Introduction to Weasel
Weasels are small carnivorous mammals belonging to the family Mustelidae (Mustelids) under the Mustela genera. They are voracious and aggressive predators. They have a long and slender body with short legs. There are different species of Mustela with different body colours like grey, brown, yellow, etc. Weasels come in a wide range of sizes and are considered to be one of the smallest carnivores. The size may vary from 5-12 inches. The least weasel belonging to this genus is the smallest carnivore among mammals in the world.
Weasels are primarily nocturnal animals and found all over the world and are highly adaptable species. They live in marshes, scrubs, hedgerows, meadows, riverbanks, and woodlands. They mostly prefer to live in burrows. Weasels are capable of making burrows, but many times they take over other animal’s burrows.
Weasels usually feed on smaller mammals like rats, voles, etc., or other animals like frogs. These small carnivores live for a maximum of 2 years only. Females produce one litre or a maximum of 2 litres per year.
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General Features
Weasels have a long slender body with short legs and a flexible spine. This body shape helps them fit into small burrows and reach tough spots to hunt their prey. They are voracious and aggressive. The Head is small with a narrow or elongated shape and consists of a pointed snout. The ears are small and round with black eyes.
They have dense fur, but the size of the fur is small. The body colour may vary from dark brown or brown to black. The weasels living in snowy sometimes have white fur in the winter season to camouflage better with the snow while hunting.
Their size may vary from 5-7 inches, as in the least weasel, to 12 to 14 inches in long-tailed weasel or the tropical weasel. They mainly live in burrows. Mostly they take over the burrows of other small animals. Females of the weasels are smaller than males.
They are mainly solitary animals. The females are often seen with their litters. The males wander in search of mates alone. They are not involved in giving parental care to their young ones.
Taxonomical Classification
Kingdom – Animalia
Phylum – Chordata
Subphylum – Vertebrata
Class – Mammalia
Infraclass – Eutheria
Order – Carnivora
Suborder – Caniformia
Family – Mustelidae
Genus – Mustela
Species - There are many species under the genera Mustela.
The Following Types of Weasels are Essential Species of the Weasels: Least weasel – Mustela nivalis.
The Short-Tailed Weasel or White Weasel – Mustela ermine
Water Weasel – Mustela Linnaeus
Habitat
Weasels are widespread in Britain. Weasels are naturally found in various climatic regions and probably present in every corner of the world. They adapt well to climatic conditions. They can be found in North America, Europe, Asia, and some parts of Africa. They are also found in woodlands and coniferous forests. However, the weasels are not found in Ireland and many off-shore islands.
Weasels are dominantly present in the areas where their preys are abundant. Not only in the interior areas of forests, but they are also found in marshes, moors, and pastures. Surprisingly, they are also found in large numbers in urban areas. They are not present in places where their preys are very low in numbers, such as high altitudes and sparse ground cover areas.
As they feed on rats and mice, they have been introduced as a biological pest controller like in New Zealand to many places. However, their ferocious behaviour and aggressive feeding habits have put some native species at risk. Moreover, they also hunt the rabbits from rabbit farms and the chicks from the poultry farms, thus causing significant losses to the humans sometimes. The lack of any natural predator in these places leads to their exponential growth.
Life Cycle of Weasels
Male weasels have more than one partner and mate with multiple females. They do not take care of the young ones.
The females are generally smaller than the male weasels.
The females may give birth to one or two litters per year. The females of the common weasel or the least weasel give birth to two litters per year.
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The gestation period in the weasels is 5-6 weeks. However, it sometimes may take ten months due to late implantation in each litter. There may be three to 12 baby weasels. The young ones or the baby weasels are known as kittens. Weasels reach breeding maturity by the age of 3 months. The age of weaning is 3-4 weeks, and they become capable hunters by the age of 8 weeks.
Behaviour and Nature of Weasels
Most of the species are nocturnal. They sleep during the daytime and hunt efficiently at night time. They are highly active during the nighttime. They are awake for the whole night, and most of their time is spent searching for prey and hunting them.
They prefer to live in burrows but don’t do the hard work. Most of them take over the burrows of other smaller animals.
They are very aggressive predators. With the help of their slender body, they adjust themselves and can move quickly, even in minor holes, and catch their prey.
They keep an eye on their surroundings by standing up on their hind legs. While they stand, they expose their white underside. Hind legs are powerful, and they can remain in this position for a long time until they found their prey or detect any danger.
Weasels are solitary animals. The males have multiple partners. The males often fight for the mate and sometimes may even die during the fights. The females are mostly seen with their kittens. The kittens leave their mothers when they reach eight weeks and are efficient hunters by that age.
Food Habit
Weasels are powerful and aggressive predators. They are even able to kill animals of larger size than them.
Weasels generally don’t store fat in their body. Therefore, they need a continuous supply of food for the maintenance of their metabolism and body growth. Sometimes they kill more animals than they can consume at once and store them in their burrows or nests for future use.
