A foreign carnivore: The case of American mink (Neovison vison) in South America

Abstract

As in other parts of the globe, the American mink has invaded the southern cone of Latin America successfully. Nowadays it is one of the most widespread and feared invasive vertebrates in southern Argentina and Chile. Unfortunately, these are only 2 countries of a list of over 30 where it has invaded in Europe and Asia (Macdonald and Harrington 2003; Bonesi and Palazon 2007). The wide distribution that it has reached in occupied territories and the difficulties to trap mustelid efficiently discourage the idea of investing on eradication programs (King et al. 2009).