Is the standard Eurasian otter Lutra lutra survey strategy suitable for surveying the American mink Neovison vison?

Abstract

The American mink Neovison vison is an elusive mustelid that is monitored mostly through the detection of its field signs, namely, footprints and scats. In Europe, the American mink has been often monitored using the standard otter survey strategy developed specifically for the Eurasian otter Lutra lutra, requiring to walk transects of 600 m spaced at least 5 km apart. We tested whether the standard otter survey strategy was appropriate for surveying mink. We studied a high-density population of mink along a 9-km stretch of river between December 2004 and April 2005. Monthly surveys were conducted and scats and footprints were recorded within 100-m sections along the river. The results showed a monthly variation in signs recovery, with the months of December, January and February being the best ones for surveying. Transects of 600 m detected mink between 74 and 90 % of the times in all months, excluding March when detection was as low as 56 %. Taken all together, the results suggest that the standard otter survey strategy was adequate to detect mink, at least in this case where species density was high. The study also highlighted monthly differences in signs detection, suggesting that temporal variations should be taken into account when designing the sampling strategy and the length of the sampling units (transects). In the months immediately following the mating season (and possibly in lower-density mink populations), it may be advisable to increase the length of transects to increase detection of mink.