Mammal Web Page

by: Ryan L

The Long Tailed Weasel
I got my pictures and some of my research from www.google.com and www.mamma.com
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Carnivora
Family	Mustelidae
Genus	Mustela
Species	frenata

A Long Tailed Weasel Physical Description

A Long Tailed Weasel has a long and slender body similar to other weasels. On average the males are bigger then the females. These weasels have long bushy tails that are fifty percent of the body length. The body length is three hundred thirty millimeters to four hundred twenty millimeters for males and for females two hundred eighty millimeters to three hundred fifty millimeters. It is the largest weasel. They have a small narrow head with long whiskers. Also they have short legs. Their fur is short and soft under fur which is covered by shiny guard hair. The fur color is Cinnamon and the under parts are white with a yellow tinge.

A Long Tailed Weasel Habitat

A Long Tailed Weasel's habitat is usually found in tropical and temperate areas of North and Central America. Habitats Rage from crop fields to small woods to suburban areas. The Habitats aren't in deserts or thick dense forests. The burrows and nests are in hollow logs, rock piles, or under barns. Usually they have their habitats near their prey so the can have a late night snack and have it right outside his door. Also it would be easier hunting.

A Long Tailed Weasel Range

A Long Tailed Weasel's Range is most of North America. Extending from just north of the US-Canada border to south Central America.

Long Tailed Weasel's Food

The main prey of the Long Tailed Weasel is small rodents. Females, being smaller have better luck in hunting small rodents because their bodies can fit in the small burrows that the rodents live in. Males go after eastern cotton tailed rabbit. While mammals are the food of choice these weasels eat a wide range from birds to reptiles. In the summer their diet consists of fruits and berries.

A Long Tailed Weasel's Life Cycle

Mating occurs in the mid-summer months. The egg doesn't develop until a little after March, making the total gestation period around two hundred eighty days. Birth happens late April to early May. The average liter size is six babies. When born babies weigh about three grams. At fourteen days hair starts to grow and size differation makes it easy to tell the males from the females. At thirty six days babies are weaned and can eat food brought back from their mother. Finally at fifty six days the babies are able to go hunting on their own. Their life span is approximately five years.

Long Tailed Weasel Survival Factors

Five important factors that are needed for survival of a long-tailed-weasel are that they need to live in a deciduous forest. Also they need to have small animals to eat because they are predators. They can't eat the bigger ones because they are to fast or to big. They need shelter or burrows inside of their forest. Finally they need a water source to drink water from.

Long Tailed Weasel Facts

Some facts about the long tailed weasel are that it is the largest distribution of all Mustelids in the Western Hemisphere. Also sometimes Long Tailed Weasels even take over the house of their prey if they are lazy enough. The Long Tailed Weasel is just like the Show Shoe Hare, their fur color changes from white in the winter to brown cinnamon in the summer. Their life span is approximately five years. They shed twice a year. The tail is fifty percent of the total body length.

Long Tailed Weasels Versus Humans

I think that humans are more dangerous to the environment then we think weasels are. Humans kill and hunt down weasels just for the sport of it because they think that the weasels will come up and destroy some houses. The most that the weasels could do is kill small rodents that help drive us crazy. I guess that could be a reason to kill them.

Description	Habitat	Range	Food	Life Cycle
Survival	Facts	Human Impact	References	Links