Whom the weasel hunts. Weasel animal in nature: what the animal looks like, what it eats. Prices for various types of electronic rodent repellers

Description

Weasel is the smallest member of the carnivore order. The structure of a long, flexible body and the color of the fur are very similar to ermine, but it differs in small sizes and a shorter, and most importantly, one-color tail; She does not have a black tuft on her tail. The body of the weasel, like that of the ermine, is thin and long, with short legs armed with very sharp claws, an elongated head, small rounded ears, the nose is blunt and slightly forked at the end. At the base of the tail there are glands that secrete a liquid with an unpleasant odor.

In appearance, males differ from females only in relatively large body sizes. The length of the animal varies, depending on belonging to a particular subspecies, from 11.4 to 21.6 cm. Weight - from 40 to 100 g.

In summer fur, the top of the head, back, sides, tail and outer sides of the paws are brownish brown in color. The throat, the edge of the upper lip, the chest, the belly and the inner surface of the legs are pure white. Behind the corners of the mouth - along a brown spot. The density of the fur is the same in summer and winter, but summer hair is shorter and thinner than winter. In autumn, the weasel, with the exception of some southern habitats, changes its summer brown outfit for pure white winter fur. Found in Europe, North Asia and North America.

Lives in fields and forests, in mountainous and low-lying areas, not avoiding populated areas. It settles under stones, in hollows, in ruins, in burrows, barns, etc. The nest is lined with dry grass, moss, chestnut and fern leaves.

Nutrition

In places where it is not pursued, the weasel hunts day and night. By exterminating mice, it brings great benefits, which, in any case, outweigh the harm it sometimes brings to chicken coops. Weasel sometimes successfully fights off even relatively large birds of prey (for example, kites).

Weasel lives, according to various sources, 17, 20, 30 years old; robust males sometimes live up to 60 years (as a rule, animals as large as weasels live no more than 8 years).

Pairing

Mating takes place in March. After a five-week pregnancy, the female gives birth to 5 to 7, less often 3 and 8 cubs, which she carefully guards and protects, transferring them to another place in case of danger in her teeth.

Story

Weasels in culture

• Kama-itachi is a yōkai demon in Japanese folklore.
• In the cartoon "Ice Age 3. Age of Dinosaurs" there is a weasel Buck.
• In The Wind in the Willows, there are also weasels who play the role of negative characters.
• In Jack London's story "White Fang", a weasel attacked the main character - a wolf cub
• The Fantastic Mr. Fox cartoon features a weasel character who works as a real estate agent.
• In the Spanish animated series The Ugly Duckling, two weasels are presented as negative characters.
• Weasel is also mentioned in J. Durrell's book "Garden of the Gods"
• The Redwall series of books by Brian Jakes uses weasels as villains.
• In the anime Hiroshi Shibashi "Grandson of Nurarihen" in the second season, there is a positive yokai character who turns into a weasel during the day, named Ithaku.
• In the cartoon "The Snow Queen", a white weasel named Luta is a friend of Gerda, with whom she goes to the Snow Queen's castle.

Notes

In Sergei Antonov's novel "In the Interests of the Revolution" from the "Metro Universe 2033" series, weasel plays one of the key roles in the denouement of the plot.

Literature

• // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.

Links

• Siberian Zoological Museum
• "Notes of a hunter of Eastern Siberia". Weasel. Author Alexander Alexandrovich Cherkasov

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .

Antonyms:

See what "Weasel" is in other dictionaries:

1. WEASCE, and; pl. genus. caress, dat. scam; well. 1. A manifestation of love, tenderness (expressed by kisses, touches of hands, etc.). Maternal l. Spread affection. 2. Friendly, friendly attitude, treatment. Greet with kindness. Receive a visit… encyclopedic Dictionary

Mercy, bliss, tenderness, affection, love, sweetness, goodness, friendliness, warmth, veal tenderness, softness, kindness Dictionary of Russian synonyms. weasel 1. see affection. 2. see... Synonym dictionary

WEASCE, caress, etc. see Lasa. | At blacksmiths, weasel, a piece of iron drawn with a hammer for welding. Withdraw affection. Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary. IN AND. Dal. 1863 1866 ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

