Scientific classification: Weasels belong to the family Mustelidae and make up the genus Mustela. The ermine is classified as Mustela erminea
What is a weasel?
Weasel are common name for any of several small, fur-bearing, carnivorous mammals that are most abundant in North America and Europe but also occur in South America, northern Africa, and Asia.
What are the different species of weasels?
The various species of weasel are similar in appearance and habits. They are lithe, slender animals with elongated necks, muscular, long tailed weasel, snakelike bodies, and short legs. They vary from 11 to 45 cm (4 to 18 in) in length, and the male is larger than the female. Their heads are small and triangular with narrowed snouts. Nearly all weasels are brown above and white beneath, and those found in northern regions turn white in the winter (see Ermine). In warmer regions weasels retain their brown coat throughout the year.
What does the weasel feed on?
The weasel, which preys on mice, rats, birds, and rabbits, is largely nocturnal. Extremely agile, it attacks animals larger than itself. Although sometimes a serious threat to poultry, long tailed weasel it also feeds on rodents around farms. When young, the weasel can be tamed. The female makes a nest of straw, leaves, and moss in a ground crevice or a hollow tree. A litter has two to twelve young.
Are there related weasel family?
The badger is a related family of the weasel and lives in forests and digs a deep chamber, where it spends the winter and where in spring it bears two to six furless and blind young. It is omnivorous; fruits, roots, beechnuts, eggs, young birds, small quadrupeds, frogs, snails, worms, and insects constitute its natural food. It also feeds on honey and on the larvae of wasps and wild bees; the shaggy hair of the badger is protection against stings. The American badger is native to the western regions of North America, as far east as Ohio, south to central Mexico, and north to southern Canada. About 60 cm (about 24 in) long, the animal has a squat, long tailed weasel broad body and forelegs armed with long claws, which are highly efficient digging tools. The badger lives in deep burrows that it digs in hillsides.
Are weasels endangered species?
The black-footed ferret, the largest and most endangered weasel native to the American prairies, was nearly extinct until a captive breeding program was started. The success of reintroduction is not yet clear. Among the best-known species are the ermine, long tailed weasel known also as the stoat, and the long-tailed weasel, of the United States and Mexico. Close relatives are the mink, polecats, and ferrets.