Weasels tend to get a bad rap in our guild: They're labeled equally devious, untrustworthy creatures. Withal, that reputation ignores the incredible variance within the weasel genus, as there are quite a few creatures that fall nether the weasel mantle (17, to exist exact).
All that variance ensures that there will exist quite a scrap of difference from one animal to the next, then we're doing them a disservice by lumping them all together (especially in such a disrespectful way).
With that in mind, we thought that it would be a good idea to accept a closer look at the weasels of the world, then nosotros tin better empathize — and appreciate — these maligned mammals.
What Exactly Is a Weasel, Anyhow?
Earlier we begin, we should explore what the 17 animals on this list all have in common — the characteristics that make them weasels.
Weasels are all predatory animals with long, slender bodies and short trivial legs. Their lithe bodies permit them to follow their casualty into burrows, and they primarily swallow rodents, although they're non picky. They can exist found in many places in the world, except for Africa, Antarctica, Australia, and certain islands.
At present, without farther ado, let'southward meet the members of the weasel family!
The 17 Types of Weasels: Species & Colors
i. Mountain Weasel
The mountain weasel lives in high-altitude environments. These animals similar to hide out in crevices, tree trunks, and even the burrows of animals that they've eaten.
They're virtually usually found in India, but their habitat ranges all over Asia, including Kazakhstan, Tibet, and the Himalaya region. They're currently considered about-threatened, all the same, largely due to their surround and food supply becoming threatened too.
two. Amazon Weasel
The Amazon weasel is the largest weasel species in S America, as they can abound every bit big as 20 inches long.
Due to their preference for living deep in the Amazon, little is known about these animals, as they've rarely been seen or documented. However, virtually all sightings of them occurred near the river, so it'southward prophylactic to say that they savour spending time in the h2o.
3. Colombian Weasel
The Colombian weasel is named for the region in which they're found. However, they have another, far superior name that isn't used equally frequently: "Don Felipe's weasel."
These weasels are thought to exist the rarest carnivores in South America, so fifty-fifty less is known about them than Amazon weasels.
4. Japanese Weasel
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These animals stick to mountains or forests in areas that are shut to water, and they primarily hunt mice, frogs, insects, and crayfish.
These weasels are classified as near-threatened, but their numbers are on the uptick. This is largely due to governments in Nippon and Russia introducing them to new habitats in order to keep rodent populations under command.
5. Long-Tailed Weasel
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The long-tailed weasel may not exist named after the region in which they're found, just their tail makes up anywhere from forty-70% of their full length, and they're well-suited for digging through snow and loose soil. These weasels can be found throughout North America and well into S America.
6. Yellowish-Bellied Weasel
Likewise beingness the most common insult used in 1940s gangster films, the xanthous-bellied weasel gets their name from their dark yellow underbelly. Information technology's not known what, if whatever, purpose this serves, only it stands in stark contrast to the residual of their body, which is a much darker color.
These weasels are constitute in Asia, where they hunt birds, mice, voles, and other small-scale mammals.
vii. Indonesian Mountain Weasel
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The Indonesian mount weasel is limited to the islands of Coffee and Sumatra in Indonesia, where they alive at elevations of 1,000 meters or more than. Sadly, they're currently endangered, as they've been targeted by fur trappers and hunters for years.
8. Least Weasel
Paradigm Credit: DawidSliwka, Pixabay
"Least weasel" is maybe the kindest name that this animal has, as the alternatives are "little weasel" or "common weasel." As you might await, this is one weasel that isn't currently at risk of extinction.
These animals tin can be found throughout the entire Northern Hemisphere and tin vary in size and color, depending on where they alive. Typically, though, they're brown with white underbellies, although they can be completely white if they live at loftier enough altitudes.
9. Malayan Weasel
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Found in the Malay Peninsula, also as the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, the Malayan weasel is some other species that isn't at any risk of condign endangered. They range in color from red-brown to grayish-white.
Their habitat ranges from lowland swamps to mountainous forests. Despite their big numbers, little is known about their behavior. They're excellent at avoiding detection, though, so information technology'due south unlikely that nosotros'll learn more than about them someday soon.