- (Lasca, 1503 1580) the pseudonym of Antonio Francesco Grazzini, an Italian short story writer of the 16th century, who vividly and colorfully reflected the life and moods of Italian life and moods in his short stories, ch. arr. Florentine bourgeoisie. A pharmacist by profession, L. was the founder ... ... Literary Encyclopedia

weasel- Mustela nivalis see also 3.4.3. Genus Ferrets Mustela Weasel Mustela nivalis (body length 11 26 cm, tail 2 8 cm. Coloring in summer is sharply two-tone: top and legs are brownish brown, bottom is white. In winter, the whole animal is snow-white in color. Steppe and ... ... Animals of Russia. Directory

Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

1. LASKA1, caresses, kind. pl. caress, female 1. A manifestation of tenderness, love. Warm the soul with kindness. Maternal affection. Spread affection. 2. only units Kind, friendly attitude, treatment (colloquial). Thanks for your kindness. You can get affection from him ... ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

- (Mustela nivalis), a mammal of the family. marten. Length body from 11 to 26 cm, tail 1.3 4 cm. In sowing. parts of L.'s range are smaller than those in the south. The body is thin and flexible. Coloring brownish-red in summer (underparts white), white in winter. Distributed in Eurasia and North. ... ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary

weasel- fertile (P.Ya.); blissfully burning (Balmont); stormy (Kruglov); hot (P.Ya.); kind (Dove); hot (Dravert); burning (Halperin); shyly feminine (Ldov); sultry (Balmont, Bunin, Ratgauz); meek (Corinthian, Kruglov, Nadson); ... ... Dictionary of epithets

weasel- WEASING, affectionateness, softness, tenderness, friendliness, obsolete. courtesy Affectionate, cooing, loving, soft, gentle, friendly, touching, outdated. hello, outdated. cuddly caress, cherish, undead, trad. poet... ... Dictionary-thesaurus of synonyms of Russian speech

weasel very small animal. The smallest member of the marten family. It has a thin and elongated body. Short legs are armed with sharp claws. The neck is long and powerful. On a small blunt muzzle, a slightly forked nose, large dark eyes. Near the tail there are glands that secrete a substance with an unpleasant odor, with which the animal marks the territory and scares off the enemy. Weasel weighs no more than 200 grams.

Fur color depends on the season. In summer, the coat is brownish-brown, and in winter and autumn it is snow-white. The density of wool is the same at any time of the year. In summer, the hairline is shorter than in winter.

Weasel habitat

Weasel is found in Europe, Asia and North America. Can live in a wide variety of conditions. Lives on the outskirts of fields, in deserts and steppes. Can settle close to people. Often found in garden hedges, haystacks, barns and stables.

The animal does not build a hole for itself. Prefers to settle in the dwellings of rodents, which he had killed before. The weasel lines the bottom of the hole with dry grass, moss, and leaves. There may be several such habitats in a small area.

What does weasel eat

The habitat of the weasel depends on the number of rodents needed for food. The diet includes small animals, such as mice, moles, bears. In spring it eats eggs and chicks. Since this animal swims well, it can catch a fish or a frog. It can also feed on lizards, snails, snakes, and insects. In general, the weasel is a very bloodthirsty animal and kills everyone it manages to catch. Due to its small size, it can overtake rodents in their own holes.

By exterminating mice, the animal brings great benefits, which far outweigh the harm it causes to chicken coops. Sometimes weasel can fight off even a kite.

weasel breeding

Males are not faithful, so they can mate with several females at once. The mating season falls on March. In the presence of a large amount of food, it can breed all year round. The pregnancy lasts for a month.

Before the birth of children, the female creates a round nest in the hole from dry leaves and grass, where she gives birth. Can bring 4 to 8 babies at a time. She takes great care of them and protects them from danger. Babies are born blind, deaf and toothless. Seeing and hearing begin 3 weeks after birth. If the nest is disturbed, then the mother takes the newborn to another place. In a dangerous situation, the weasel will fight to the death for their babies.

At the age of 4 months, the animals can already take care of themselves. Sexual maturity occurs at 10 months. In early autumn, the children leave the female and she begins to look for a partner to create new offspring. For a year, one female can bring 2-3 broods.

