Sleek-bodied, with lustrous chocolate-brown to black fur; white spotting on chin and throat. Tail long, somewhat bushy. Male larger than female. L19 3/8-28"; T 6 1/4-7 5/8"; HF 2 1/4-3"; Wt 1 1/2-3 1/2 lb.

American marten has longer tail and have orange or buff throat patch. Weasels have white underparts and much narrower tails. Black-Footed Ferret is yellowish brown, with dark or black mask around eyes.

Mates January-April; ovulation induced by mating. Implantation occurs at 9-46 days, depending on how late it is in the season. Litter of 1-10 young born blind and naked in fur-lined nest in April or May. Young weigh 1/4-3/8 oz at birth, and are weaned at 5-6 weeks.

Hole in snow where Mink has plunged after prey. Trough in snow, similar to otter slide but smaller.

Den: Openings in stream banks, 4" wide.

Scat: Dark brown or black, roughly cylindrical, 5-6" long, sometimes segmented; often with bits of fur or bone.Usually deposited on rocks, logs, beaver lodges, and near den.

Tracks: Fairly round, 1 1/4-1 5/8" wide, more than 2" in snow. A clear print may show heel pad, all 5 slightly webbed toes separately, and semi-retractile claws. Hindfeet 2 1/4" long in mud, 3 1/2" in snow, and placed nearly in prints of forefeet. Trail of twin prints 12-25" apart, depending on animal's size and speed.

Along rivers, creeks, lakes, ponds, and marshes.

Able to dive to a depth of more than 16 feet, the Mink is an accomplished swimmer and spends much time hunting in ponds and streams. Often out at night, it adapts its hunting time to prey availability. The Mink marks its hunting territory with a fetid discharge from its anal glands, which is at least as malodorous as a skunk's, although it does not carry as far. The home range of a male Mink encompasses the ranges of several females. While the Mink's preferred prey is the Common Muskrat, it also takes rabbits, mice,chipmunks,fish, snakes, frogs, young snapping turtles, and marsh-dwelling birds; occasionally it raids a poultry house. Like weasels, the Mink kills by biting its victims on the neck. It eats where it kills, or carries the prey by the neck into its den, where it caches any surplus. The Mink dens in a protected place near water, using a muskrat burrow, an American Beaver den, or a hollow log, or digging its own den in a stream bank. All dens are temporary, as the Mink moves frequently. If angered or alarmed, the animal may hiss, snarl, or screech, and discharge its anal glands (as does when trapped) It produces a purring sound when content. Males mate with several females but eventually live with one. Young remain with their mother until the family disperses in early fall. Minks of both sexes are hostile to intruders, and males fight viciously with one another. Foxes, Bobcats, Lynxes, alligators, and great horned owls are known predators. Mink pelts were highly valued before the decline of the fur industry. Most commercial pelts come from Minks raised on ranches; the range of fur colors reflects selective breeding.