Occupancy dynamics of free ranging American mink (Neogale vison) in Greece

Abstract

Identifying the environmental factors that determine the occurrence of invasive species is essential in defining and implementing effective control campaigns. We tracked American mink (Neogale vison) presence using 150 floating rafts and applied multi-season occupancy models across different spatial scales to identify those factors determining the species’ probability of occupancy, colonization and extinction in Western Macedonia, Greece. We found that increasing values of shrub and rock cover at the micro-habitat scale were positively associated with the species’ probability of initial occupancy, as was the density of medium-sized rivers at the landscape scale. Colonization was found to increase with increasing amounts of shrub and reed cover, however both variables were uninformative. Conversely, the distance from the nearest fur farm was highly informative in predicting the specie’s local extinction probability. Effective control actions may require removal by trapping along rocky or densely vegetated river banks or lake shores located in the vicinity of the established fur farms in the area. Habitat management, although possible, may be difficult to implement due to the specie’s ability to adapt. Finally, fur farms should maximize security and establish an early warning and rapid eradication system in case of future escapes.