Animalia Life

Weasels, like most mustelids, are carnivores. They eat other animals, carrion, and insects. All weasels have keen eyesight, keen smell, and are excellent hunters. They are bloodthirsty, often killing for fun and leaving prey carcasses uneaten. Humans hunt weasels in response to their bloodthirsty natures and for their beautiful, soft fur. This is especially true of weasels that live in cold climates and grow white winter coats that collectively provide ermine. Weasels are known for their unpleasant odor, from musk made in perineal glands. The longtailed weasel is the best-known North American species. It has a white belly, a brown back, and a black tail tip. Males and females are 1.5 and 1 foot long, respectively. The least weasel, also North American, is the smallest known carnivore, only six to eight inches long. Weasels have long, slender bodies and all have short legs. Each mustelid paw has five toes, with sharp claws for grasping prey and burrowing. Weasels are the smallest mustelids, weigh three ounces.

Weasel Facts

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Bilateria
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Mustelidae
Subfamilies: Mustelinae
Geographical location: Europe, North America and Asia
Habitat: Most live on the ground, some live in trees
Gestational period: One month
Life span: From ten to up to twenty-five years Special anatomy: Paws with sharp digging and grasping claws, luxurious fur, webbed feet in otters

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