Where’s Wildlife · Mammal Field Guide
Neogale vison
Pronounced (approx.): nee-oh-GAY-lee VY-son
A small, sleek predator that searches both land and water along wetland edges.
American Mink. Select the image to browse all 5 photographs.
NATIVE TO NORTH AMERICA
Long, slim body
Dark brown coat
Small ears and a narrow face
Compare views, markings and body shapes in the photographs below.
Mink have an elongated body, short legs and a furred tail. Their dark brown coat may show a small white chin patch. The low, flowing shape is a useful clue when one slips between rocks or disappears into shoreline vegetation.
Compared with a river otter, a mink is much smaller and has a slimmer, less muscular tail. A muskrat has a blunt face and a largely hairless, flattened tail. Brief glimpses can be misleading, so look for several features together.
Mink use streams, ponds, marshes and other waterside habitats, although they also travel over land. Their food includes fish, crayfish, frogs and small mammals. They investigate cover, swim and dive while hunting rather than relying on a single kind of prey.
Adults usually live and forage alone outside the breeding period. A female shelters her young in a den, often using a bank cavity or another protected space near water. The young depend on her care before beginning to explore and hunt.
Mink hunt on shore as well as in the water.
They belong to the same family as otters and weasels.
Neovison vison is an older scientific name you may encounter.
The American Mink is native to much of North America. Populations established by people also occur outside its native range. Older references often use the scientific name Neovison vison; this guide uses Neogale vison.
Explore reported sightings on iNaturalist. Observation records are not a complete range map.