European mink: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the European mink lives – recorded in 6 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Mustela lutreola
Group	Weasels, otters, badgers & skunks
Status	Critically endangered (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	6 countries
Continents	Europe
Class	Mammal
Order	Carnivora
Family	Mustelidae

Where does the European mink live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the European mink in 6 countries and territories across Europe. In Russia it is listed as introduced (GRIIS checklists via GBIF).

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 European mink endangered?

The European mink’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Critically endangered” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the European mink?

The European mink (Mustela lutreola) is a mammal in the order Carnivora and the family Mustelidae, genus Mustela. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the European mink

The European mink (Mustela lutreola), also known as the Russian mink and Eurasian mink, is a semiaquatic species of mustelid native to Europe.

It is similar in colour to the American mink, but is slightly smaller and has a less specialized skull. Despite having a similar name, build and behaviour, the European mink is not closely related to the American mink, being much closer to the European polecat and Siberian weasel (kolonok). The European mink occurs primarily by forest streams unlikely to freeze in winter. It primarily feeds on voles, frogs, fish, crustaceans and insects.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article European mink (revision 1352713798), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q26559 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).