---
title: "What the sources say about the American Mink | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "50 claims from the American Mink profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/american-mink-1.webp"
canonical: "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/american-mink/sources/"
---

# What the sources say about the American Mink (*Neogale vison*)

> 50 claims from the American Mink profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [American Mink](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/american-mink/)

## Neovison vison (American mink). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Neovison_vison/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A fearless, semi-aquatic hunter | Mink, like most mustelids, are aggressive and fearless predators. (note: tagline; semi-aquatic from 'The toes are partially webbed, showing the mink's semi-aquatic nature') |
| that fur-farm escapes set loose in Europe and South America | American mink have also been inadvertently introduced to the British Isles, where they escaped from fur farms in the 1960's. (note: tagline, Europe) |
| Forested areas close to water in North America | they tend to frequent forested areas that are in close proximity to water (note: stats.habitat) |
| from streams, ponds and lakes with some sort of brushy or rocky cover nearby | Streams, ponds, and lakes, with some sort of brushy or rocky cover nearby are considered optimal territory. (note: stats.habitat) |
| introduced to the British Isles and southern South America | American mink have also been inadvertently introduced to the British Isles (note: stats.habitat) |
| Crayfish, small frogs, small mammals such as shrews, rabbits, mice and muskrats, plus fish, ducks and other water fowl | During the summer it consists of crayfish and small frogs, along with small mammals such as shrews, rabbits, mice, and muskrats. Fish, ducks and other water fowl provide additional food choices. (note: stats.diet) |
| mostly mammals in winter | In the winter, they primarily prey on mammals. (note: stats.diet) |
| Swims up to 30 meters underwater while hunting | In searching for food, they can swim up to 30 meters (100 feet) underwater (note: stats.superpower) |
| with partially webbed toes and a waterproof coat | The toes are partially webbed (note: stats.superpower) |
| with partially webbed toes and a waterproof coat | oily guard hairs that waterproof the animal's coat (note: stats.superpower) |
| The American mink, *Neogale vison*, is a long, slender member of the weasel family with short legs and a pointy, flat face. | The body is long and slender with short legs and a pointy, flat face. (note: weasel family: ADW family line 'Mustelidae badgers, otters, weasels, and relatives') |
| Its toes are partially webbed, a sign of its semi-aquatic life. | The toes are partially webbed, showing the mink's semi-aquatic nature. |
| Its fur is soft and thick, and oily guard hairs waterproof the coat. | The fur is soft and thick, with oily guard hairs that waterproof the animal's coat |
| Body length is usually around 610 millimeters, about 2 feet, with up to half of that being the tail. | Body length is usually around 2 feet or 610 mm (Van Gelder 1982) with up to half of this length being the tail. |
| Females are, on average, substantially smaller than males. | Females, on average, are substantially smaller than males. |
| Adult females weigh 0.7 to 1.1 kilograms, while males range from 0.9 to 1.6 kilograms. | Adult females weigh between 0.7 to 1.1 kg, while males range from 0.9 to 1.6 kilograms |
| Across North America | Although mink are found throughout North America (note: replaces the old ADW 'every state except Arizona' range line (Hawaii has no mink)) |
| they favor forested areas close to water | they tend to frequent forested areas that are in close proximity to water |
| They are mostly active at night, especially near dawn and dusk. | They are mostly active at night, especially near dawn and dusk. |
| they can swim up to 30 meters underwater and dive to depths of 5 meters | they can swim up to 30 meters (100 feet) underwater and dive to depths of 5 meters |
| Like most mustelids, they are aggressive and fearless predators. | Mink, like most mustelids, are aggressive and fearless predators. |
| They do not hesitate to defend themselves against animals larger than themselves. | They do not hesitate to defend themselves against animals larger than themselves. |
| They mark the edges of their home range with musky secretions from enlarged anal glands. | They mark the boundaries of their home range using musky secretions from enlarged anal glands. |
| Summer meals include crayfish and small frogs, plus shrews, rabbits, mice and muskrats. | During the summer it consists of crayfish and small frogs, along with small mammals such as shrews, rabbits, mice, and muskrats. |
| Fish, ducks and other water fowl provide additional food choices. | Fish, ducks and other water fowl provide additional food choices. |
| In winter they primarily prey on mammals. | In the winter, they primarily prey on mammals. |
| Fur farms opened the door. | where they escaped from fur farms in the 1960's |
| In the British Isles, mink escaped from fur farms. | American mink have also been inadvertently introduced to the British Isles, where they escaped from fur farms |
| About 100 feet, or 30 meters, is the upper end of an underwater hunting swim. A mink can also dive as deep as 5 meters. | In searching for food, they can swim up to 30 meters (100 feet) underwater and dive to depths of 5 meters (note: FAQ 1) |
| They are skilled swimmers and climbers. | Mink are also skilled swimmers and climbers. |
| They live mostly alone, and males are particularly intolerant of one another. | Mink are primarily solitary animals, with males being particularly intolerant of one another. |
| Oily guard hairs waterproof the mink's coat | oily guard hairs that waterproof the animal's coat |
| searching for food it can swim up to 30 meters underwater | In searching for food, they can swim up to 30 meters (100 feet) underwater |
| tags: nocturnal | They are mostly active at night, especially near dawn and dusk. (note: task #1303; nocturnal: foraging under darkness) |
| weightKg: 1 | Adult females weigh between 0.7 to 1.1 kg, while males range from 0.9 to 1.6 kilograms (note: task #1303; AnAge adult weight 925 g agrees; whole range sits in Light (under 10 kg)) |

