The diet of Mustela erminea L. in the Magadan oblast

Abstract

The study describes the diet of Mustela erminea L. in the Magadan oblast. The major component is Clethrionomys voles in the oblast, C. rufocanus in the Sea of Okhotsk area and C. rutilus in the basin of the Kolyma River. In winter the percentage of mammals declines by about 20%. The stoat compensates for the lack of voles by scavenging fish collected from the beds of ephemeral lakes and streams. Birds, insects, and plant foods are minor components of the stoat’s diet.