Described herein, the first microsatellite linkage map for the American mink consists of 85 microsatellite markers resolved into 17 linkage groups. The map was constructed using 92 F₁ progeny from five sire families created by crossing mink with different colour types. The linkage groups ranged from 0 to 137 cM. Thee linkage groups were assigned to 12 of the 14 mink autosomes using a somatic cell hybrid panel. The total map covered 690 sex-averaged Kosambi units with an average marker spacing of 8 cM. This map will facilitate further genetic mapping of monogenic characters and QTL.