|
 |
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
Common, or least weasel - MUSTELA NIVALIS
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Weasel": "Weasel" comes from the Old English word "weosule," which probably meant "flowing" - in reference to the musky secretions of the animal.
Location: Europe, northern Asia, North Africa, and North America.
Habitat: Terrestrial. It adapts to a variety of habitats, but prefers rolling or flat countryside.
Description: Similar in appearance to the ermine, this weasel is slightly smaller. The coat is reddish brown on the back and white on the underside. Unlike the ermine, the tail never has a black tip. It has short legs. The head and body are seven to ten inches long with a tail about three inches. The weight is three to seven ounces, with females considerably smaller than males.
Behavior: The mostly solitary common weasel is probably active both day and night, alternating periods of activity with periods of rest. It is a ruthless hunter of mice, rats, and moles. Because of the slenderness and suppleness of its body it can enter the burrows of these animals. It also hunts frogs and small birds. Its agile movements and ability to climb enable it to reach birds' nests, where if consumes both eggs and nestlings.
Reproduction: Gestation lasts about 35 days, and there may be delayed implantation. The female gives birth, possibly twice a year, to four to six young, which she looks after in a nest lined with grass and dry leaves in the hollow of a tree. It is possible that the male plays a part in rearing the young. The young become independent in about six to eight weeks.
Go to the Carnivore Page to learn more about all the meat-eating animals.
Go to the Long-Tailed Weasel for
the only other Weasel listed in America Zoo.
From Address Labels to Zoo Toys... All Creatures Great and Small You'll Find It at the America Zoo Gift Shop Realistic Stuffed Animals & Animal Figurines Wildlife Decor for Your Home Animal Books, Magazines, and Educational Materials A Wide Variety of Wildlife Gifts & Apparel and Much, Much More  ↓ For Your Favorite Little Animal Lover ↓
Home Animal Research Library About AmericaZoo
|