The main enemy of affection is a wild cat. Also, the animal can become the prey of an owl, an owl, a buzzard.

The animal lives no more than 5 years.

Weasel and man

For many villagers, the weasel that has appeared on the territory does not promise anything good. She can attack small broods and adult poultry. This happens especially often in winter. The skins of these animals are very small, so weasel hunting is not very popular. If you shoot an animal with a gun, the bullets will completely pierce the fur, and the blood from the wounds will discolor.

Even in ancient times, the weasel lived side by side with people as a pet. In ancient Rome, it was used to hunt mice. But when the rats bred, this animal could not cope with them and was replaced by cats.

Currently hunting for caress not conducted. Previously, up to 20 thousand skins were mined per year. Several centuries ago, weasel was the object of superstition. Some signs were associated with her. In some regions, they said that if this animal wound up on the farm, then this is good, while in others it was considered a bad sign.

The Latin name of the weasel is translated as "snowy" - because of its snow-white winter coat.

area: Europe, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Asia Minor, northern Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Mongolia, China, Korean Peninsula, Japan, North America, Australia.

Description: weasel is the smallest representative of mustelids. The body is very elongated and thin. Paws are short, armed with sharp claws. The neck is long and powerful. The head is narrow, the muzzle is small, blunt, the ears are rather small. The nose is slightly forked. The eyes are large, dark and slightly protruding. The tail is very short. The coat is short close fitting. At the base of the tail there are prianal glands that secrete an unpleasantly smelling secret.

Color A: depends on the season. In summer, the upper body is brownish-brown, and the edge of the upper lip, belly and inner side of the paws are white, there are brown spots on the corners of the mouth, and the tail is brownish-brown. In winter, the weasel turns completely white.

The size: body length - 13-28 cm, tail - up to 9 cm

The weight: males - 70-105 g, females are smaller by 30%.

Lifespan: in nature up to 5 years (average up to 9.5 months).

Habitat: various biotopes (forests, steppes and forest-steppes, field margins, swamps, banks of water bodies, deserts, tundra, alpine meadows, near human habitation).
There is no weasel in the polar deserts and the snowy belt of mountains.

Enemies: predators (sable, badger, pine marten, raccoon dog), as well as: (), .
Many animals die from viral or bacterial infections.

Food: almost the entire diet of weasel consists of small mouse-like rodents (house, field and forest,), and), as well as young, chickens, eggs and chicks of birds. With a shortage of food, it eats, small, small, and.
The daily requirement for feed is 30-40 g.

Behavior: Weasel is a dexterous and agile animal, runs fast, climbs and swims well. It is distinguished by courage and bloodthirstiness, able to crawl through the narrowest cracks and holes. Mice are stalked in their own burrows. It grabs small animals by the back of the head or head, biting through the skull in the back of the head, often attacks animals much larger than itself, clinging to their neck. In bird eggs, the weasel makes several holes and sucks out the contents.
Often makes stocks (from 1 to 30 voles and mice are found in one place).
Active at different times of the day, but more often hunts at dusk and at night. Moves by jumping.
Leads (for the most part) an earthly way of life. When bypassing his area, keeps close to the bushes and other covers. Avoids open spaces. You can walk 1-2 km per day. In winter, with deep snow, it moves in its voids.
It does not dig burrows, but uses rodent burrows or voids between stones, wood masonry, low-lying (up to 2 m) hollows of trees, tree roots and deadwood, rock crevices. He drags dry grass, moss and leaves into the den. On the site usually equips several permanent dwellings.
Weasels often die, crushed by stronger predators, but sometimes she manages (right in the air) to cut the throat of her enemy.

social structure: The weasel leads a solitary and territorial lifestyle. The size of an individual plot is small - up to 10 hectares. These sizes depend on the abundance of prey and the weather. Often the area of ​​the male overlaps the area of ​​the female. The boundaries of the site are marked with odor marks.

reproduction: polygamous, during the rutting period, the male can mate with several females.
For childbirth, the female lines the nest with dry grass, moss and leaves. If the nest is disturbed, then the mother takes the cubs to another place. In case of extreme danger, the weasel protects its nest to the last. Broods stay together for 3-4 months and disintegrate at the end of summer or autumn.

