Museum, University of Nebraska State
Date of this Version
2009
Citation
Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science (2009) 112(1/2): 119-122.
Abstract
Currently there are no published accounts of the specific diets of mink (Mustela vison) in Nebraska. Herein, we present findings of an historic data set on the winter diets of mink in Nebraska. Gastrointestinal (GI) tracts of mink were collected by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission during the 1946-1947 fur trapping season. The contents of the GI tracts were identified as specifically as possible and percentage of occurrence and percentage of total volume was calculated for each prey item. Mammals and bony fish were the most encountered items. Among mammals, rabbits and muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) were the most frequently consumed species. The presence of rabbits as a major food source is interesting given that most published reports suggest that rabbits are only opportunistically preyed upon by mink. Other commonly consumed taxa include crayfish and frogs. Our report is consistent with other published accounts in that mink prey on a variety of vertebrate and invertebrate taxa.
Comments
Copyright 2009, Hoffman, Genoways, and Wilson. Used by permission.