The diet of the otter and its relations with the feral mink in two areas of Southwest England

Chanin P., 1981: The diet of the otter and its relations with the feral mink in two areas of Southwest England.Acta theniol., 26, 5: 83-95 [With 3 Tables & 3 Figs.].The results of analysing otter spraints from an eutrophic lake and an oligotrophic stream are described and compared with the results of a study of the mink's diet in the same areas.Differences between the otter's diets in the two areas are explained in terms of availability, and seasonal variation can be linked with changes in fish activity and behaviour.The mink takes a smaller proportion of fish in its diet than the otter, but there is considerable overlap and the min'k takes most species of fish eaten by the otter.On the lake, some differences in fish and bird predation can be detected and these may be connected with differences in the hunting behaviour of the predators.Food is abundant in this area and competition for it unlikely.On the river, the pattern of predation of fish by the two species is almost identical, the biomass of fish is low and waterside birds absent, conditions which could lead to competition.