Season/breeding period: spring (in March). During the years of abundance of mouse-like rodents, it breeds all year round (up to 2-3 broods).

Puberty A: about 3 months.

Pregnancy: Embryo development takes up to 35 days. There is no latent stage during pregnancy.

Offspring: on average, the female gives birth to 4-5 puppies (the number depends on the abundance of food).
Newborns are blind and helpless, covered with a sparse whitish fluff, their weight is about 1.5 g. The eyes open on the 21st-25th day of life. When puppies begin to leave the nest, they follow their mother everywhere, exploring the immediate surroundings, and then move farther and farther away from their native nest. Gradually, the following reflex weakens, and young animals begin to travel independently.

Benefit / harm to humans: weasel has no hunting value. There is currently no hunting for it. Previously (in the post-war period), from 3 to 20 thousand skins were harvested every year.
Weasel in huge quantities (up to 2-3 thousand per year) exterminates mouse-like rodents, thereby bringing great benefits.
In the old days, a lot of superstitions and prejudices were associated with affection. In some places, it was believed that she brings happiness to the house, while in others she was treated very badly.

Population/conservation status: Weasel population density varies greatly and depends on habitat conditions, year and condition of the food supply.

Allocate 8 subspecies of common weasel:
- northern weasel Mustela nivalis nivalis- northern and middle parts of Eastern Europe, steppes of Western Siberia and from southern Siberia to the Pacific Ocean;
- southern weasel M. n. Vulgaris- Western Europe and the southern part of the former USSR (with the exception of Crimea);
- Crimean weasel M. n. Nikolskii- Crimea and adjacent parts of Ukraine;
- big M. n. Dinniki and small M. n. caucasica Caucasian caresses - the Caucasus and Transcaucasia;
- Turkestan weasel M. n. Pallida- mountains of Central Asia, Tien Shan, Pamir and Kopet-Dag;
- Siberian, or tundra weasel M. n. pygmaea- Far East of Russia.

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Weasel is a very aggressive and bloodthirsty animal. capable of committing daring robberies in the private households of the population. However, the most surprising thing is that this weasel animal, if the place of which nature has "endowed" with such characteristics, is a very tiny and cute creature - the length of its body reaches an average length of only 16-18 centimeters.

Description of weasel

Weasel has a flexible, quirky, long, thin body and is the smallest representative of the order of predators. Outwardly, the weasel is very similar to the ermine, resembling it both in the structure of the body and in the color of the fur. The differences between them are the smaller size of the weasel and the monochromaticity of its slightly shorter tail than that of the ermine (up to 9 cm in length, without a dark tassel). At its base are special glands that secrete a secret with a disgusting pungent odor.

The paws of the weasel are small, armed with rather sharp claws.. The head is oblong, the ears are round and small. The nose is slightly forked and blunt at the end. The neck is long and powerful. The eyes are slightly protruding, dark and large. Outwardly, weasel females are no different from males - only in body size (they are 30 percent smaller). The length of the weasel fluctuates on average within 11.4 ... 21.6 centimeters, based on the species. Body weight ranges from 40 g to 100 g.

The weasel's fur is short and tight. Its color depends on the season. In winter, the weasel has a white color, and in summer it is brownish-brown on the outside of the paws, in the tail, on the sides, back and upper part of the head - only the inside of the paws, belly, chest, edge of the upper lip and throat remain white. In terms of the quality of the density of the fur, the weasel coat is always the same - both in summer and in winter, with the only difference being that in the warm season the hair is a little shorter and thinner than winter. In some southern habitats, the animal does not change color at all, remaining predominantly brown.

Weasel habits

Weasel excellently climbs, runs and even swims - it is so agile and dexterous animal. What distinguishes her habits is impudence, bloodthirstiness in attacks and courage, so she can often be found at night near a human dwelling, where she penetrates the economy through the narrowest holes and cracks. Weasel is active at different times of the day, but usually it comes out hunting at night or at dusk.

