The Weasels Habitat, History and Habits

By David Petersen
Published on November 1, 1986
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Weasels belong to the family of carnivores known to biologists as Mustelidae — a taxonomic moniker that translates crudely to
Weasels belong to the family of carnivores known to biologists as Mustelidae — a taxonomic moniker that translates crudely to "mouse stealers" and includes 64 species worldwide.
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A short-tailed weasel displays its winter coat.
A short-tailed weasel displays its winter coat.
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The least weasel.
The least weasel.
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"Pop goes the (long-tailed) weasel."
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Wherever in North America you live, you probably have at least one species of weasel as a secret neighbor.
Wherever in North America you live, you probably have at least one species of weasel as a secret neighbor.

In search of the original better mousetrap, learn about the different varieties of North American weasels habitat, history and habits.

The Weasels Habitat, History and Habits

The seemingly innocuous little creature we call the weasel is an insatiable killer driven to murderous frenzy by a large parasite residing in its stomach. It sucks the blood of its victims, conceives through its mouth and gives birth through an ear, can squeeze itself through a wedding ring, and magically changes from brown to white within hours of the first snowfall each winter. (See the different varieties of weasels in the image gallery).

In my research I’ve run across each of those beliefs concerning the weasel — some several times — recorded as myth, legend, or scientific fact. Of course, there’s not a word of truth to any of them . . . but lack of truth has seldom stopped people from believing what they will about the mysteries of life. And, because of its furtiveness, the weasel is a mystery.

That’s why such a small creature holds such great interest for me. Even though two of the three North American weasel species live literally just beyond my door, the secretive little buggers continually frustrate my efforts to observe them in the wild for more than a few seconds at a time.

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