Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Monday, June 24. 2013

Mustelid du Jour: Least Weasel

I had the pleasure of seeing a Least Weasel scurry past the front of the garage yesterday, going from one pachysandra patch to another. They are not uncommon in their multi-continental, northern-hemisphere range, but I rarely see them. It makes me happy when I do.


Most often, they are seen hurrying across a country road.


Least Weasels like to be in cover, not out in the open. They are both daytime and nocturnal hunters, and active all winter in the snow, when they have all-white fur.


They are said to be the world's smallest mammalian predators, around 8-9" long. Bloodthirsty little guys.


On further thought, that guy could have been an Ermine. Not sure I can tell the difference because they move so quickly.

Posted by Bird Dog in Natural History and Conservation, Our Essays at 19:02 | Comments (7) | Trackbacks (0)

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How to tell the difference between a stoat and a weasel.
A weasel is weasily distinguished because a stoat 'stoatally different.
#1 ligneus on 2013-06-24 19:19 (Reply)
Regardless of the whole chicken thing; I have a fondness for weasels. I think it dates to the opportunity to watch one for almost ten minutes out in the woods one day. I was downwind and stayed still; it just continued the business of checking territory. When I finally did move, I had all of its fierce attention, before its common sense about relative sizes kicked in and it vanished.
#2 acairfearann (Link) on 2013-06-24 20:54 (Reply)
I don't think we have them here in Texas -- ? In any case, I've never seen one, and I guess I assumed they were found only in the Old World. Cute little guy.

We have had some kind of large dark cat in the neighborhood for the last few years, maybe 50 lbs., who's not supposed to live here. Not a bobcat, which we also have, because it has a long tail.
#3 Texan99 on 2013-06-24 22:21 (Reply)
Did you take that picture? Well done, if so!

So what would it be eating in your yard? Birds? Rats? Leftover birdseed? Chipmunks? The neighbor's pet kitten? What do weasels go after in the burbs?
#4 retriever on 2013-06-24 22:54 (Reply)
Not sure where you're getting the smallest mammilian predator from. Just about all shrews are considerably smaller than that and are voracious predators of insects and worms. The bumblebee bat of Thailand also eats insects and spiders, and is roughly the same size as the smallest shrews.

If it's smallest predator of mammals you're after, several species of shrew are known to take mice, voles, and even larger rodents.
#5 Dan on 2013-06-25 14:38 (Reply)
We had an all white weasel invite himself into our cabin in BC one winter years ago when the kids were small, through a hole maybe 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter.

Beautiful, fluid movements, fast, fast, fast, racing around under kitchen counters.

Wifey chased it out with a broom, claiming that it was a well known fact that weasels bit the necks of sleeping children. I begged to differ, but there's no reasoning with a woman holding a broom in a threatening manner.
#6 Fred Z on 2013-06-25 15:26 (Reply)
The common weasel should not be overlooked: ##






## http://www.schumer.senate.gov/
#7 Thalpy on 2013-06-25 16:22 (Reply)

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