A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Effects of home-range characteristics on the diet composition of female American mink in the Baltic Sea archipelago
Authors: Salo P, Toivola M, Nordström M, Korpimäki E
Publisher: FINNISH ZOOLOGICAL BOTANICAL PUBLISHING BOARD
Publication year: 2010
Journal: Annales Zoologici Fennici
Journal name in source: ANNALES ZOOLOGICI FENNICI
Journal acronym: ANN ZOOL FENN
Number in series: 2
Volume: 47
Issue: 2
First page : 111
Last page: 122
Number of pages: 12
ISSN: 0003-455X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5735/086.047.0204
Abstract
Predator home-range size may serve as a proxy of resource abundance and spatial structure of home range may also reveal information about diet composition of predators. We studied the diet of American mink Mustela vison, an introduced predator in Europe, to explore diet composition and to examine the association of diet with home-range characteristics. We collected scats of radio-tracked mink (two males and nine females) in summers 2004-2005 in the Archipelago Sea, SW Finland. The most important prey groups were fish (33% occurrence), birds (28%) and small mammals (mainly voles; 15%). The proportion of small mammals in female mink diet correlated positively with home-range size, which indicates that larger home ranges include larger islands, where vole populations are more persistent. Our results highlight the importance of fish as main prey for survival and invasion of mink in the outer archipelago, subsidising mink impact on other prey.
Predator home-range size may serve as a proxy of resource abundance and spatial structure of home range may also reveal information about diet composition of predators. We studied the diet of American mink Mustela vison, an introduced predator in Europe, to explore diet composition and to examine the association of diet with home-range characteristics. We collected scats of radio-tracked mink (two males and nine females) in summers 2004-2005 in the Archipelago Sea, SW Finland. The most important prey groups were fish (33% occurrence), birds (28%) and small mammals (mainly voles; 15%). The proportion of small mammals in female mink diet correlated positively with home-range size, which indicates that larger home ranges include larger islands, where vole populations are more persistent. Our results highlight the importance of fish as main prey for survival and invasion of mink in the outer archipelago, subsidising mink impact on other prey.
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