Invasive alien mammals of European Union concern

Abstract

Biological invasions have emerged as one of the main drivers of biodiversity change and decline, and numbers of alien species are rapidly rising. The European Union established a dedicated regulation to limit the impacts of invasive alien species (IAS), which is focused on a Union List of IAS of particular concern. However, no previous study has specifically addressed the ecology of invasive alien mammals included in the Union List.We performed a systematic review of published literature on these species. We retrieved 262 studies dealing with 16 species, and we complemented these with the most up-to-date information extracted from global databases on IAS.We show that most of the study species reached Europe as pets that escaped from captivity or were intentionally released. On average, 1.2 species’ new first records/year were documented in European countries in the period 1981-2020, and most species are still expanding their alien ranges colonising neighbouring territories. France, Germany, Italy, and The Netherlands are the most invaded nations, and the muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides), and the American mink (Neovison vison) are the most widespread species, having invaded at least 27 countries each. Invasive mammals of European Union concern are threatening native biodiversity and human well-being: worryingly, 81.3% of the study species are implicated in the epidemiological cycle of zoonotic pathogens.Containing the secondary spread to further countries is of paramount importance to avoid the establishment of new populations of invasive mammals and the related impacts on native communities, ecosystem services, and human health.Our results offer the most updated compendium on the ecology of invasive mammals of European Union concern, that can be used to assist environmental policies, identify and subsequently fill knowledge gaps, and inform stakeholders.GRAPHICAL ABSTRACTGraphical abstract: Invasive alien mammals of European Union concern.The figure illustrates how the introduction of a species in few new areas, followed by a lag phase of adaptation and sometimes enriched by further subsequent releases, can rapidly lead to the colonisation of large parts of a continent. On the top left, a heat map with species’ richness in countries of Europe. On the top right, a word cloud with the main keywords of our literature search and some of the study species’ names. On the bottom left, four out of 16 study species: in clockwise order, the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides), the muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), the American mink (Neovison vison), and the raccoon (Procyon lotor). On the bottom right, the temporal distribution of the first records of the study species in the countries of Europe.

Roadkills as a Method to Monitor Raccoon Dog Populations

“…During the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of 21st century, this species spread from west Russia to western Europe, reaching Spain and the Netherlands [ 27 ]. However, contrary to that stated by [ 28 ], the species is not established in Great Britain ( , accessed on 12 September 2021). To date, the raccoon dog has already become established in 27 countries in Europe and is still expanding its range.…”

“…To date, the raccoon dog has already become established in 27 countries in Europe and is still expanding its range. As a result, it is listed as an EU species of concern [ 28 ]. Though formerly managed as a valuable source of pelts, the current goal of management is its eradication, therefore knowledge of trends in the population is required to determine the effectiveness of the eradication program.…”

One health implications of fur farming

“…2009; Tedeschi et al, 2022). Although there have historically been other reasons for introduction of furbearers to non native habitats, those introductions were smaller in scale, and there is a large body of evidence, including genetic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) studies that trace back the origins of several problematic invasive species directly to escapes or releases from fur farms.…”

“…Although there have historically been other reasons for introduction of furbearers to non native habitats, those introductions were smaller in scale, and there is a large body of evidence, including genetic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) studies that trace back the origins of several problematic invasive species directly to escapes or releases from fur farms. Indeed, the fur species American mink, racoon dog and muskrat, are the most widespread invasive species in Europe, spanning 27 countries (Tedeschi et al, 2022). A study in South America for example, showed that whilst some invasive species were imported for hunting such as hares and rabbits, deer, antelope and chital, or for biological control (grey foxes), American mink, muskrats and North American beavers were imported for specifically for fur.…”