Traditionally leads a more terrestrial way of life. Moves hopping. Bypassing the territory, prefers to stick to bushes and other natural or artificial covers. He tries to avoid unprotected space. In one day, weasel is able to overcome one or two kilometers. In winter, it moves in snow voids.

Due to their small stature, weasels often die when they are crushed by larger animals, but at the same time they often manage to gnaw through the throats of their opponents.

Animal weasel photo

At the time of fights, weasel males emit a very loud screech.

Weasels live territorially and lead a solitary lifestyle.. The size of their zones is rather small, extending within 10 hectares of land (this directly depends on weather conditions and the abundance of food). Sometimes the areas of females are overlapped by those of males. The boundaries of the zone, as a rule, are marked by odor traces.

However, despite the size of the body, weasel is quite a dangerous animal, which is doubly enhanced by its excellent ability to run briskly, climb trees well and swim well - that is, this means that there are actually no barriers for the animal at all. However, it is very useful to humans, as it exterminates mice and voles.

Weasel habitats

The weasel's habitat covers very vast territories, which include Australia, North. America, Japan, Korean Peninsula, China, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq (northern part of the country), Asia Minor, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Europe. That is, this predatory mammal can be found on almost all continents of the planet. But the most widespread distribution of weasel is noted in North America, North Asia and Europe.

Where does weasel live

Weasel lives in a wide variety of biotopes, with the exception of the snow belt of the highlands and polar deserts.. Her dwellings can be found in alpine meadows, in the tundra, in the desert, along the banks of reservoirs, in swamps, on the outskirts of fields, in low and mountainous areas, in forest-steppe, steppe, in forests, and even near people's homes.

The weasel does not specifically make a hole, mastering what is available: she equips her lair in barns, rodent burrows, in ruins, in low-lying hollows (up to two meters from ground level), wood masonry, in rock crevices, among deadwood, in tree roots and under stones among voids. The nest is lined with fern, chestnut leaves, mosses or any dry vegetation.

If outsiders suddenly discover or disturb her habitat, the weasel immediately leaves the nest - especially if she has cubs (she transfers them to another place). However, in case of extreme and sudden danger, the animal is capable of sacrificially, to the very end, defending its lair, protecting it. On one site can equip several permanent dwellings.

What does weasel eat

The weasel's diet consists virtually entirely of mouse-like small rodents, which include rats, forest, field and house mice, as well as shrews and moles. She does not bypass the attention of chicks, pigeons, chickens, young rabbits, partridges, chickens. Do not mind eating eggs (of any birds), making several holes in them and thus sucking out all the contents. In seasons of lack of food, it eats crayfish, large insects, small snakes (snakes, copperheads, vipers), lizards, medium-sized fish and all kinds of amphibians.

But despite the fact that the weasel is a bloodthirsty predator and robber, capable of attacking any small animal, its daily food requirement is 30 ... 40 grams. The animal grabs small prey from above by the head or the back of the head, large prey - from below by the throat. By exterminating rodents, the weasel does not allow them to multiply, regulating the number in the territory where it lives, which helps a person a lot. Sometimes he makes stocks - for example, in one place you can often find from 1 to 30 mice and voles.

Question

Nimble weasel is the smallest animal among all predatory animals. It lives where there are especially many mouse-like rodents. Exterminating mice and voles, weasel provides a person with invaluable help. Video and photo

Detachment— Predators

Family— Kuni

Genus/Species— Mustela nivalis

Basic data and description:

LASKA. ANIMAL DIMENSIONS

Body length: 13-28 cm.

Tail length: no more than 9 cm.

Weight: males - up to 115 g, females - up to 69 g.

BREEDING

Puberty: from 1 year.

Mating period: no data.

Pregnancy: 34-37 days.

Number of cubs: 3-10, usually 4-7.

Number of litters: for 1 year.

LIFESTYLE

Habits: Weasels are brave and curious animals; they usually hunt at night; prefer to stay alone.

What it eats: voles, mice, rabbits, birds and eggs.

Lifespan of affection: in nature - 1-2 years, in the lifespan of an animal at home - up to 10 years.

RELATED SPECIES

Ermine, American and European mink.

