A mink in the daytime

Published 5:50 pm Friday, April 27, 2018

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A mink near Pea Island refuge. By Karen Lebing

This American Mink was photographed south of Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. Because mink are most active at night few people have the opportunity to see them.

Mink eat a wide variety of food sources such as, muskrat, rabbit, birds, fish, turtles, insects, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

All counties in North Carolina support mink populations, but because of the high correlation between mink numbers and wetlands, coastal marshes and swamps have denser concentrations, according to the NC Wildlife Resources Commission.

Some biologists believe these populations may be somewhat higher north of Pamlico Sound.

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