The American mink is a semi-aquatic member of the weasel family native to North America, recognized by its slender body, short legs and dense, dark brown waterproof fur historically prized in the fur trade, and it is a skilled swimmer that hunts along riverbanks, lakeshores and wetlands. It is an opportunistic predator, feeding on fish, amphibians, small mammals, birds and crustaceans, and it dens in burrows often taken over from other animals along the water's edge. American mink escaped or released from fur farms have established large invasive populations across parts of Europe, where they have had a significant negative impact on native wildlife such as water voles, even as the species remains common and classified as being of least concern within its native North American range.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm)Terrestrial and Freshwater 3 Relationship to PeopleInvasive or Introduced Species 2 Living or ExtinctDerived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status (w-bfill-g5-0924 browse backfill). Scientific Name Conservation Status Population EstimateRegional count for Great Britain only, an introduced non-native population there, not the species native North American range. Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceThe American mink has a long body, which allows the species to enter the burrows of prey. Its streamlined shape helps it to reduce water resistance while swimming. 1 Connections
Child Taxon Of
In Biome
Source American Mink (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. American Mink (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section, opening sentence naming the binomial
The American mink (Neogale vison) is a semiaquatic species of mustelid native to North America, though human introduction has expanded its range to many parts of Europe, Asia, and South America.
Lead section, second sentence naming the IUCN status
Because of range expansion, the American mink is classed as a least-concern species by the IUCN.
United Kingdom subsection, Range section
The total mink population in Great Britain is estimated at 110,000 (England: 46,750; Scotland: 52,250; Wales: 9,750).
Build subsection, second and third sentences
The American mink has a long body, which allows the species to enter the burrows of prey. Its streamlined shape helps it to reduce water resistance while swimming.
- In Biome: Freshwater, Wikipedia 'American mink': semiaquatic mustelid native to North America's waterways
View the Source 2. Wikipedia: American Mink
Wikipediasystem (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly, diet)
The American mink is a carnivore that feeds on rodents, fish, crustaceans, frogs, and birds.
system (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly, relationship to people)
In its introduced range in Europe it has been classified as an invasive species linked to declines in European mink, Pyrenean desman, and water vole populations.
View the Source 3. American mink (Wikipedia)
semiaquatic species of mustelid... feeds on rodents, fish, crustaceans, frogs, and birdsView the Source Wikidata: American Mink
Catalogue of Life
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeChild Taxon Of: MustelidaeView the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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