The weasel is the animal with the scientific name Mustela nivalis.
A weasel is a mammal that is part of the mustelids . It is a carnivorous species: it kills other animals to feed on them.
Like all mammals, weasels develop their embryos inside the mother's womb. The young are then fed with the milk secreted by the females' breasts. On the other hand, mustelids such as weasels have short legs, a long body, and anal glands that are characterized by their odor.
Weasel characteristics
The least weasel or common weasel , simply referred to as weasel, is the species with the scientific name Mustela nivalis . Its body can be more than 20 centimeters long, with reddish fur in the back area and white on the underside.
The small head, large eyes and clawed legs are other characteristics of weasels, which stand out for their agility and speed. It should be noted that these animals show sexual dimorphism : males are larger than females.
Its habitat
The weasel usually lives in vacant land and in fields , although its distribution is very wide. It can be found in Europe , Asia , Africa , America and Oceania .
These animals do not distance themselves from human communities: that is why they can be observed by people in many places. They only require plant cover and the presence of small mammals on which they feed.
Weasels are part of the mustelid group.
Feeding of weasels
The weasel's physical abilities allow it to hunt prey that surpasses it in size. Moles, mice, rats, hares and rabbits are part of their diet.
Weasels also eat birds, frogs, snakes, insects, mollusks, crustaceans and fish. This broad diet is possible because weasels can run, climb, dive and swim.
Other species
Mustela nivalis is not the only known species of weasel. In Asia we find the mountain weasel ( Mustela altaica ), to mention another case.
On the American continent, meanwhile, lives the Andean weasel or long-tailed weasel ( Mustela frenata ). It is a species of least concern according to the criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ).
It is interesting to note that creatures from other genera are often referred to as weasels due to their physical similarity. We can name the spectacled weasel or yupati ( Metachirus nudicaudatus ); to the water weasel , water fox or yapok ( Chironectes minimus ); and the blackberry weasel or opossum ( Didelphis albiventris ).
The weasel in art
In 2019 , Argentine filmmaker Juan José Campanella directed the film “The Tale of the Weasels.” This proposal, an adaptation of the film “The boys from before did not use arsenic” , features the performances of Oscar Martínez , Luis Brandoni , Graciela Borges and Marcos Mudstock .
In “The Tale of the Weasels” , a director, a screenwriter, a retired actor and an actress live together in an old mansion. When two young people arrive at the house with the intention of purchasing it, a confrontation breaks out.
Nor can we stop mentioning “Soy la Comadreja” or “Soy Comadreja” ( “I Am Weasel” in its original language ). This animated series was produced by Hanna-Barbera .
Weasel , finally, is the name of several cartoon characters. In Marvel Comics , he is a friend of Deadpool , while in DC Comics two villains share this name.