Mustela vision

The mink Mustela vision) is a piscivorous mammal that also has been exposed to relatively high dietary levels of methyl mercury in North America in recent times. In a Canadian study, mink trapped in Yukon territory, Ontario, and Nova Scotia were analyzed for levels of mercury and abundance of muscarinic, cholinergic and dopaminergic receptors in the brain (Basu et al. 2005). A correlation was found between total Hg levels and abundance of muscarinic receptors, but a negative correlation was found between total Hg and abundance of dopaminergic receptors. Thus, it was suggested that environmentally relevant concentrations of Hg (much of it in methyl form) may alter neurochemical function. The highest levels of mercury contamination were found in mink from Nova Scotia that had a mean concentration of total Hg of 5.7 pg/g in brain, 90% of which was methyl mercury. 

Tansy CL. 2002. A comparison of contaminants in tissues of mink (Mustela vision) from South Carolina and Louisiana. MS thesis, Clemson University. 

Mink Mustela vision Newborn 1000c Daily for 12 d 100% mortality after 14 d... 

I Polonen, LT Vahteristo, EJ Tanhuanp. Effect of folic acid supplementation on folate status and formate oxidation rate in mink (Mustela vision). J Anim Sci 75 1569-1574, 1997. 

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