Weasel manual. Weasel animal. Weasel lifestyle and habitat. Weasel is played with the hand. Video

Detachment - Predators

Family - Kunya

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 does it eat:, mice, birds and eggs.

Lifespan of a weasel: in nature - 1-2 years, in the life expectancy 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. 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 fields, among shrubs, in overgrown clearings, and 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 spring during mating season go 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 over the years. large numbers 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 is light brown in 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. Not available in some areas Far North and deserts Central Asia. Also brought to New Zealand.

PRESERVATION

Weasel populations are not threatened by extinction, however, the number of animals in the vicinity of settlements is shrinking. Weasel is under protection.

Weasel is the smallest animal from the order of carnivores. The body length of the male does not exceed 26 cm, and the weight is not more than 250 g, the dimensions of the female are even smaller - the length of her body is not more than 21 cm, and the weight is 108 g. Weasels are beautiful and slender animals, they have an elongated body, short legs, not very a long tail, the head is small, and the ears are small and rounded. Coat color usually depends on the season. In winter, it is plain white, and in summer it is two-tone - the back and top part the heads are brown, while the belly and breast are white. In some regions, weasels do not change coat color and always remain two-tone.

Spreading

Weasels are quite widespread. They live in North America, Europe and northern Asia. Inhabit areas with temperate climate and partially Arctic zone. Forests and fields are the favorite habitats of the weasel, and this animal is also found in mountainous areas, semi-deserts and other places.

Food

Weasel successfully hunts many small animals. Most often, mice become her prey, but she can also catch a hamster, jerboa, mole, rat and rabbit. It can also prey on birds, lizards, frogs, snakes and insects. Often, weasels raid chicken coops, where chickens and young hens are stolen.

Lifestyle

Weasel is a very fast and agile animal. She is an excellent tree climber, a fast runner and a good swimmer. Weasel easily hunts small game and bravely fights off predators that dare to attack her.

Weasel looks out for prey

This small agile animal often lives alone, but can also form colonies. It moves along its permanent paths, but lives in different holes, among which there are both temporary and permanent ones. Weasel often settles in the hole of the animal that has become its prey.

Cubs are usually born in summer, but can be born at other times of the year. Usually the female gives birth to 5 to 10 babies. Newborn weasels are very small, blind, deaf and toothless. The body length of the cub is slightly more than 4 cm, and the weight is even less than 2 g. After about three weeks, the eyes of the babies open and they begin to hear sounds. Weasels become adults at the age of 11 months.

Weasels do not live long - usually from one to three years, but there are cases when males lived up to the age of 6 years.

• AT Ancient Rome and Europe, weasels were kept as pets, as they helped fight mice.
• Weasels often become heroes of fairy tales and cartoons, but most often they are assigned the role of negative heroes.

Brief information about weasel.

Weasel is an animal (photos of the animal are presented in this article) with a flexible, thin and elongated body. She has an elongated head, and rounded little ears. This is the smallest representative of the length of her body is not more than 25 cm, of which about 5 cm falls on the tail, and at its base there are glands that secrete an unpleasant odor liquid. pet weasel in summer time dressed in brownish-brown fur with a white neck, abdomen and chest. In winter, she changes into a pure white outfit.

Mostly the weasel leads night image life, but if she does not see danger for herself, she can hunt during the day. She perfectly runs, swims, jumps and climbs trees, but her main strength lies in the ability to climb through the narrowest holes and crevices. For example, she easily pursues mice in their own holes. This mammal also feeds on all kinds of birds, their eggs and chicks, as well as lizards, snails, various insects, frogs and fish. The weasel animal preys even on vipers, copperheads and snakes. And if its main diet is reduced for some reason, then the weasel attacks animals larger than itself. It can be rats, hamsters, young hares and rabbits, ground squirrels, hazel grouses, partridges and black grouse.

The weasel animal lives under heaps of stones, in hollows of trees, in ruins. Sometimes it can settle in or under water-washed shores. AT winter time she is attracted to warmer places: attics and sheds of rural buildings, she can also come across on the outskirts of the city. From May to June, the female has from 5 to 7 cubs. This happens in a place hidden from prying eyes, which is necessarily covered with hay, leaves or straw. Mothers are very protective of their babies. She is for a long time feeds them milk, and then for several months brings them live mice. But if her children are disturbed, she will immediately transfer them to another place.

And now the grown cubs begin to leave the nest. Their mischievous and cheerful muzzles alternately appear from it and inspect the area. If everything is calm around, then the kids go out one by one, arranging games on the green grass. The pet weasel has a lot natural enemies are all mammalian predators that are larger than it, and

AT natural environment habitat weasel lives 8-10 years, but in captivity its life span does not exceed 6 years. Adult individuals are very difficult to endure the loss of freedom, therefore, for taming, you need to take a young animal that is still with its mother. In this case, the weasel quickly gets used to its owner and becomes the most gentle animal that justifies its name. But for rural residents, it is almost the most fierce enemy, as it destroys rabbits. In the old days, a goat was brought to the barnyard to see her out. For this, they chose the oldest. After 2-3 days little predator left his favorite place.

