American mink

Description:

I was fortunate that this American mink let me take some pictures before running off. They are usually shy secretive animals. I believe this was a female that probably had cubs nearby. They have long bodies which allows them to enter burrows of prey. Adult females can reach 15 inches in body length while males can reach 18 inches. Their tails measure 8 to 10 inches long. In the wild, their fur is usually dark brown to tawny-brown to black. The fur is soft and thick and covered with oily guard hairs that make its coat waterproof.

Habitat:

Spotted at a fish hatchery on Lake Hamilton near Hot Springs, Arkansas. The large ponds at the hatchery and the nearby woods provide the mink with plenty of opportunity to find prey. Their favorite prey is fish, rodents, crustaceans, amphibians, and birds.

Notes:

They range across most of North America except the American Southwest and Mexico.