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Average
weight
1.5 to 3.5 pounds
Favorite
food
Fish
Muskrats
Mice
Squirrels
Number of
furs to make a full length mink coat
75
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Mink
tracks have crossed our paths several times during our first few days
of travel. We have not seen any mink yet, but they have probably been
watching us. Several times Lichen
and Saylix
have been very interested in the mink tracks. Our guess is that the
tracks were very fresh and the mink was still in the area. The dogs
caught their scent, and if it was up to them they would have been
off on a wild chase through the woods! |
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Mink have dark brown fur with
a light colored patch of fur on their throat. Mink are long and
slender and they move gracefully under water. The males are longer
than females and they are usually between 16-29 inches. Their tails
are quite long and bushy and make up about 1/3 of the mink’s
length. Mink weigh between 1 ½ pounds and 3 ½ pounds.
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Click on photo to enlarge
Mink are part of the mustelid family. These
animals live alone along riverbanks and lake shores
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Mink are found in most of southern Canada and the United
States, except for southern California, Arizona, western Texas, and southern
New Mexico and Utah. They live near fresh water.
Mink are excellent swimmers, and they spend much of their
time hunting in ponds and along riverbanks. In the winter they are still
very active, and we see them traveling along the shore line investigating
every hole looking for food. The males mark their hunting territory with
a foul smelling odor secreted from their glands. A male’s territory
overlaps with several female territories.
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Mink prefer to eat muskrats but will also eat crayfish,
fish, frogs, small snapping turtles, mice, squirrels, chipmunks,
and even rabbits. They will eat as much food as possible at the
sight of their kill and then they save the rest in caches back at
their
dens
.
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Click on photo to enlarge
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The Wilderness Classroom Organization
4605 Grand Ave.
Western Springs, IL 60558
(630) 204-0420
info@wildernessclassroom.com
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