WEASEL

any of a number of small carnivores belonging to several genera of the family Mustelidae. Weasels have a very elongated, slender body; small, flattened head; long, flexible neck; short limbs; five toes on each foot, with sharp, curved claws; dense, short fur; and a slim tail, pointed at the tip. The different species vary in size and in the relative lengths of their tails. About 10 species of the genus Mustela are found from North through South America and in Eurasia. These species are usually reddish brown with white or yellowish underparts; in winter the coats of those living in cold regions turn white, and their pelts, especially of the stoat (q.v.; M. erminea) are known as ermine in the fur trade. The kolinsky (kolinski), also called the yellow weasel, China mink, red sable, or tatar sable (M. sibirica and other Asian Mustela species), is another weasel bearing valuable fur. In China the tail hairs are used to make artists' brushes. A North American form of M. nivalis, known as the least weasel and frequently separated as M. rixosa, is about 15-20 cm (6-8 inches) long, exclusive of the 2-4-centimetre (1-1.5-inch) tail, and weighs 30-70 g (1-2.5 ounces). Other species, such as the long-tailed weasel (M. longicauda, or sometimes M. frenata) and the large, South American M. africana are about 25-30 cm (10-12 inches) long, excluding the 10-20-centimetre (4-8-inch) tail, and weigh 85-350 g (3-12 ounces). Weasels possess an active, courageous, and bloodthirsty disposition. They are voracious predators and generally hunt alone and at night, feeding principally on mice, rats, and other rodents, as well as on fish, frogs, and birds' eggs. Weasels are valuable rodent controls and can pursue their prey through holes and crevices, under dense herbage, up trees, or into water. Depending on the species, one or two yearly litters of 3 to 13 young are born after a gestation period of 35 to 337 days (the extended gestation period is due to a delay in implantation of the fertilized egg in the wall of the uterus). M. nivalis constructs a nest of dried leaves in a hole in the ground or in a hollow tree and rears its litter of young there. The Patagonian weasel (Lyncodon patagonicus) is a South American mustelid of the Argentinean and Chilean pampas. About 30-35 cm (12-14 inches) long, excluding the 6-9-centimetre (2.5-3.5-inch) tail, it is grayish with dark brown underparts and a white stripe running across the forehead onto the sides of the neck. The North African spotted weasel (Poecilictis libyca) is often found in agricultural areas. Its black-and-white, spotted body is about 23-29 cm (9-11.5 inches) long, exclusive of the 13-18-centimetre (5-7-inch) tail, which is striped, as are its face and back. It bears litters of one to three young. Its food habits are unstudied, but it is probably carnivorous. The African striped, or cape, weasel (Poecilogale albinucha) is found south of the Congo region. Similar in habit to weasels of the genus Mustela, it is 25-35 cm (10-14 inches) long, excluding the 15-23-centimetre (6-9-inch) tail, and is striped yellowish and black with black underparts and a white tail.