Contemplating mink

The mink is an introduced species. It was brought to Britain from North America in the late 1920's to be bred for the fur trade. Since escaping it has established itself successfully in the wild.

Here's some Mink facts for you.

Size: Mink measure around 50cm from their nose to the tip of their tale.

Weight: 0.5 -1.5kg

APPEARANCE
They have a shiny, chocolate brown or black coat with a white chin patch. Their bodies are slender with short legs and a bushy tail measuring about a third of the body length.

DIET
Mink are opportunistic predators, preying on a wide range of animals including rabbits, water voles, fish, birds, invertebrates, crayfish and eggs.

BREEDING
Mink breed once a year between February and April. There are 4-7 young in a litter, born in May in an underground den.

LIFESPAN
Mink can live up to 8 years, but few survive beyond their second year.

WHERE TO FIND MINK
Your first port of call can be to use the search facility on this website as it will bring up several good locations.
Mink like aquatic habitats but can spend time away from water, even including urban areas. They are found in most parts of mainland Britain, except the Lake District and the mountains of Scotland.

THE ENVIRONMENT
Mink predation has had a devastating effect on many species
of native wildlife in Britain, especially water vole populations. In recent years however, mink numbers have started to decline as our native otter population recovers from the effects of pollution, hunting and loss of river habitats. Otters are reported to attack and even kill mink and it seems that the reason mink spread so quickly initially throughout Britain was because they had no competition. Local initiatives have been implemented to manage mink numbers and to keep track of their population size.