One of the mammals of the Arctic is the mink. The mink (Mustela vison) belongs to the Mustelidae or weasel family. The mink along with other fur bearing animals attracted trappers, traders, and settlers to the North Country.
Outdoor people see the Mink in every part of the far northeast except on Kodiak Island, the Aleutian Islands, islands of the Bering Sea, and most of the Arctic Slope.
A mink's fur is in top form when their guard hairs are very thick. The main color of the mink in top condition is a chocolate brown fur with some white patches on the jaw, esophagus, and stomach. White patches are usually larger on females. Several albino mink have been reported from Alaska. The color of the rest of its fur on its sides is dark gray to light brown. This fur is normally about one inch in length and its tail is about eight inches long. Adult males have a total length of about 24 inches and can weigh from three to five pounds. The female minks are usually smaller than males.
Their activities when on the move are quick and unpredictable as if they are always prepared to either run away or leap upon an unsuspecting prey. Like skunks, mink release a putrid fluid from their scent glands when they become frightened or agitated. The odor like a skunk's odor is very strong and repulsive to most people.
The mating season is from March through April, depending on whether they live in the south or northern zones. Sometimes both the male and female minks will mate with more then one other mink. The newborn mink in a litter can be the result of mating with different partners. The gestation period varies from six to ten weeks. In minks the fertilized egg does not always attach to the uterus to develop immediately. This delay accounts for the different lengths of the gestation. Once the egg implants, fetal development takes about four weeks.
Most mink are born in June. The amount of food eaten by the mother determines how many young born. The average litter varies from four to ten kits. Usually the new born mink remain in the den and cared for by the mother mink for about 30 days. They grow rapidly and reach adult size by September.
Normally the mink's lair is a hole in the ground or hollow log near a waterway like a pond or stream that another animal built and abandoned.
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