Hand caress. Video

Weasel belongs to the weasel family. This animal is so small that in pursuit of prey, mainly mice and voles, it can even penetrate their holes. Weasel kills its victims by gnawing their necks, and then uses their holes as temporary shelters.

WEASCE (ANIMAL) WHAT Eats

Weasels mainly feed on voles. But they can also catch animals larger than themselves, such as a rabbit. Each animal guards its hunting territory, the size of which depends on the number of mice and voles.

Weasel with amazing dexterity exterminates mice and voles, chasing them even in holes and shelters and, on occasion, killing more than it can eat. Places where there are many mice are usually very densely populated by weasels.

In the years of increase in the number of rodents, the number of weasels also increases accordingly. If the number of mice decreases, weasels bring very few offspring.

Weasel is a gentle predatory animal. A photo

These animals also prey on water voles, they can climb trees, where nestlings or bird eggs are searched for in nests. Weasels usually hunt at night.

LIFESTYLE AND DESCRIPTION

Weasel lives where populations of mice and voles are especially numerous. Weasels are found in the fields, among shrubs, in overgrown clearings, edges.

In the north of the range, the weasel is significantly less numerous than the ermine, and in the south, on the contrary, there are noticeably more weasels. The scale of territories that weasels occupy depends on the amount of food. The area of ​​the hunting area of ​​the male weasel is about 4 hectares, the areas of the females are smaller and sometimes overlap with the allotments of the males. Animals mark their hunting grounds with secretions of odorous glands located under the tail. Females do not leave their territory all year round. Males in the spring during the mating season set off in search of a partner. Weasels take over the burrows of other animals.

Sometimes these small predatory animals chase and kill rabbits, but this happens less often than among stoats. Weasels move in short hops and often stand on their hind legs in order to look around.

BREEDING OF WEAST

The breeding biology of weasels has not yet been studied well enough. It is known that pregnant females come across both in summer and in winter. Males and females form pairs only for the duration of mating. Pregnancy in weasels lasts from 34 days to 7-8 weeks. There can be from 3 to 10 babies in a litter. Their number increases in the years of a large number of mice. The female feeds the cubs with milk for 8 weeks. After that, the family stays together for another 1-2 weeks. Then the female starts to chase away the cubs.

WATCHING FOR WEASELING

Weasel is the smallest animal from the order of carnivores. Outwardly, it is very similar to an ermine, but smaller than it, in addition, the weasel's tail does not have a black tip. The back of the weasel has a light brown color, and the belly is white or yellowish. The tail is short. In winter, in the north of the range, the beast dresses in a snow-white coat. Weasel lives in places where there are many mouse-like rodents, but only in the absence of its competitor - ermine. Often it is worn in tall grass among bushes or over stones. Sometimes the weasel rises on its hind legs to carefully look around. Weasel is not a fearful animal and does not shy away from meeting with a person. If you are unexpectedly lucky to meet her in the forest, you must be quiet and strive not to make sudden movements. If a weasel notices a person, she releases her victim, runs away and hides. But it is worth quieting down for a few minutes, and you can see how she returns for prey. Sometimes it is possible to attract affection by imitating the sounds that a rabbit makes - a quiet squeak.

GENERAL PROVISIONS AND DESCRIPTION

Weasel is the smallest predatory animal on Earth. The length of the weasel along with the tail is only 17-32 cm. The largest weasels weigh only 100 g. She lives in Eurasia, North and Central Asia, North America and North Africa.

Weasel is an avid exterminator of mice and other small rodents. She looks for them not only on the ground, but also underground, in their own holes. Weasel even stocks mice for the winter. This animal swims well, but hardly climbs trees. In winter, he wears a white coat. It gives birth to babies in a nest under the roots of trees and bushes or in holes left from mice.

• The favorite food of the weasel is mice and voles, thanks to which, by hunting these pests, the weasel brings tremendous benefits to humans.
• A weasel hole can be found on all sorts of pieces of prey scattered near the entrance. Of course, first of all, these are the paws and tails of the animals she ate.
• In summer, the back of the weasel is light brown, the belly is white. In winter in the north, the animal changes its fur coat to snow-white.
• From the odorous glands of the weasel, located under the tail, a secret is secreted that smells the same as the secret secreted by the ferret.
• Female weasels are so tiny that in the past they were even considered a separate species.

