Neovison vison

56. American Mink Neovison vison French: Vison d’Amérique / German: Amerikanischer Nerz / Spanish: Visén americano Taxonomy. Mustela vison Schreber, 1776, Eastern Canada. Fifteen subspecies are recognized. Subspecies and Distribution. N. v. vison Schreber, 1776 — E Canada and NE USA (Allegheny Mts). N. v. aestuarina Grinnell, 1916 — SW USA (California & W Nevada). N. v. aniakensis Burns, 1964 — W Alaska. N. v. energumenos Bangs, 1896 — W Canada and NW USA. N. v. evagor Hall, 1932 — SW Canada (Vancouver I). N. v. evergladensis Hamilton, 1948 — SE USA (SW Florida). N. v. ingens Osgood, 1900 — most of Alaska and NW Canada (N Mackenzie & Yukon). N. v. lacustris Preble, 1902 — C Canada (Keewatin Region, Manitoba & Ontario). N. v. letifera Hollister, 1913 — Great Plains of USA. N. v. low Anderson, 1945 — E Canada (Labrador & Quebec). N. v. lutensis Bangs, 1898 — USA (S Carolina to Florida). N. v. melampeplus Elliot, 1903 — Alaska (Kenai Peninsula). N. v. mink Peale & Palisot de Beauvois, 1796 — SE USA. N. v. nesolestes Heller, 1909 — SW Alaska. N. v. vulgivaga Bangs, 1895 — USA (Arkansas & Louisiana). Introduced to Belarus, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britian, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan (Hokkaido), Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, and Sweden. Descriptive notes. Head-body 33-43 cm (males), 30-40 cm (females), tail 16.7-20 cm (males), 15.2-18.5 cm (females); weight 850-1805 g (males), 450-840 g (females), adult males are generally 10% longer and 100% heavier than females. The American Mink has a long body and short limbs. The pelage is soft and luxurious; it is brown throughout, but white markings on the chest, throat and chin are common. The feet are fully furred and the claws are short and sharp. There are three pairs of mammae. The skull is long and flat, with a small sagittal crest. Dental formula: 1 3/3, C1/1, P 3/3,M1/2=34. Habitat. American Mink are found along the edges of small creeks, streams, rivers, lakes, and in wetlands, swamps, marshes, and along coastal beaches. They prefer densely vegetated areas and are sometimes found far from water. Females have been found to prefer small streams, whereas males prefer large streams. Food and Feeding. The diet includes small mammals,fish, birds, eggs, amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates, such as crustaceans, molluscs, insects, and earthworms. In much of North America, the American Mink is a major predator of Muskrats; fluctuations in Muskrat populations have a direct effect on American Mink abundance. In Eurasia, where the American Mink has been introduced, the staple food items on rivers and streamsare fish (average, 27%), mammals (30%), and amphibians (17%), whereas on lakes and ponds,it is predominantly birds (33%) and fish (28%). On the upper reaches of the Lovatriver, north-east Belarus, three out of ten American Mink were found to be small mammal specialists; 86-92% of their scats contained remains of small rodents (mostly the Water Vole and microtines), and small mammals constituted 83-88% of the food biomass consumed; the other seven were generalist predators. In western Poland, the diet of American Mink consists mainly of mammals, birds, and fish. In autumn-winter, mammals constitute up to 56%, fish up to 62%, and birds 4-16%, of the biomass consumed. In spring and summer, however, birds form 45-60% of the biomass eaten; the common coot (Fulica atra) is the most frequently consumed prey. Scat analysis in eastern Poland revealed that American Mink relied on three prey groups: fish (40% in spring-summer and 10% in autumnwinter), frogs (32% and 51%, respectively), and small mammals (21% and 36%). Of the available small mammal species, American Mink strongly selected the Root Vole (Microtus oeconomus). The cold season diet depended on river size. On small rivers with forested valleys, American Mink fed nearly exclusively on amphibians (72-90% of food biomass). As the size of a river increases and riverside habitat becomes more open (sedge and reed marshes instead of forest), American Mink shift to preying on small mammals (up to 65% in the diet). The stomach contents of 211 individuals in Thy, Denmark, revealed that the diet was mostly mammals (55% occurrence), followed by amphibians (36%), birds (33%), and fish (30%). In Bornholm, Denmark, American Mink prey mostly on birds (50%), followed by mammals (42%), fish (25%) and amphibians (4%). In Italy, the diet is mainly fish, followed by small mammals and birds. American Mink spend most of their time hunting near water, but can also hunt underwater. In a coastal environment of Scotland, radio-tracked American Mink were found to forage selectively at low or mid-tide and within the core areas of their home range; they showed no preference for areas rich in prey when foraging at high tide and between core areas. They also avoided areas with freshwater streams and preferred foraging in the mid-tide zone. Prey on land are detected by sight or sound. Surplus food is sometimes cached. Activity patterns. Mainly nocturnal, but with frequent periods of daytime activity, especially in areas away from humans. Den/rest sites are in burrows, hollow logs, hollow trees, rock crevices, old buildings, or abandoned dwellings of Muskrats, American Beavers, or Woodchucks (Marmota sp.). Burrows may be about 3 m long and 1 m beneath the surface, and have one or more entrancesjust above the water level. On the northern Iberian Peninsula, radio-collared American Mink selected resting places within dense scrub,close to deep water. Both sexes also used underground dens, but during cold days females rested in buildings much more often than males. Active females used areas of dense scrub, and males used large scrub patches. Movements, Home range and Social organization. American Mink are good swimmers. They can dive to depths of 5-6 m and swim underwater for about 30 m. They are also agile climbers and occasionally forage in trees. Movements are either short foraging excursions or long travel movements between areas. Daily movements may reach up to 25 km, but usually are less than 5 km. American Mink are solitary outside of the breeding season. Females have home ranges of about 8-20 ha; the ranges of males are larger, sometimes up to 800 ha. Home ranges include 1-8-7- 5 km of shoreline for males and 1-4- 2 km for females. In the prairies, the average home range of males was 7- 7 km *. The home ranges of males overlap with those of females, but there is little overlap with other males. Population densities of 1-8 per km? have been recorded. Breeding. Females are polyestrous but only have one litter per year. Mating occurs from February to April. Implantation of the fertilized eggs into the uterus undergoes a short and variable delay, and gestation may last from 39 to 78 days (average 51 days). Actual embryonic development takes 30-32 days. Births occur in April to June. Litter size ranges from two to ten, with an average offive. The young are born blind; their eyes open after five weeks and weaning occursat five to six weeks. They leave the nest and begin to hunt at seven to eight weeks, and separate from the mother in the autumn. Females reach adult weight at four months and sexual maturity at twelve months; males reach adult weight at 9-11 months and sexual maturity at 18 months. Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern in The IUCN Red List. The American Mink is considered common throughoutits range. It is harvested in the wild forits fur, particularly in North America; however, most of the mink fur used in commerce is produced on farms and American Mink are intensively raised in captivity. Most of the conservation issues with this species relate to its introduction to countries outside its natural distribution and the impacts on native fauna. Major threats to American Mink are linked with water pollution. Bibliography. Aulerich & Ringer (1979), Aulerich et al. (1974), Bartoszewicz & Zalewski (2003), Birks & Linn (1982), Bonesi et al. (2000), Dunstone (1979, 1983, 1993), Enders (1952), Errington (1954), Hammershoj et al. (2004), Lariviere (1999a, 2003b), Sidorovich et al. (2001), Wozencraft (2005), Zabala et al. (2007a, 2007b), Zuberogoitia et al. (2006).

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