Mustela lutreola

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	CARNIVORA	MUSTELIDAE

Scientific Name:

Mustela lutreola

Species Authority:

(Linnaeus, 1761)

Common Name/s:

English	–	European Mink
French	–	Vison D'Europe, VISON D'EUROPE
Spanish	–	Visón Europeo, VISÓN EUROPEO

Taxonomic Notes:

The species occasionally hybridizes with Mustela putorius (Tumanov and Abramov 2002). Genetic studies have shown that the western populations (Spain and France) have very low genetic variability and southern populations show moderate genetic variability, whilst the eastern populations have the greatest variability (Lode 1999; Davidson et al. 2000; Michaux et al. 2004, 2005).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Endangered A2ce ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s

Maran, T., Aulagnier, S., Libois, R., Kranz, A., Abramov, A. & Wozencraft, C.

Evaluator/s:

Duckworth, J.W. (Small Carnivore Red List Authority) & Schipper, J. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification:
This species is listed as Endangered due to an ongoing population reduction, inferred to be greater than 50% over the past 3 generations (15 years) due to habitat loss and the effects of introduced species and pathogens. There is considerable uncertainty about the numbers remaining today and the estimated losses of 50% are a minimum, and given better data a Critically Endangered listing might be warranted. Further research is necessary to assess the current population status and rate of decline.

History:

1996	–	Endangered
1994	–	Endangered (IUCN)
1990	–	Vulnerable (IUCN 1990)
1988	–	Vulnerable

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Mustela lutreola is largely restricted to Europe. A century ago it was widespread throughout the continent, with a distribution extending from northern Spain in the west to the river Ob (just east of the Urals) in the east, and from the Archangelsk region in the north to the northern Caucasus in the south (Youngman 1990). However, over the last 150 years it has severely declined and been extirpated or greatly reduced over most of its former range (Maran 1999). The current range includes an isolated population in northern Spain and western France, which is widely disjunct from the main range in Eastern Europe (Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, Ukraine, central regions of European Russia and the Danube delta in Romania). It occurs from sea level to 1,120 m (Palazon et al. 2003).
Countries:	Native: Austria; Belarus; Bulgaria; Czech Republic; Estonia; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Hungary; Kazakhstan; Latvia; Lithuania; Moldova; Netherlands; Poland; Romania; Russian Federation; Slovakia; Spain; Ukraine Possibly extinct: Switzerland Regionally extinct: Croatia; Montenegro; Serbia
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	Its range has reduced by over 80% since the mid-19th century. The remaining population is small, fragmented and declining. The most viable population in Western Europe is in the Danube Delta. Other viable populations are found in the northeastern part of European Russia. The current European mink range in Russia consists of isolated distant habitats of different size. These fragmented populations are scattered across western Russia, the Urals, and the northern Caucasus. The only parts of the range where the American mink is absent are rivers in the Archangelsk Region and Komi. Everywhere else populations of European mink are vanishing or becoming increasingly fragmented and localised, and in a greater part of historical range in Russian the European mink is not met any more. The Russian population of European mink has been estimated at c.20,000 (Tumanov 2003, 2006), but this is not based on quantitative data as no large-scale census has been done. Hunting bags suggest that the European mink is rapidly becoming less abundant by comparison with the American mink: for instance, in Vologda and Kostroma regions the proportion of European mink skins in the hunting bag of the two mink species decreased from 50-70% to 1-10% within the last 5-7 years (to 2006). For the whole of Russia, recent records refer only to the capture of single individuals or to local populations consisting of some ten of individuals (Skmatov and Saveljev 2006). Some estimates of density include: Spain: 500-1,000 individuals (Palazon et al. 2003) France: several hundred (S. Aulagnier and R. Libois pers. comm. 2006). Danube Delta: <1,000 individuals - in 250 trap nights only 1 animal was caught (2006) compared to 1 in 20 nights in 2003 (A. Krantz pers. comm. 2006).
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Population:

Its range has reduced by over 80% since the mid-19th century. The remaining population is small, fragmented and declining. The most viable population in Western Europe is in the Danube Delta. Other viable populations are found in the northeastern part of European Russia. The current European mink range in Russia consists of isolated distant habitats of different size. These fragmented populations are scattered across western Russia, the Urals, and the northern Caucasus. The only parts of the range where the American mink is absent are rivers in the Archangelsk Region and Komi. Everywhere else populations of European mink are vanishing or becoming increasingly fragmented and localised, and in a greater part of historical range in Russian the European mink is not met any more. The Russian population of European mink has been estimated at c.20,000 (Tumanov 2003, 2006), but this is not based on quantitative data as no large-scale census has been done. Hunting bags suggest that the European mink is rapidly becoming less abundant by comparison with the American mink: for instance, in Vologda and Kostroma regions the proportion of European mink skins in the hunting bag of the two mink species decreased from 50-70% to 1-10% within the last 5-7 years (to 2006). For the whole of Russia, recent records refer only to the capture of single individuals or to local populations consisting of some ten of individuals (Skmatov and Saveljev 2006).

