American Mink on the Small Rivers of the Sikhote-Alin

Abstract

This paper reports the results of stationary studies on the ecology of the American mink (Neovison vison Schreb.) on three small rivers of the Sikhote-Alin region from 2003 to 2018. The population density in the field stations range from 0.4 to 2.2 individuals per 1 km of watercourse. Cyclic changes in the density of the mink population were found to occur with a period of about six years (r_S = 0.68, P = 0.01). Hunting of low intensity did not affect the number and growth of the mink population. The correlation between floods and annual precipitation and dynamics of density was weak and unreliable. In the predator’s diet, three main forage groups (mammals, frogs, and fish) were singled out, the ratio of which varied in the basins of different rivers and according to the seasons of the year.