American mink: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the American mink lives – recorded in 12 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Neogale vison
Group	Weasels, otters, badgers & skunks
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	12 countries
Continents	Europe, North America, South America
Class	Mammal
Order	Carnivora
Family	Mustelidae

Where does the American mink live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the American mink in 12 countries and territories across Europe, North America and South America. In Chile, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Norway, Russia it is listed as introduced (GRIIS checklists via GBIF).

Sweden
United Kingdom (introduced)
Norway (introduced)
France (introduced)
Ireland
Denmark (introduced)
Spain (introduced)
Chile (introduced)
Germany
Estonia (introduced)
Russia (introduced)
United States

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the American mink endangered?

The American mink’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the American mink?

The American mink (Neogale vison) is a mammal in the order Carnivora and the family Mustelidae, genus Neovison. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the American mink

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. Because of range expansion, the American mink is classed as a least-concern species by the IUCN. The American mink was formerly thought to be the only extant member of the genus Neovison following the extinction of the sea mink (N. macrodon), but recent studies, followed by taxonomic authorities, have reclassified it and the sea mink within the genus Neogale, which also contains a few New World weasel species. The American mink is a carnivore that feeds on rodents, fish, crustaceans, frogs, and birds. 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. It is the animal most frequently farmed for its fur, exceeding the silver fox, sable, marten, and skunk in economic importance.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article American mink (revision 1378894402), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q27179 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).