Introduction. The European mink, Mustela lutreola (Linnaeus, 1761), is one of the most endangered carnivores in today's Europe. All prioritisitation lists, both local and international, have acknowledged its critical status: IUCN Red Data List 2000 regards it as an endangered species; in IUCN Action Plan for Small Carnivores (Schreiber et al. 1989) it is listed as a priority species for Europe and on the global scale; in Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats it is included in Annex II as a species in need of strict protection; in the EU Habitats Directive it is listed in Annex II (Member States are required to stablish Special Areas of Conservation) and in Annex IV (Member States are required to establish a system for strict proptection). The European mink is also protected by law in all of its range countries, except Russia (where it is still a game animal on the federal level, though being protected in most of the regions by local regulations).

DOI: 10.7325/Galemys.2003.NE.A1