Fauna Flora Photography

American Mink Neovison vison

An agile hunter being spotted along the shores of ponds and rivers in larger parks around Montreal. American Mink is a semi aquatic species and swims and dives in the water.

How to Identify

I identify the American Mink by its brown to dark brown fur and its thin, elongated body shape. When observing it swimming at larger distance, it looks very similar to a beaver or muskrat. Fortunately, the fashion of swimming is different as it lacks the typical tail movement of beavers or muskrats.

Where and When to Spot

I saw American Minks in two parks around Montreal: Rapids Park Lachine and Park de la Frayere. The animal can be active during the day and with a bit luck you can observe it hunting for birds and smaller mammals.

Where and when a species has been observed, identified, and recorded.

Last updated on 2023-12-15. Written and regularly updated by Karl-Heinz Müller, Dipl. Natw. ETH, Biology. With 10 years of experience in wildlife photography, Karl-Heinz shares first-hand, on-site collected observations, photos and videos from his frequent visits to parks in the Montreal area.