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[title size=”2″]Mink[/title]

The mink is one of the most common water mammal predators of the Ozarks. It can be identified by its brown fur with a small white or yellow coloring on its chest, and a white belly. It is best known for its rich and highly sought after pelts. The fur of the mink is thick, soft, and silky, as well as waterproof. Like many water mammal predators, the mink uses dens near freshwater sources. They tend not to build their own dens but prefer to make use of hollow logs or stumps, or dens build by other creatures such as the muskrat. The mink mates in early spring and the females give birth after six weeks. They can grow to 1 to 2 feet long with a five to nine inch long tail and weigh between two to four pounds. Minks are predators and eat any animals that live in or near water. This can include small mammals such as mice and muskrats, aquatic life such as fish and waterfowl, amphibians and reptiles such as frogs and lizards, and a wide variety of insects and worms. They are mostly nocturnal and they are stealthy predators that are rarely seen by humans unless they are attempted to be hunted. Even though they are hunted, proper trapping practices have allowed their population to remain healthy within the Ozarks and the rest of their native habitats.

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Neovison vison

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