New Record of Everglades Mink in Everglades National Park from the Stomach of an American Alligator

摘要

Species management and conservation strategies require accurate information about species distributions and behaviors. Neovison vison evergladensis (Everglades Mink) is listed in Florida as threatened, yet its current population status and distribution are unknown. We report the first incontrovertible evidence of the occurrence of Everglades Mink in Everglades National Park (ENP) in 15 years. Specifically, we found Everglades Mink hair in the stomach contents of a 254-cm (total length) adult male Alligator mississippiensis (American Alligator) captured in 2011 in the southwestern corner of ENP. Our finding confirms that Everglades Mink still inhabit the park, but we present a hypothesis suggesting that very few may be left there, potential causes of the decline include alterations to ENP hydrology and a recent increase in the number of large predators in ENP.