10. Siberian Weasel
The Siberian weasel has a huge natural habitat ranging all over Asia, and their large numbers brand them 1 of the healthiest species on this list in terms of population. These weasels are monochrome, commonly some shade of red, although they may have stake underbellies.
They feast primarily on voles, although they won't plow up their noses at mice or rats. They may even chew on reptiles or chipmunks if the opportunity arises, and they've been known to scavenge on occasion if food is scarce.
eleven. Back-Striped Weasel
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Some other species native to Asia, the dorsum-striped weasel actually has two stripes: a silverish i running from their head to the base of operations of their tail and a yellowish i running downwards their chest onto their belly. The balance of the animal is a light brown shade, although they can be a bit paler on occasion.
Like the Malayan weasel, the dorsum-striped weasel is fairly mutual, yet little is known about them due to their skill for avoiding detection.
12. Egyptian Weasel
There's some dispute as to whether the Egyptian weasel is their own species at all or if they're simply a subspecies of the least weasel. Regardless, this dark-brown-and-white weasel is extremely common in their Egyptian homeland.
The animal is considered an "obligate synanthrope," which means they've evolved to the point where they must alive shut to humans. They're found on the outskirts of cities and villages, and they'll frequently dig through trash to discover a meal. Humans don't often mind having them around, equally they're terrific at keeping rodent populations under control.
13. European Polecat
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While technically a type of weasel, polecats have shorter, more compact bodies and more powerful jaws. They're not as agile as their weasel counterparts, although they do take the ability to secrete a foul-smelling liquid, and then there's that.
The European polecat is either brownish-blackness or blackish-brown, although there are usually undertones of white or yellowish in their fur. They largely subsist on voles and frogs, although they'll swallow birds if given the opportunity.
fourteen. Black-Footed Ferret
Paradigm Credit: Kerry Hargrove, shutterstock
The blackness-footed ferret is also known as the American polecat or prairie dog hunter, and they're found in South Dakota, Wyoming, and Arizona. The species is most extinct due to a reduction in the prairie canis familiaris population, also as outbreaks of sylvatic plague among the members.
These animals have pale bodies with black feet, ears, faces, and parts of their tail. They resemble polecats more than proper weasels, although they accept shorter tails and greater dissimilarity in their fur.
15. European Mink
The European mink is in bad shape, equally they're considered past experts to be critically endangered. Their plummeting numbers are due in big office to habitat issues related to climate change, also as overhunting and competition with new species that were introduced into their environs in the 20th century.
They range from dark chocolate-brown to reddish-dark-brown in color and are generally monochromatic (although they sometimes have lighter-colored fur on their chest). While they used to be common throughout Europe, today, they're mainly plant in Spain, France, and parts of eastern Europe.
16. Steppe Polecat
The steppe polecat is too known as the "masked polecat" due to their white face with dark eyes, although the rest of their body is calorie-free yellow in color. They're institute all over central and eastern Europe, and different the European mink, their numbers are still robust.
The same tin't be said for their prey, however. Steppe polecats are nomadic past nature, and they tend to stay in one spot until they've eaten everything in the expanse earlier moving on. They're basically ambrosial locusts.
17. Stoat
Epitome Credit: Martin Prochzkacz, Shutterstock
Stoats (also known every bit "ermines") are incredibly common throughout Eurasia and Northward America. In fact, they tend to thrive wherever they are introduced and are considered an invasive species in places like New Zealand, where they've had a disastrous effect on bird populations.
Stoats by and large have dark brown fur on their backs, with white underbellies. Still, in some northern areas, they're completely white, save for the black tip on their tail. They also employ the skins of rodents that they kill to line their nests, so these are not animals to be trifled with (if you're mouse-sized, anyway).
Which Weasel Is Your Favorite?
With so many different types of weasel to choose from, information technology tin can exist difficult to pick your favorite. Do you prefer ferrets or polecats? Stoats or minks? The possibilities are nearly countless.
While we don't really await you to take a favorite type of weasel, it may all the same behoove you to familiarize yourself with the members of this list while you still tin — sadly, this listing volition probably only become shorter in the years to come.
Related Read: Weasel vs. Ferret: What Is the Difference?
Featured Image Credit: Kelp Grizzly Photography, Shutterstock
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