Potential niche expansion of the American mink invading a remote island free of native-predatory mammals

The success of an invasive species depends in part on its niche and the new niche opportunities that such species may find in the invaded habitat. Niche opportunities can be understood as the potential provided by a community to an invasive species to expand its niche by changes in habitat use, behavior, or diet, that favors population growth, reflected in the species occupying more habitat. This may occur under a favorable combination of access to resources that can be further favored by a lack of competitors and a release from natural enemies. The American mink (Neovison vison) is a crepuscular/nocturnal and semi-aquatic mustelid native to North America that generally concentrates activities at