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Least Weasel
(Mustela rixosa)

Size:

  • 6 in. (15 cm) long.
  • Tail 1.5 in. (4 cm) long.
  • Male weighs 1.5-2.25 oz. (39-63 g); females slightly smaller.

Distribution in North America:
range map

weasel tracksTracks

Habitat:

  • Fields, brushy areas, broken woodlands.

Notes:

  • Smallest living carnivore.
  • Similar to shorttail and longtail weasels, but no black tip on tail.

The least weasel is the smallest living carnivore. It is an efficient predator of mice, which make up the bulk of its diet. Like most members of the weasel family, it kills with a piercing bite to the base of the skull. Often takes over the burrow of mice it has killed.

Be sure to check local regulations for hunting or trapping information on this species.

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