They are specialized and efficient predators of small mammals such as mice, voles, etc. They kill their predators and procure their burrows for a living. Weasels also eat frogs and fishes. In addition to this, they also tend to feed on the eggs of birds, snakes, etc. As they can live in the urban areas, they also hunt small pet animals like rabbits or kill the chicks in the poultry farms and cause significant losses to the humans.
The weasels living in snowy areas do not hibernate during the winters. The brown or black fur molts into white-coloured fur to blend better with the snow and kill efficiently.
Ecological Importance
Weasel is a very efficient predator. Their principal diet is mice, rats, and voles.
The rats, mice, and voles are the most notorious rodents and destroy many crops and cause a significant loss. As the weasels are adapted to urban areas, they live nearby the human establishments and prey on the rats. They help in keeping the rat population under control and thus minimize the crop destruction caused by them.
They act as the joining link between the primary consumers and the tertiary consumers in the food chain or food web.
Predators of Weasel
Instead of their fast-running nature, they are preyed upon by several larger predators. Owls, kites, and hawks are the primary hunters of the weasel. They can spot them from the heights of the sky and grab them by flying directly towards them.
Cats or dogs often kill the weasels living in urban areas.
In many areas, due to habitat loss, their species is on the verge of extinction.
Weasels are small carnivorous mammals belonging to the family Mustelidae or mustelid under the genus Mustela.
They have a big head with a pointed snout and black eyes. The ears are rounded and small in size. The body is slender and elongated with a flexible spine. The legs are short. Such a body structure helps the weasels to hunt their prey by reaching the most challenging and tight spots in their burrows.
The fur of weasels is dense but short. Their body colour may vary from 5 inches in the least weasel to 12 inches as in long-tailed weasel. The different types of weasels can be distinguished based on their body colour and length of the tail.
Weasels prefer to live in burrows and mainly procure the nests of their prey after killing them. Most of the species are nocturnal. The majority of their awake time is spent in search of food. They cannot store fat, therefore, need a constant supply of prey.
The common preys of weasels are rats, mice, frogs, fish, etc. They may also feed on bird’s eggs. The weasels living in urban areas feed on rabbits or chicks too. These voracious carnivores live solitary life. Females take care of their young ones, and males search for a mate but do not give any parental care. The baby weasel is known as a kitten and leaves the mother by the age of 8 weeks.
The most commonly found and famous weasels are the short-tailed weasel, water weasel, and the least weasel. The least weasel is also known as desk weasel or white weasel, or snow weasel.
Owls, eagles, and snakes are the common predators of weasels.
FAQs on Weasel
1. Are Weasels Harmful to Humans?
Ans: The weasels are very ferocious predators. They are highly adaptable animals and therefore thrive in the urban areas well. The body of the weasel is slender and elongated. Equipped with short legs and a flexible spine, it can enter into tiny places. Due to this ability, the weasels living in urban areas are often found to enter houses and farms.
They are not directly harmful to humans but may cause significant loss to them. Weasels can enter into poultry farms and can kill a large number of chicks at once. Also, they tend to steal the rabbits or guinea pigs from the farms and kill them.
If the weasels found themselves in a dire situation, then in their defense, they may also bite the humans.
2. Which is the Most Common Weasel?
Ans: Weasels are found in a wide variety of climatic areas. They may be found in high altitudes also. However, they are absent in Ireland and other off-shore islands.
Weasels are widespread all over Britain. The most commonly found weasel is the short-tailed weasel (Mustela erminea). It has other common names like stout and ermine. It is native to Eurasia and North America. They are well-known for their pure white fur-coat in the winters.
Another widespread species of the weasel is the least weasel (Mustela nivalis). It is also known as the common weasel or little weasel. It is native to Eurasia, North America, and North Africa.
3. What is the Weasel War Dance?
Ans: After cornering the prey, the weasels do weird movements. These movements look like the weasel is doing a dance known as the “weasel war dance.”
Once they have trapped their prey in a corner, the weasels do movements like twisting, hopping, and jumping around the prey. It is believed that they do this “dance” to distract or confuse their prey. Very often, the preys also die due to the fear of weasel war dance.
Sometimes there may be no prey; still, the weasels are seen dancing on their own. No one knows the exact reason for this striking behaviour. Most of the researchers assume that it may be a way of relaxation for them.
4. How Many Babies does a Weasel have at Once, and What is Their Lifespan?
Ans: The baby weasel is known as a kitten. The females take care of their offspring. Males have no role in parental care.
Females give birth to one or two litters per year. Each litter may contain 3 to 12 kittens. They start weaning at the age of 4 weeks and become capable hunters by eight weeks of age. The family group separates after 9 to 12 weeks of age.
The weasels have a lifespan of 2 years and may rarely reach three years. Males hardly survive for one year as they are constantly running for a mate and vulnerable to predators.
