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Photo: Tony Margiocchi
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UK
Safari Tip:
Get help identifying land mammals with a fold-out illustrated ID chart - click
here
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Latin name: Mustela vison
Size: From tip of nose to base of tail approximately 40cms. The tail is a
further 12cms long.
Distribution: Found in most parts of mainland Britain, except the Lake
District and the mountains of Scotland.
Months seen: All year.
Food: Waterfowl, birds, small mammals and fish.
Habitat: Mostly found near rivers and lakes.
Special features: 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.
 Mink have a reputation for being a bit blood thirsty, and are known to kill other animals even when they are not hungry. The photo on the left shows a mink raiding a kestrel nestbox for chicks.
Mink are strongly territorial, and a male will not allow another male on its patch, although females are occasionally tolerated.
The mink mating season starts around February. The actual gestation period is 39 days, although it can be much longer due to delayed implantation.
A female can have five or six young, known as kittens. The male takes no part in rearing the young. The kittens remain with the mother until they the autumn when are fully grown. They then go off to find territories of their own.
UK Safari Mammal Section
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