. (“Mink -Encyclopedia Americana”, 2004)

They are primarily solitary animals, except during mating season, and are quite shy. The American mink are expert swimmers and divers, reportedly reaching 20 feet in dive depths, and have the ability to swim underwater for nearly 100 feet before having to come up for air. As twilight and nocturnal animals, they are mainly active from dusk to the early morning hours of dawn, however they can occasionally be seen active in the daytime. (“Mink - Encyclopedia Americana”, 2004)

In Virginia, the mink make their homes typically in thickly vegetated areas. They can be found along lakes, swamps, marshes, slower moving streams or rivers, and on eight of the Virginia barrier islands. (Keiss, 2000) They will occasionally move more inland, if prey warrants, but they prefer to be near a body of water.

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Their dens can be discovered in hollow trees, reed thickets, and along the underside of roots or rocks. They may also dig their burrows, which on average are 10 feet in length and typically 3 feet below the surface, with at least one of the entrances above water level. They tend to hunt near their shore side homes, and feed on a variety of animals including: insects, worms, mollusks, crabs, fish, birds, and small mammals, storing their food when they can. (“Mink -Encyclopedia Americana”, 2004) The mink prefers to keep his hunting areas small, keeping close to their dens.

The American Mink live to be approximately seven to ten years of age, on average. Mating season is between February and April, with births happening between April and May. The gestation period fluctuates dramatically, due to delayed implantation of the fertilized egg, and can take from 39 to 78 days. (“Mink - Encyclopedia Americana”, 2004)

Five pups to a litter are common, although there may be as few as two and as many as ten. Newborns are born blind and naked, opening their eyes at five weeks of age, and weaned typically a week thereafter. By age 9 weeks, most have begun to leave the nest to hunt on their own, preparing for their autumn departure from their mother. (“Mink - Encyclopedia Americana”, 2004)

Females reach their full weight at approximately 4 months of age, yet are not sexually mature until they are a year old. Males take a bit longer to mature. They reach their adult weight, typically by 11 months, but are not sexually mature until 18 months of age. (“Mink -Encyclopedia Americana”, 2004)

In addition to wild mink, American mink have been raised in Virginia, on mink farms, for approximately 50 years. There are three types of mink farms that are common. The first is that of ‘free-range’ mink, where the mink have large tracts of land to live on and then they are caught through trapping. The second are farms that raise their minks in colonies that have access to a creek. The third are caged animals with a separate water supply. Due to controlled breeding, several unnatural pelt colors have been developed, including white, silver blue and blue. (“Mink

- Encyclopedia Americana”, 2004)

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