American Mink

American Mink is a semiaquatic carnivore (Neogale vison) native to North America, and the species raised almost everywhere in the world's mink farming industry, which breeds it for its dense, soft fur. Fur farms keep mink in wire cages, selectively breeding for coat color and quality, with Denmark historically among the largest producers alongside other parts of Europe, North America and China. The pelts are used chiefly in fur coats and trim, and decades of selective breeding on farms have produced numerous named color varieties well beyond the wild animal's natural brown coat. Escaped or deliberately released farmed mink have established wild breeding populations in parts of Europe and elsewhere far outside the species' native North American range, where they are considered an invasive predator.