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Least weasels driven from a mountain hare carcass by a stoat, as illustrated in Barrett-Hamilton's A History of British Mammals. The least weasel is small enough to be preyed upon by a range of other predators. [38] Least weasel remains have been found in the excrement of red foxes, sables, steppe and forest polecat, stoats, eagle owls and ...
In the UK, the term "weasel" usually refers to the smallest species, the least weasel (M. nivalis), [1] the smallest carnivoran species. [ 2 ] Least weasels vary in length from 173 to 217 mm ( 6 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in), [ 3 ] females being smaller than the males, and usually have red or brown upper coats and white bellies; some populations ...
Range maps are provided wherever possible; if a range map is not available, a description of the mustelid's range is provided. Ranges are based on the IUCN Red List for that species unless otherwise noted. All extinct species or subspecies listed alongside extant species went extinct after 1500 CE, and are indicated by a dagger symbol ...
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.
The skull of Corumictis was discovered around 2005 at the John Day Formation in northern Oregon, which dates to between 28.8 million and 25.9 million years ago. [3] The skull was originally believed to have belonged to an ancient feline, but was re-examined by palaeontologist Ryan Paterson of Carlton University in Canada, who concluded that it was a mustelid instead.
Known only to survive in captivity or as a naturalized populations well outside its previous range. CR: Critically endangered: The species is in imminent risk of extinction in the wild. EN: Endangered: The species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. VU: Vulnerable: The species is facing a high risk of extinction in the ...
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.
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.