Food habits of American mink, Neovison vison, in the middle basin of the Abukuma River in Japan

Abstract

 The food habits of the American mink (Neovison vison) were studied based on the analysis of 83 feces and the digestive tract contents of 22 individuals collected in the Gohyaku, Fujita, and Yata Rivers, tributaries of the middle basin of the Abukuma River, in Koriyama city, Fukushima prefecture, Japan from October 2009 to June 2011. The fecal and digestive tract samples contained 163 and 42 prey items, respectively. The prey items included crayfishes (Procambarus clarkii), insects, fishes, frogs, small mammals, birds, and shellfish. Generally, the main prey of mink in a river environment are fishes and small mammals, but the mink in the study area preyed mainly on red swamp crayfish and frogs, which are abundant in paddy fields. In the study area, many waterways connect the rivers and surrounding paddies. These environmental conditions may influence the food habits of the mink. The American minks preyed on many hibernating frogs, and it was concerned about negative impact on the local population of the frogs.