Details
Mustela nivalis
One of the smallest carnivorous mammals, widespread across the Northern Hemisphere. Its slender body lets it enter rodent burrows and tackle larger prey.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Least weasels use grassland, farmland, forest edge, wetlands, and mountain vegetation where small mammals and cover are available.
They have a long narrow body, short legs, and rounded ears. The back is brown and the belly white; northern populations may turn white in winter.
They are solitary and active in short bouts by day or night. Individuals move quickly through burrows, stone walls, and dense cover while scent-marking ranges.
Voles and mice dominate the diet, but birds, eggs, lizards, and insects may be taken. Surplus prey can be cached in burrows.
Breeding follows food abundance. Females rear litters in nests lined with grass and fur, and young learn to hunt quickly.
A tiny body and fast metabolism force frequent hunting, making the species an important predator of small rodents.
