Neonates are altricial and have sparse, light-colored hairs. The first teeth emerge at 2 to 3 weeks, eyes open at about 3 weeks, and solid food is first taken at about the same time. By 35 days the young are fully homeothermic. By 7 weeks they have achieved 40 percent of their adult body weight and 60 percent of adult body length. A typical litter consists of 3 or 4 kits and ranges from 2 to 10.
Neonates have higher survival rates in warm than in cold weather.
The critical habitat feature for mink is water. Mink are common where abundant downfall and debris creates cover for foraging. More mink are trapped in wooded swamps than in marshes. Mink are adaptable in their use of habitat, particularly where prey are readily available. They are tolerant of human activity.