Widespread population of invasive ferrets <i>Mustela furo</i> (Carnivora: Mustelidae) on the island of Madeira, Macaronesia-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

Widespread population of invasive ferrets Mustela furo (Carnivora: Mustelidae) on the island of Madeira, Macaronesia

Published:2024-04-08 Issue:4 Volume:88 Page:311-315
ISSN:0025-1461
Container-title:Mammalia
language:en
Short-container-title:

Author:

Soto Elena J.¹²,Nóbrega Eduardo²,Nascimento Pedro³,Abrahams Edie⁴,Powell Kane⁴,Bellmunt Ribas Adrià⁵,Silva Isamberto³,Gomes Martinho³,Rodrigues José M. L.³,Nunes João²,Menezes Dília³,Rocha Ricardo⁴^ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Faculty of Biology , University of Murcia , 30003 Murcia , Spain

2. Câmara Municipal do Funchal, Parque Ecológico do Funchal , Madeira , Portugal

3. Instituto das Florestas e da Conservação da Natureza, Quinta do Bom Sucesso , Caminho do Meio, 9050-251 Funchal , Madeira , Portugal

4. Department of Biology , 6396 University of Oxford , 11a Mansfield Rd, OX1 3SZ , Oxford , UK

5. Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds , Travessa das Torres 2A, 1° andar, 9060–314 Funchal , Madeira , Portugal

Abstract

Abstract Invasive mammalian predators are arguably the most damaging group of alien animals for global biodiversity and their impacts are particularly damaging in endemic-rich insular ecosystems. Ferrets (Mustela furo) are well-known for their potential to establish self-sustaining feral populations. Yet, knowledge about their distribution and trophic interactions is scarce. Here, we provide ample evidence of a well-established and widespread population of ferrets on the subtropical island of Madeira (Portugal). Ferrets are using natural and human-dominated habitats, where they are preying on both native (e.g., Cory’s shearwaters (Calonectris borealis) and the endemic and IUCN Endangered Zino’s petrel (Pterodroma madeira)) and non-native vertebrates.

Funder

National Geographic Society

LIFE Project Pterodromas4future

Publisher

Walter de Gruyter GmbH

Link

https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/mammalia-2023-0073/pdf

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