Some estimates of density include:
Spain: 500-1,000 individuals (Palazon et al. 2003)
France: several hundred (S. Aulagnier and R. Libois pers. comm. 2006).
Danube Delta: <1,000 individuals - in 250 trap nights only 1 animal was caught (2006) compared to 1 in 20 nights in 2003 (A. Krantz pers. comm. 2006).

Population Trend:

Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	European mink have specialised habitat requirements. They are semi-aquatic, inhabiting densely vegetated banks of lakeshores, rivers, streams and marshlands, and are rarely found more than 100 meters away from fresh water. They forage at night, hunting both on land and in water for a wide range of animal prey including small mammals, birds, frogs, molluscs, crabs, fish and insects. The subpopulation in Spain has less specialised habitat requirements. Females become mature at 19 months (Youngman 1990).
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

European mink have specialised habitat requirements. They are semi-aquatic, inhabiting densely vegetated banks of lakeshores, rivers, streams and marshlands, and are rarely found more than 100 meters away from fresh water. They forage at night, hunting both on land and in water for a wide range of animal prey including small mammals, birds, frogs, molluscs, crabs, fish and insects. The subpopulation in Spain has less specialised habitat requirements. Females become mature at 19 months (Youngman 1990).

Systems:

Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Habitat loss and degradation is a serious threat to the mink in parts of Europe. Ongoing destruction and degradation of freshwater and associated terrestrial habitats is caused by inter alia hydroelectric developments, channelisation and water pollution. Accidental trapping is also a threat, even though the fur of the European Mink is less valuable than that of the American mink, Neovison vison. In France, secondary poisoning and trapping of European mink has occurred as a result of efforts to control coypu (Myocastor coypus) and small carnivores (e.g., polecat). Accidental mortality through vehicle collisions is a problem in some areas. Historically, habitat loss and over-hunting may have contributed to the decline, and the same causes are still evident today in some regions. Competition with the American mink (an alien invasive species) has been hypothesized as a contributing factor, but this is contraindicated by Youngman (1990). Another hypothesis for the cause of the decline is that it is natural extinction (Rozhnov, 1993). The Aleutian disease could also have an impact, but diseased animals have not been found. In Spain and France, hybridization with Mustella putorius may be a threat (Davidson et al. 2000). Youngman (1990) notes that decreases could have been initially caused by natural climatic change, and then aggravated by habitat loss (“clearing of forests, draining of swamps, and pollution of waterways”).

Major Threat(s):

Habitat loss and degradation is a serious threat to the mink in parts of Europe. Ongoing destruction and degradation of freshwater and associated terrestrial habitats is caused by inter alia hydroelectric developments, channelisation and water pollution. Accidental trapping is also a threat, even though the fur of the European Mink is less valuable than that of the American mink, Neovison vison. In France, secondary poisoning and trapping of European mink has occurred as a result of efforts to control coypu (Myocastor coypus) and small carnivores (e.g., polecat). Accidental mortality through vehicle collisions is a problem in some areas.

