Weasel is a mammal that belongs to the Mustelidae family. The genus of the species is similar to that of polecats, ferrets, minks, and stoats. They look very similar to the cute fury animals and are capable of eating their own body weight after killing their prey. It is also seen that they are capable of carrying animals that are 10 times their body wieght. The small mammal species can grow between 6.8 to 8.5 inches in length along and comes with slim and long bodies. The tail length of the weasel ranges between 1.3 to 2 inches in length. Here are the 10 interesting weasel facts,
Also Read: 10 Interesting Facts About Arthropods
Weasel Facts
- Weasel has long slender bodies and comes with short legs. The neck is long and the ears are tiny. They can spray a bad-smelling fluid that stinks like skunk spray. The stay looks thick, yellow, and oily.
- According to the researchers, Weasel can perform a crazy dance to attract their prey and may hypnotize when they are temporarily off guard.
- Weasels are seen in a few regions of the world such as Britain, Western Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa, North America, Asia, and New Zealand.
- Weasels prefer to thrive in regions equipped with sand dunes, lowland forests, and grassy regions. They are also seen in small towns and also in other regions where food is available. Weasels prefer to plan their habitat mostly in tree stumps or holes. They used to create it with the help of leaves and grass.
- Weasel dietary habits are carnivorous in nature and primarily feed on rabbits, mice, voles, birds, frogs, and rats. They are seen preying on birds’ nests and love to eat both the young and even the eggs. They can even travel as far as 2.5 km to hunt for food. Weasels are very helpful to farmers because they eat mice that often carry diseases. They look very similar to stoats, however, the stoat has a black-tipped tail.
- There are multiple footages available where weasels were seen landing on the back of a bird and going for a quick flight. They can also kill the bird as prey and kill it by biting the back of its neck.
- Weasels will breed every year between April and August, and they all produce four to six babies. The babies used to hunt when they become the age of between five and eight weeks.
- The avarage lifespan of Weasels is upto three years in the wild and upto 10 years in captivity.
- The threats of weasels include habitat loss, hunting, being hit by vehicles and sometimes being Posioned. The animal species is also considered vermin by farmers because they prey on chickens and game birds (even their eggs)
- Weasels can enter their prey den very easily and kill them very easily whereas other predators are large in size to invade. They are also known to take over the dwelling after killing its owner. The natural predators of weasels include cats, dogs, snakes, and owls. They will only attack humans only when they are scared or threatened.
These are the 10 interesting weasel facts. Kindly share and do post your comments.