## AnAge entry for Neovison vison. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Build 15, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.

https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Neovison_vison

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| In the wild a mink may live up to 10 years, and one in captivity may reach 11.4 years. | In the wild, these animals may live up to 10 years [ 0542 ]. In captivity they may live 11.4 years [ 0671 ]. |

## Ibarra et al. (2009). Invasive American mink Mustela vison in wetlands of the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, southern Chile: what are they eating? Oryx.

https://doi.org/10.1017/s0030605308099997

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| that fur-farm escapes set loose in Europe and South America | imported to fur farms in southern Chile and Argentina during 1930–1950 (note: tagline, South America) |
| introduced to the British Isles and southern South America | imported to fur farms in southern Chile and Argentina during 1930–1950 (note: stats.habitat) |
| In southern Chile and Argentina, mink were imported to fur farms during 1930 to 1950. | imported to fur farms in southern Chile and Argentina during 1930–1950 |
| Accidental escapes and intentional releases then led to feral populations in many areas. | Accidental escapes and intentional releases led to the establishment of feral populations in many areas of both southern Argentina |
| On Navarino Island in Chile, where the native animals evolved without land predators, a study of 414 scats found a diet of mainly mammals and birds. | We identified undigested remains in 414 scats collected from the shores of 27 ponds over January–November 2006. Diet consisted mainly of mammals and birds. (note: 'evolved without land predators' from 'where the native fauna evolved in the absence of terrestrial predators' (abstract); Navarino Island named in same abstract) |
| Between 1930 and 1950 mink were imported to fur farms in southern Chile and Argentina. Some escaped by accident and others were released on purpose, and feral populations became established in many areas of both countries. | imported to fur farms in southern Chile and Argentina during 1930–1950 (Jaksic et al., 2002 ). Accidental escapes and intentional releases led to the establishment of feral populations in many areas of both southern Argentina (note: FAQ 2) |
| Through fur farming. | imported to fur farms in southern Chile and Argentina during 1930–1950 (note: FAQ 2 lead) |
| where the native animals evolved without land predators | the native fauna evolved in the absence of terrestrial predators |

## Jónsson et al. (2023). Long-term data reveal contrasting impacts of native versus invasive nest predators in Iceland. Ecology Letters.

https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.14313

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| the invasive American mink cut common eider nest numbers by roughly 60% | This invasive predator heavily reduced eider nest numbers by ca. 60% in the Brokey archipelago. (note: 'common eider' from 'Icelandic common eider' in the abstract; 'roughly' for 'ca.') |
| Its arrival drove the eiders' population changes more than climate did. | the arrival of the invasive semi-aquatic American mink (Neogale vison) was a more impactful driver of population dynamics than climate (note: paraphrase of 'more impactful driver of population dynamics than climate') |
| West Iceland | Down collection by local families in Breiðafjörður, West Iceland, provided long-term datasets of nests from two archipelagos |

## Salo et al. (2008). Risk induced by a native top predator reduces alien mink movements. Journal of Animal Ecology.

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2656.2008.01430.x

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| In Finland's Baltic archipelago, researchers found that female mink swam shorter distances as sea eagle predation risk rose. | Mink reduced their swimming distances with increasing sea eagle predation risk: for females (note: Finland: 'South-west Finland' in the abstract) |

## Reid, Schiaffini & Schipper (2016). Neovison vison. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T41661A45214988.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2016-1.rlts.t41661a45214988.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| No. The IUCN Red List places it in its Least Concern category. | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). (note: FAQ) |
| Least Concern | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). (note: stats; GBIF copy) |