Minks depend on aquatic habitat.
Minks that inhabit shallow prairie wetlands lead a precarious existence because annual fluctuations in water level affect abundance of food and availability of shelter. Shallow wetlands often freeze to the bottom during winter. Nearly all studies of spacing and movements in minks have been in riverine, lacustrine, and coastal habitats where home ranges are best measured in terms of lengths of waterways or lengths of used shorelines rather than size of used areas. In prairie pothole habitat, minks tend to occupy circular home ranges that may encompass many wetlands. Distribution and Abundance.