Country Ecology: Weasels

Since I recently wrote about the mink being a member of the weasel family, I suppose I had better write about the two species of weasels we have locally. If one is spotted near your bird feeder, it is probably still in its brilliant white coat, and you might wish to call it an ermine. All weasels turn white in the winter around here, except for the black tip of their tail. But it is probably the long-tailed species.

We have both species of weasels here in the White Mountains region. Another species, the least weasel does not have a black tip on its short tail and is found far to the north and west of us. It is our smallest living carnivore at six inches long, except for the shrews. This weasel species is rare even throughout most its range of Canada and Alaska. All three of these small creatures are very efficient and beneficial mousers.