ANIMAL WEASELING - WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE

Weasel is like a stoat, but smaller than it. It has a thin, elongated, surprisingly flexible body with a rather short tail without a black tip (the tip of the tail is black in the ermine). In summer, the back of the weasel is light brown, the belly is white or yellowish, in winter the animal is entirely snow-white.

The male is larger than the female. The length of his body without a tail sometimes reaches 28 cm, weight is 115 g.

The length of the female without a tail is about 20 cm, and the weight is 69 g.

- area of ​​affection

WHERE WEASEL LIVES

It is distributed throughout Europe (it is not found only in Ireland), it is also found in North Africa, in most of Asia, in North America. It does not exist in some regions of the Far North and the deserts of Central Asia. Also brought to New Zealand.

PRESERVATION

Weasel populations are not threatened with extinction, but the number of animals near settlements is declining. Weasel is under protection.

Weasel is a brutal killer. The smallest predator. Video

Weasel is played with the hand. Video

Weasel animal in nature: what the animal looks like, what it eats

Report: Weasel

Plan
Introduction
1 Description
2 Power
3 Mating
4 History
5 Weasels in culture
Bibliography

Introduction

(Ordinary) weasel (lat. Mustela nivalis) is a predatory mammal of the weasel family. Found on almost all continents.

1. Description

Weasel is the smallest representative of the order of carnivores. The structure of the long, flexible body and the color of the fur are very similar to the ermine, but it differs in small sizes and a shorter, and most importantly, one-color tail; she does not have a black tuft on her tail. The body of the weasel, like that of the ermine, is thin and long, with short legs armed with very sharp claws, an elongated head, small rounded ears, the nose is blunt and slightly forked at the end. At the base of the tail there are glands that secrete a liquid with an unpleasant odor.

In appearance, males differ from females only in relatively large body sizes. The length of the animal varies, depending on belonging to a particular subspecies, from 11.4 to 21.6 cm.

Weasel (Mustela nivalis)

Weight 40-100 g.

In summer fur, the top of the head, back, sides, tail and outer sides of the paws are uniformly brownish-brown. The throat, edge of the upper lip, chest, belly and inner surface of the legs are pure white. Behind the corners of the mouth along a brown spot. The density of the fur is the same in summer and winter, but summer hair is shorter and thinner than winter. In autumn, the weasel, with the exception of some southern habitats, changes its summer brown outfit for pure white winter fur. Found in Europe, North Asia and North America.

Lives in fields and forests, in mountainous and low-lying areas, not avoiding populated areas. Settles under stones, in hollows, in ruins, in burrows, barns, etc. The nest is lined with dry grass, moss, chestnut and fern leaves.

2. Nutrition

Weasel is very agile and agile, runs fast, climbs and swims well, is distinguished by great courage and aggressiveness and is a dangerous enemy for all small animals; its food consists of house, field and forest mice, rats, moles, young rabbits, chickens, pigeons, as well as lizards, copperheads, snakes, even vipers, frogs, insects. In places where it is not pursued, the weasel hunts day and night. By exterminating mice, it brings great benefits, which, in any case, outweigh the harm it sometimes brings to chicken coops. Weasel sometimes successfully fights off even relatively large birds of prey (for example, kites).

3. Mating

Mating takes place in March. After a five-week pregnancy, the female gives birth to 5 to 7, less often 3 and 8 cubs, which she carefully guards and protects, transferring them to another place in case of danger in her teeth.

4. History

In ancient Rome and early medieval Europe, the weasel was a pet because it hunted mice. However, due to the poor tameness of the weasel and, to a greater extent, the appearance in Europe of the gray rat, which was difficult for the weasel to cope with, other animals replaced it as a protector of stocks in this role - ferrets (ferret), cats and for some time also genets.

5. Weasels in culture

• In the cartoon "Ice Age 3. Age of Dinosaurs" there is a weasel Buck.
• In The Wind in the Willows, there are also weasels who play the role of negative characters.
• In Jack London's story "White Fang", a weasel attacked the main character - a wolf cub.
• Fantastic Mr. Fox features a weasel character who works as a real estate agent.

