• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
The Mammal Society

The Mammal Society

For Evidence Based Conservation

    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

 

  • Home
  • About
    • What We Do
    • News
    • Blog
    • Meet The Team
    • FAQs
    • Media Information & Press Releases
  • Science
    • Research
      • Are Britain’s wild animals eating plastics?
      • PROSIECT ADFER LYGOD DWY YNG NGHYMRU/ WATER VOLE RESEARCH PROJECT.
      • Harvest Mouse Project
      • Hedgehog hotspots
      • State of Nature 2019
      • Population Review 2018
      • Red List for Britain’s Mammals
      • Surveys and Projects
    • Publications
      • Mammal Review
      • Mammal Communications
      • Mammal News Magazine
      • Books and equipment
    • Ecostat
    • UK Mammal List
    • Students
  • Training
    • Courses
    • Events
  • Record Mammals
    • How To Record Mammals
    • Mammal Mapper
    • School Resources
    • Discover Mammals
    • County Mammal Recorders
  • Get Involved
    • Surveys and Projects
    • Local Groups
    • Mammal Photographer of the Year (MPOY)
    • The University Mammal Challenge (UMAC)
    • National Mammal Week
  • Support Us
    • Latest Appeal
    • Donations
    • Membership
    • Fundraise for us!
    • Leave a Legacy
    • Corporate Supporters
    • Books and equipment
    • Other Ways To Support Us
  • Join Us
  • Donate

Walk This Water Way Wednesday – American mink!

10th July 2019

American Mink (Neovison vison)

 

American mink are an invasive, non-native species, originating in North America. The American mink is a small mammal, with dark brown fur, and small white patches along their chins and throats. American mink were introduced to Europe when they escaped or were set free from fur farms in the 1950s and 60s.

Mink droppings are often left in similar locations are otter droppings, prominent areas out of the water. However, they have a much more pungent foul smell in comparison to lavender scented otter spraints.

Figure 1. American mink distribution across the UK (green) (Mathews et al. 2018).

American mink are now widespread across the UK and pose a threat to our native Water Vole and seabird populations. However, with the increase in otter population their numbers are slowly stabilizing or reducing.

You can help us monitor populations of American mink and their subsequent effects on your local biodiversity by downloading the Mammal Mapper app and participating in our latest project “Walk This Water Way”. All you need to do is walk at least 600m of waterway and record your sightings in the app. Enter the survey ID WTWW and get going!

Need a little encouragement to get out surveying? What if we tell you that the first 50 people to submit 5 or more surveys will receive some lovely photos of our target species and a Mammal Society pin badge! On top of that – the user who logs the most surveys with the survey ID WTWW will get a prize bundle. There’s a separate bundle for the user who logs the most surveys in the UK, and the user who logs the most in Sussex! So, what are you waiting for? Download Mammal Mapper and get recording!

More information about Walk This Water Way can be found here.


Fun facts!

 

  • American mink are larger than European mink
  • American mink are territorial animals, and they rely heavily on chemical signalling for communicating these boundaries.
  • They are able to swim to depths of 30 meters and dive as far as 5 meters.

Primary Sidebar

Our New Clothing Range

Support our research and campaigns

Shop Today

Our Latest Appeal

Help Our Appeal

Monitoring Mammals with a Drop of Water

More News

Latest Tweets

Tweets by Mammal_Society

Get Our e-Bulletin

Includes the latest news and updates from Mammal Society!

Subscribe to our mailing list

* indicates required
cj-wildlife-logo

STAY IN THE KNOW
Subscribe to our mailing list and receive regular e-bulletin packed full of mammal news and ways you can get involved with mammal conservation

Subscribe to our mailing list

* indicates required
Slider

Footer

  • Contact Us
  • Vacancies
  • Position Statements
  • AGM, Reports and Accounts
  • Data Protection
  • Privacy Policy
  • GDPR Information
  • GDPR Opt In

Sponsors

cj-wildlife-logo

Copyright © 2021 The Mammal Society, Black Horse Cottage, 33 Milton Abbas, Blandford Forum, Dorset DT11 0BL .... Registered Company No. 1455136 Charity No. 278918
Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions
Design by Fingerprint Digital Media