Predator Vs. Prey: Mink vs. Muskrat

The struggle to survive isn't always a fair fight. Here's what separates nature's winners from it's losers.

Feisty Fighter

Don’t let their chubby appearance fool you. Muskrats are fierce fighters who use their half-inch-long, razor-sharp teeth to slash enemies.

Scuba Lungs

A muskrat can hold its breath for 17 minutes and hide underwater until danger disappears.

Totally Tubular

A mink’s skinny, tube-shaped body helps it wiggle into narrow nooks and crannies to surprise muskrats in their burrows.

Paddle Feet

By churning their paddleshaped hind feet, muskrats can swim 3 miles per hour — twice as fast as any mink can muster.

Brawny Bite

Super-strong jaw muscles let a mink plunge its long, pointy teeth into the skulls of its prey.

Fast and Ferocious

On land, mink are as quick and nimble as ninjas. Once a mink tackles prey, it wraps its body around the victim and bites so quickly it’s hard to follow with the human eye.

and the winner is…

This clash in the cattails could hinge on location. Mink have the advantage on land, but muskrats gain the upper paw in water.