Bibliography:

1. Sokolov V. E. Five-language dictionary of animal names. Mammals. Latin, Russian, English, German, French. / under the general editorship of acad. V. E. Sokolova. - M.: Rus. yaz., 1984. - S. 100. - 10,000 copies.

There are many animals that fit the name "living mercury". Long, nimble, incredibly mobile, and even covered with silky fur - these animals often cause a desire to get to know each other better. Among the marten there is a representative named weasel. Let's look at the photo, how it looks, find out where it lives, why it is called that and whether it is possible to enjoy communication with a fluffy cheat at home.

Portrait of a predator on the background of nature

There is no one smaller than weasel in the Predatory squad. Males can grow up to 26 cm in length and gain weight up to 250 g. The body of the animal is elongated, and the legs are disproportionately short, like a dachshund. However, in dexterity it surpasses not only the dachshund, but even the cat. Rapidly moving in short jumps, the predator easily and often changes direction. Not even a lizard can get away from it.

For a complete description of the view, add:

• in summer short brown fur on the head and back, dazzling white on the throat, breast and belly;
• winter fur is thicker and completely white;
• elongated head;
• short rounded ears;
• anal glands with strong-smelling secretions.

Weasels are sometimes confused with stoats. They do look alike, but the stoat has a black tassel on its tail, the same one that makes the lining of the royal robe look like it is streaked.

Attention! Wild weasels can carry rabies - do not come into contact with them.

Legendary and elusive

Weasels live throughout Europe, Russia, Canada, in the northern states of the United States and a little bit in Africa - not far from the Strait of Gibraltar. It does not belong to rare animals, but it is difficult to meet and even more so to catch it. Incredibly nimble, she will climb into any narrow gap, hole, under a snag, go over stones, windfall and deadwood.

The predator feeds on any animals comparable in size: mice, voles, shrews, rats, snakes, frogs, and if it doesn’t find anything like that, then insects. The animal is attracted to subsidiary farms, where he can eat a chicken or a rabbit.

Weasel loves to hunt in the stables: there are many mouse nests in the hay and bedding. In the old days, in the mornings, peasants often found their horses lathered, tired, with tangled manes - they seemed to be riding all night. They thought that this "stable neighbor" was playing a trick, riding a horse, it turned out - a weasel. The predator easily jumps on the horse's back to feast on grains of salt in place of dried sweat. At the same time, sometimes it bites through the withers and licks drops of blood.

Why is this aggressive quirky animal called weasel? The ancient Slavs revered him as the patron of the house - secretive, but does not leave housing. Many peoples have a legend according to which a kind daughter-in-law, undeservedly cursed by her mother-in-law, turned into a caress.

Caress in the house: comfort or disaster

In ancient Rome, they appreciated the ability of a predator to exterminate mice and welcomed him in houses. But very soon ruthless rodent fighters were replaced by more docile cats. Unlike the Romans, modern lovers of not quite familiar pets give birth to affection in order to enjoy her indomitable energy.

The condition under which the animal can become a cute pet is taming it “from an early age”. Taken into the house from two months and older, the weasel will remain wild, aggressive, unpredictable, will bite and run away sooner or later.

For the guest you will need a large cage, preferably a high aviary with a floor area of ​​at least a square meter. The floor of the enclosure is covered with straw or hay. Placed inside:

• a cat tray with wood filler (there is a chance that the pet will learn how to use it);
• stable feeder and nipple drinker;

• wooden house for shelter;
• shelves and driftwood for climbing.

Attention! Weasel will crawl anywhere, so the bars of the aviary should be quite frequent.

The weasel diet includes meat, poultry, fish, eggs - everything that the animal obtains in nature. Ready-made food for cats and dogs is categorically not suitable, as are goodies from the table.

Weasel bathes with pleasure in the bath, takes care of the hair herself. Sheds in spring and autumn, changing from bicolor to white and vice versa. At this time, the animal can be stroked with a damp hand to remove the hairs that have come out.

Nimble and fearless, completely unkind, in nature this predator devotes all her time to hunting. Diligently exterminating breeding rodents, it has been helping other animals maintain balance in food chains for millions of years.

Pet weasel: video