Where does the American mink live?
The American mink is a semiaquatic mustelid native to North America. Human introductions have expanded its range to many parts of Europe, Asia and South America. It is similar in build to the European mink, but its tail is longer, 38 to 51% of its body length. Its long body allows it to enter the burrows of its prey.
What does the American mink eat?
It is a carnivore halfway between the polecat and the otter, well adapted to aquatic environments: it feeds on rodents, fish, crustaceans, frogs and birds. In Europe it has been classified as an invasive species, linked to declines in European mink, Pyrenean desman and water vole populations.
Is the American mink endangered?
No: the IUCN lists it as Least Concern, notably because of its range expansion. It was formerly the only extant member of the genus Neovison, after the extinction of the sea mink around 1870, but recent genetic studies have reclassified it in the genus Neogale, with a few New World weasels.
