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Weasels feed on small mammals and have from time to time been considered vermin because some species took poultry from farms or rabbits from commercial warrens. They do, on the other hand, eat large numbers of rodents. Their range spans Europe, North America, much of Asia and South America, and small areas in North Africa.
Least weasel: Mustela nivalis: Uncommon M. nivalis allegheniensis: Western two-thirds American ermine: Mustela richardsonii: Uncommon Statewide except southwest Long-tailed weasel: Neogale frenata: Common Statewide Mink: Neogale vison: Common N. vison mink: Statewide Fisher: Pekania pennanti: Reintroduced North central Badger: Taxidea taxus: Rare
Weasels are mammals belonging to the family Mustelidae and the genus Mustela, which includes stoats, least weasels, ferrets, and minks, among others. Different species of weasel have lived alongside humans on every continent except Antarctica and Australia, and have been assigned a wide range of folkloric and mythical meanings.
Family Mustelidae (otters, weasels and relatives) North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) RI; Least weasel (Mustela nivalis) U; American ermine (Mustela richardsonii) U [11] Long-tailed weasel (Neogale frenata) U; American mink (Neogale vison) U; Fisher (Pekania pennanti) RI; Family Mephitidae (skunks) Striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) C
The least weasel is the product of a process begun 5–7 million years ago, when northern forests were replaced by open grassland, thus prompting an explosive evolution of small, burrowing rodents. The weasel's ancestors were larger than the current form, and underwent a reduction in size to exploit the new food source.
Skulls of a long-tailed weasel (top), a stoat (bottom left) and least weasel (bottom right), as illustrated in Merriam's Synopsis of the Weasels of North America. The long-tailed weasel is the product of a process begun 5–7 million years ago, when northern forests were replaced by open grassland, thus prompting an explosive evolution of small, burrowing rodents.
Sthenictis sp. (American Museum of Natural History). Mustelids vary greatly in size and behaviour. The smaller variants of the least weasel can be under 20 cm (8 in) in length, while the giant otter of Amazonian South America can measure up to 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) and sea otters can exceed 45 kg (99 lb) in weight.
It gets its name from its large mule-like ears. Adult male mule deer are called bucks , adult females are called does , and young of both sexes are called fawns . The black-tailed deer is considered by some a distinct species though it is classified as a subspecies of the mule deer.