15 Animals Similar to Weasels
There are few animals as ferocious as the weasel. While small in stature, these mammals are very active predators that hunt rodents such as rabbits and mice, as well as birds and frogs. A weasel may consume up to 40% of its body weight per day.
Although weasels hunt day or night, they are active mostly during the hours of dawn and dusk. With a home range of 10 to 30 acres, weasels are solitary and will defend their territory from invaders, except during the breeding season when they will seek out a mate.
Table of Contents
- Where do Weasels Live?
- How Big Are Weasels?
- 1. Stoat
- 2. Mink
- 3. Polecat
- 4. European Badger
- 5. Honey Badger
- 6. Wolverine
- 7. Fisher
- 8. Sable
- 9. Ferret
- 10. North American River Otter
- 11. Sea Otter
- 12. Skunk
- 13. Zorilla
- 14. Tayra
- 15. Greater Grison
Where do Weasels Live?
The weasel can be found all over the world, from North America down to South America, throughout Europe, North Africa, and Asia. They do not inhabit Australia, sub-Saharan Africa, or India. Weasels may live in an abandoned burrow or make a nest under rocks or in a hollow log.
They live in varied habitats from forests and grasslands to sand dunes and moors. In the wild, a weasel may live for up to two to three years.
How Big Are Weasels?
Compact with long, slender bodies and short legs, weasels are generally about six to 10 inches long with their tails being about a quarter of their length. Males weigh in at an average of about seven ounces and are larger than females, who weigh a little more than half that.
Weasels usually have red, brown, or gray coats with white bellies, although most species will turn all white in the winter. They do not hibernate and will be active all year long.
In the family Mustelidae, weasels and their relatives are a very successful and voracious group. Here are 15 other animals similar to the weasel.
1. Stoat
The weasel’s closest relative is probably the stoat, or ermine, being slightly larger at … Read the rest of the story.
