American mink

This article is about an animal. For the trademark, see American Legend Cooperative.

American mink
Near Capisic Pond, Portland, Maine
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Mustelidae
Genus: Neogale
Species:
N. vison
Binomial name
Neogale vison
(Schreber, 1777)[2]
Subspecies

15, see text

  • N. v. vison
  • N. v. aestuarina
  • N. v. aniakensis
  • N. v. energumenos
  • N. v. evagor
  • N. v. evergladensis
  • N. v. ingens
  • N. v. lacustris
  • N. v. letifera
  • N. v. lowii
  • N. v. lutensis
  • N. v. melampeplus
  • N. v. mink
  • N. v. nesolestes
  • N. v. vulgivaga
American mink range in North America
Native (red) and introduced (pink) range of American mink
Synonyms
  • Mustela vison
  • Vison vison
  • Neovison vison

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.[1] 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.[3] 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.[4]

  1. ^ a b Reid, F.; Schiaffini, M. & Schipper, J. (2016). "Neovison vison". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T41661A45214988. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T41661A45214988.en.
  2. ^ Wozencraft, W. C. (2005). "Order Carnivora". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 619. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  3. ^ Patterson, Bruce D.; Ramírez-Chaves, Héctor E.; Vilela, Júlio F.; Soares, André E. R.; Grewe, Felix (2021). "On the nomenclature of the American clade of weasels (Carnivora: Mustelidae)". Journal of Animal Diversity. 3 (2): 1–8. doi:10.52547/JAD.2021.3.2.1. ISSN 2676-685X. S2CID 236299740.
  4. ^ Heptner & Sludskii 2002, p. 745