WEASEL 



Weasel. — Mustela cicognani 



and related forms 



Names. — Weasel; Ermine; Stoat; Ferret. Plate VIII. 



General Description. — A slender, long-bodied, short-legged, 

 predatory mammal, small in size. Head small, ears low and 

 rounded, tail short, tipped with black, soles of hands and feet 

 furry. Pelage composed of soft, close underfur and long, hard, 

 glistening, outer hairs; brown of upperparts in sharp contrast 



Fig. 24. Weasel 



to whitish underparts; summer pelage brown above, winter 

 pelage white all over except for black tip of tail. Habit 

 terrestrial, intensely active, bloodthirsty. Males noticeably 

 larger then females; anal musk-gland capable of secreting a 

 very powerful and disagreeable odor. 



Color. — Sexes colored alike. 



Upperparts. — Summer: Uniform chocolate-brown, slightly 

 darkened on top of head ; hands and feet touched with yellow- 

 ish white; terminal third of tail black. 



Underparts. — Whitish with yellowish suffusion; underside 

 of tail same as upperside. 



Winter pelage everywhere white except for the black tip 

 on tail; a yellowish tinge on lower back and underparts. 



Immature pelage very much like that of adults. 



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