I recently photographed an American mink living in the Marblehead Bird Sanctuary on the Neck.
The American mink is a semiaquatic species native to North America, known for its dark brown fur with white patches on the chin, chest and throat areas.
It is a carnivore that eats rodents, fish, crustaceans, frogs and birds. Minks are found throughout Massachusetts, except on Nantucket.
According to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, a mink population was spotted on Martha’s Vineyard.
The mink lives in forested areas near water sources like rivers, lakes and streams. They are skilled swimmers and climbers, able to swim up to 100 feet underwater and dive 16 feet deep.
According to iNaturalist.org, mink babies are born in late spring — April or May — with litters of one to eight cubs, which will stay with their mothers until fall before leading mostly solitary lives. Mink tracks can be found in sand, mud and snow alongside rivers and streams.
The Marblehead Current is proud to partner with photographer Rick Cuzner. For the past 15 years, he has taken thousands of nature photographs that capture the wild animals who call Marblehead home.
