Everything about The Least Weasel totally explained
The
Least Weasel (
Mustela nivalis) is the smallest member of the
genus Mustela, and indeed in the entire
order Carnivora.
Nomenclature
In
Britain the Least Weasel is known simply as the
Weasel, and this is the original use of the word. In zoological use, "weasel" on its own is now more usually applied to the genus, and in
North America it's used as a common name for a number of species. However, most literary references to weasels are in fact to the Least Weasel. The sinister Weasels of
The Wind in the Willows, for example, are
Mustela nivalis.
Subspecies
Habitat
The Least Weasel is found throughout the northern parts of
Europe,
Asia and
North America, except for
Ireland,
Iceland and eastern
Canada; it extends as far south as
North Africa. It has been
introduced into
New Zealand and Australia. The North American population was formerly classified as a separate species,
Mustela rixosa, but it's now thought that the distinction can't be maintained. They are generally found in farmlands, meadows, brushy areas and woodland edges.
Through much of its European range, the Least Weasel overlaps with the somewhat larger but otherwise similar
Stoat.
Anatomy
Like all weasels, the Least Weasel is a slender animal with a long tail and short legs, enabling it to follow its prey—mostly small
rodents—into their burrows. They also kill
hares, which can be more than 100 times their own size. Its fur is reddish-ginger, brighter than that of most other weasels, with white belly fur; in the northern parts of its range it moults to pure white in winter, as camouflage against the snow (which is why it goes by the name of
Snow Weasel in some northern regions, and is called Snow Mouse in
Norway and
Sweden). It is rarely more than 23 centimeters (9 in) long. Although most active at night, weasels are sometimes seen during the day.
Legacy
Least Weasels are highly solitary, and even mating doesn't occur without a fight. Females can breed several times in a year when food is plentiful. Perhaps because of their small size, Least Weasels have an even greater reputation for ferocity than the other weasels, and there are many references to them in the popular cultures of different countries. Traditional
Inuit lore held the Least Weasel in great respect because of its nature, and the capture of one was regarded as an omen of good luck. In classical and medieval European
mythology, it's sometimes said that the only thing which can kill a
basilisk is a weasel (by which is meant
Mustela nivalis), though it would be killed in the conflict as well. The earliest record of this claim is in
Pliny's
Naturalis Historia, book 8, par. 33.
(External Link
) It was repeated by
Isidore of Seville in his
Etymologiae, and subsequently by many medieval
bestiarists.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Least Weasel'.
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