Historically, habitat loss and over-hunting may have contributed to the decline, and the same causes are still evident today in some regions. Competition with the American mink (an alien invasive species) has been hypothesized as a contributing factor, but this is contraindicated by Youngman (1990). Another hypothesis for the cause of the decline is that it is natural extinction (Rozhnov, 1993). The Aleutian disease could also have an impact, but diseased animals have not been found. In Spain and France, hybridization with Mustella putorius may be a threat (Davidson et al. 2000). Youngman (1990) notes that decreases could have been initially caused by natural climatic change, and then aggravated by habitat loss (“clearing of forests, draining of swamps, and pollution of waterways”).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	It is legally protected in all range states (Schreiber et al. 1989). In the Russian Federation only the Caucasus subspecies is listed (Red Data book of Russian Federation 2001). At least part of the population occurs within protected areas. Studies have been undertaken to determine the mink's ecological requirements, to analyse the causes of its decline, and to assess the genetic variability of western populations. In Spain and France programmes have been started to control the American mink population. A captive breeding programme was launched in 1992 under the European Zoo Association (the Catalonian Government programme is part of the European breeding programme). An introduction programme to release animals on the island Hiiumaa (Estonia) in the Baltic, where the American species has been excluded, is underway. The reintroduction efforts are also underway in Germany and in the Russian Federation. In France a national action plan for the conservation of the European mink was initiated by the Ministry of Environment and has been coordinated by the SFEPM (French Mammal Society). Conservation needs vary throughout Europe, and include the following: National and regional authorities need to increase attention and allocate sufficient resources for European mink conservation. Otherwise this species will disappear soon. There is a need for large-scale efforts to secure the survival of the last small remaining populations in different areas inside of the historical range of the species, but also restoration and/or establishment of new populations is required. For remaining in situ populations, the maintenance or restoration of sufficiently large areas of suitable habitats has to be secured by designation of new protected areas and improvement of management of existing protected areas. The impact of the American mink on local European mink populations has to be monitored and controlled, and whenever possible and feasible the alien mink populations should be removed. Local authorities have to pay more attention to the effects of the American mink on the local fauna, including the European mink. They should support further studies and actions to mitigate the effect of alien mink to the native mink species. Aleutian diseases and other pathologies must be monitored in all remaining in situ populations of the European mink. ·For French and Spanish wild populations which appear to be highly inbred further research needs to be carried out to identify whether these seemingly genetically highly uniform populations suffer from inbreeding depression. The introduction of individuals from ex situ stock from genetically diverse eastern populations has to be considered as a potential conservation measure, if further research confirms the need for this. In addition to genetic studies, comparative studies on ecology and behavior of the disjunct mink populations (Spanish/French, Romanian and eastern European) should also be conducted to support the findings of genetic studies. ·The ex situ conservation breeding program has to be enhanced and promoted, as it guarantees the survival of the species in case in situ efforts fail. It also provides opportunities for the restoration of already vanished wild populations and reinforcement of existing populations whenever needed. ·There is a need for developing an all-European conservation breeding program with secured long-term funding. ·Further studies are needed about the current the status of the European mink in Romania, Ukraine and elsewhere in eastern part of Europe.

Conservation Actions:

It is legally protected in all range states (Schreiber et al. 1989). In the Russian Federation only the Caucasus subspecies is listed (Red Data book of Russian Federation 2001). At least part of the population occurs within protected areas. Studies have been undertaken to determine the mink's ecological requirements, to analyse the causes of its decline, and to assess the genetic variability of western populations. In Spain and France programmes have been started to control the American mink population. A captive breeding programme was launched in 1992 under the European Zoo Association (the Catalonian Government programme is part of the European breeding programme). An introduction programme to release animals on the island Hiiumaa (Estonia) in the Baltic, where the American species has been excluded, is underway. The reintroduction efforts are also underway in Germany and in the Russian Federation. In France a national action plan for the conservation of the European mink was initiated by the Ministry of Environment and has been coordinated by the SFEPM (French Mammal Society).

Conservation needs vary throughout Europe, and include the following:

National and regional authorities need to increase attention and allocate sufficient resources for European mink conservation. Otherwise this species will disappear soon.

There is a need for large-scale efforts to secure the survival of the last small remaining populations in different areas inside of the historical range of the species, but also restoration and/or establishment of new populations is required.

For remaining in situ populations, the maintenance or restoration of sufficiently large areas of suitable habitats has to be secured by designation of new protected areas and improvement of management of existing protected areas.

The impact of the American mink on local European mink populations has to be monitored and controlled, and whenever possible and feasible the alien mink populations should be removed. Local authorities have to pay more attention to the effects of the American mink on the local fauna, including the European mink. They should support further studies and actions to mitigate the effect of alien mink to the native mink species.

Aleutian diseases and other pathologies must be monitored in all remaining in situ populations of the European mink.

·For French and Spanish wild populations which appear to be highly inbred further research needs to be carried out to identify whether these seemingly genetically highly uniform populations suffer from inbreeding depression. The introduction of individuals from ex situ stock from genetically diverse eastern populations has to be considered as a potential conservation measure, if further research confirms the need for this. In addition to genetic studies, comparative studies on ecology and behavior of the disjunct mink populations (Spanish/French, Romanian and eastern European) should also be conducted to support the findings of genetic studies.

·The ex situ conservation breeding program has to be enhanced and promoted, as it guarantees the survival of the species in case in situ efforts fail. It also provides opportunities for the restoration of already vanished wild populations and reinforcement of existing populations whenever needed.

·There is a need for developing an all-European conservation breeding program with secured long-term funding.

·Further studies are needed about the current the status of the European mink in Romania, Ukraine and elsewhere in eastern part of Europe.

Citation:	Maran, T., Aulagnier, S., Libois, R., Kranz, A., Abramov, A. & Wozencraft, C. 2008. Mustela lutreola. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2010.
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