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A cost-effective PCR–RFLP method for monitoring invasive American mink: preliminary field test in control areas of Spain

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Abstract

American mink Neovison vison is a semi-aquatic mustelid that has been introduced throughout Europe. Several attempts to eradicate this invasive species have been carried out since its spread. In the Iberian Peninsula, an eradication program has started since 2001, as part of the national action plan for the conservation of European mink Mustela lutreola. Proper detection is crucial for management, both for monitoring variation in mink abundance and prevent the recolonization of cleared areas. Mink scats can be confounded with those of several same-sized mustelids, and with the spraints of Eurasian otter Lutra lutra, which also occur along watercourses. However, these difficulties can be overcome by non-invasive genetic methods. With the aim of providing a cost-effective and reliable technique for differentiating mink scats from those of the largest possible number of species with morphologically similar scats, we tested the effectiveness of an already available faecal mtDNA-based PCR–RFLP method for distinguishing mink- and otter faeces. We then applied the method for analysing scats collected and identified in the field by trained surveyors for monitoring the success of mink control operations. The PCR–RFLP method clearly differentiated mink scats from those of otters, as restriction enzymes produced well-defined different patterns. Eighty-five percent of 94 faecal samples could be assigned to a mustelid species. Only three out of seven putative mink samples were confirmed, suggesting that the accuracy of the visual identification of scats is questionable and genetic methods are needed for the reliable assessment of the success of eradication programs.

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Data availability

New nucleotide sequences have been deposited in GenBank (Accession Numbers: MT227875 Lutra lutra; MT227876 Neovison vison).

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Jesús de Lucas Veguillas (Delegación Provincial de Desarrollo Sostenible de Guadalajara. Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha), Sara Lapesa Lázaro (Biologist of Servicio Provincial de Teruel del Departamento de Desarrollo Rural y Sostenibilidad), Félix Carrillo (CEO of LATIZAL S.L.), and the staff of LIFE LUTREOLA SPAIN (LIFE13 NAT/ES/001171) and Parque Regional del Sureste (Comunidad de Madrid). The first author was supported by the International School of Doctoral Programs of Murcia University (EIDUM).

Funding

This study was funded by LIFE+ RIPISILVANATURA (LIFE13 BIO/ES/1407).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ecología e Hidrología, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain

    Ettore Emanuele Dettori, Victor Manuel Zapata-Perez & Francisco Robledano-Aymerich

  2. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

    Alessandro Balestrieri & Laura Carcangiu

  3. Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Alessandro Balestrieri

  4. Parque Regional del Sureste, Madrid, Spain

    Loreto García Román

  5. Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Oristano, Italy

    Angelo Ruiu

Authors
  1. Ettore Emanuele Dettori
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  2. Alessandro Balestrieri
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  3. Loreto García Román
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  4. Victor Manuel Zapata-Perez
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  5. Angelo Ruiu
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  6. Laura Carcangiu
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  7. Francisco Robledano-Aymerich
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation and genetic analysis were performed by EED on samples collected by EED, LGR and VMZP. The final draft was written by EED, AB and FRA and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript and its submission for publication.

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Correspondence to Alessandro Balestrieri.

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Dettori, E.E., Balestrieri, A., Román, L.G. et al. A cost-effective PCR–RFLP method for monitoring invasive American mink: preliminary field test in control areas of Spain. Conservation Genet Resour 13, 143–149 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12686-020-01183-3

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