Quick answer
Key facts about american mink — size, diet, habitat, and conservation in one place.
Aquatic hunting
Partially webbed feet and oily, water-repellent fur let mink dive after fish and crayfish. They patrol linear territories along stream banks, denning in burrows or hollow logs.
Fur farm legacy
Escapes and releases from fur farms established invasive populations across Europe, Iceland, and South America. American mink outcompete European mink and prey heavily on ground-nesting birds.
Solitary lifestyle
Mink are solitary except in breeding season. Females raise kits alone in spring, teaching them to hunt along shorelines before dispersal in autumn.
Conservation paradox
Native North American populations are Least Concern, but European mink (Mustela lutreola) is Critically Endangered partly due to American mink competition and hybridisation.