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Mink

Page history last edited by PBworks 15 years, 7 months ago
American Mink (Mustela vison) are a medium sized member of the Mustelid family which also includes Badgers, weasels and Otter. The first American Mink were introduced to Britian in 1929 for the creation of fur farms and all wild mink are descended from escapees. Mink have been present on Lewis since the 1960’s, after the fur trades declined and farms closed and many animals were released into the wild. As they have no natural predators here their numbers have risen at an alarming rate.
 
They are territorial, with a single mink occupying a territory of anywhere between 1 to 6 km along a river or stream. Within a territory they have a number of dens, used for shelter and raising young, these dens are usually made in holes amongst tree roots, stick piles, rabbit burrows or in a pile of rocks.
 
They mate in February and March and produce a litter of 3-8 kits in late April or May. The kits are weaned at 8 weeks but stay with the mother until late summer when they disperse and set up their own territories.
 
Mink are generalist and opportunistic predators, taking whatever prey is available- fish, birds, eggs and small mammals. Occasionally they will exhibit ‘surplus killing’, particularly with captive prey; here they will kill many animals but eat very little or none. This appears wasteful but some is often stored for periods when prey is limited.
 
Mink are excellent swimmers which make them able to exploit a wide range of habitats and feed on isolated bird colonies. This has led to Mink having a devastating affect on many seabird populations such as Terns and Gulls but also many other bird species such as divers and corncrake.

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