AMERICAN MINK (NEOVISON VISON) IN YAKUTIA: MORPHOLOGY, DISTRIBUTION, ABUNDANCE

The article presents data on the morphology, range and number of the American mink in Yakutia, gives materials on its morpho- and craniometry. Data on the dynamics of the range and number of the American mink in Yakutia from the moment of its introduction in the early 1960s to the present time are shown. The range of the mink has expanded in the north-east direction from Southern Yakutia to Central Yakutia for half a century, and new mink settlement sites from the eastern side of the Magadan region have been noted. After naturalization of the American mink during 25 years, there was a gradual increase in its number from 686 individuals to 4-5 thousand individuals. Over the next 35 years, the number of the species has stabilized and remains at this level with some fluctuations over the years, excluding 2005-2006, when there was a sharp increase in the number of mink.