You can also get rid of an uninvited "tenant" with the help of windmills. The fact is that all underground animals react very sensitively to an earthquake, and the slightest vibrations transmitted through a pole into the ground force moles, rats, shrews and mice to leave their shelters. No exception and affection. The animal (how to catch it is of interest to many) can be caught with the help of such a device as a cherkan, and sparrows are used for bait. Although many gardeners, beekeepers and hunters catch this animal specially in the wild in order to launch it into their undergrounds, cellars or barns to exterminate mice and rats.

Weasel is the smallest representative of the predatory order. Weasel is very reminiscent of an ermine, but differs in small size and a shorter, and most importantly, one-color tail - it does not have a black tassel on its tail. In summer fur, the top of the weasel is brownish-brown, and the bottom is pure white.

• Where does weasel live

Weasel is 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. Weasels often form colonies. The nest is lined with dry grass, moss, chestnut and fern leaves.

• How long does a weasel live

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

• What does weasel eat

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; her food is made up of brownies, field and forest mice, rats, moles, young rabbits, hamsters, 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).

Meeting with kindness

By mid-April bright Sun rays melted the remnants of snow in the forest, and floods began in the floodplain of the Oka River. In areas not flooded with water, fresh young greens were already breaking through last year's withered grass. In some places one could see golden-green spots of one of the primroses - spring chistyak.

Its shiny, round leaves are hoof-shaped, so it's no surprise that vernacular name this flower and sounds - hooves. Chistyak loves wet, damp places - it grows along the banks of rivers, streams, near meadow lakes and swamps, in damp places deciduous forests. The bright yellow flowers are closely related to buttercups, and like them, they are not eaten by animals because of their poisonousness.

The entire shore of one of the lakes where I went was dotted with mouse minks. Very soon a motley carpet of meadow grasses will hide it, but so far there is still little grass, and the minks are clearly visible. Stopping, I began to listen for a bird squeaking in the coastal bushes. Indeed, on the edge of the spill, you can already see bluethroats and yellow wagtails looking for food. And suddenly, very close by, there was a loud piercing-grinding squeal, as if someone had been accidentally stepped on! Out of the corner of my eye I saw a small long body from the side, rushing into one of the holes. It was a kindness. Apparently, she did not expect to see a person next to her and squealed in fright.

Weasels are quite common in our country, however, due to their small size, it is not often possible to see them. In length, this animal is only 11 to 26 cm, the tail is from 2 to 8 cm. Flickered - and it is not. However, many animals respond primarily to movement. Therefore, if you do not move, then sometimes you can watch some little animal. So it happened with this kindness. I did not move, and the caress again appeared from the mink, only from a completely different one. Leaning out for 2-3 seconds, she disappeared. For the next half an hour, the weasel only did what appeared from one mink, then from another, then a couple of meters from me, or even at 20-30. All the holes were interconnected by underground passages, so it was impossible to determine in advance where her muzzle would appear next time. Sometimes the weasel even got up on its hind legs and vigilantly looked around the surroundings.

Some of the weasel's burrows were flooded by the beginning flood, and then the weasel jumped out wet. Of course, she did not play hide and seek with me at all, as it might seem from the outside, the weasel hunted. On the surface she looked out small birds, and in underground passages looking for mice and shrews. miniature dimensions of this predator allow him to overtake his victims right in their own holes! In addition to mice and birds, weasels can prey on frogs and insects. In winter, the weasel chases rodents under the snow. At this time of the year, the animal wears a snow-white fur coat, and in summer its color is two-tone - the top and paws are painted in Brown color and the bottom is white. During the breeding season, the female weasel builds a ball-shaped nest out of grass. In a brood from 4 to 8 cubs.

Villagers do not like affection. First, like a ferret, she carries chickens. And secondly, it “tickles” cows that are huge in comparison with it, which is why they “get scared and sweat”. That's what it is!

VIDEO Weasel is a cruel killer. The smallest predator

Weasel was caught next to a mouse nest in potato tops. Even sitting in the bank, she has not lost her hunting instinct. Of course they sent her back.

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 - its body length reaches an average of only 16-18 centimeters in length.

Description of weasel

Weasel has a flexible, quirky, long, subtle 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 inner side paws, belly, chest, hem upper lip and throat. 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. AT winter time moving in the snowy voids.

Due to their small stature, weasels often die when crushed by more large animals, however, at the same time, they often manage to gnaw through their opponents' throats. 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 quite small, extending within 10 hectares of land (this directly depends on weather conditions and plenty 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 great ability run briskly, climb trees well and swim well - that is, this means that for the animal, in fact, there are no barriers 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 it predatory mammal can be found on almost all continents of the planet. But most mass distribution petting 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 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.

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