Weasel Adaptations:
- The weasel may be small but it is a good fighter and moves in a flash. It is a silent hunter and can approach without a sound, then rush upon its prey.
- The weasel's coat changes color. The brownish summer coat turns white for the winter. Just the tip of the tail stays black.
- Some people say that a weasel smells worse than the skunk (because of its musk glands).
- The slender (thin) body allows it to enter underground burrows.
- Molting allows for this adaptation. During molting the weasel sheds the current layer of fur and slowly changes to a color that fits the environment. This adaptation makes these organisms successful predators especially with their ability to blend into the pure white snow.
- Weasels do not hibernate like bears. This is not a survival adaptation because their hair has an outer shiny coat. This prevents wet substances (rain) from adhering to the fur.
- The short layer underneath the protective shiny layer, provides warmth. This advanced layer of fur provides warmth and keeps them dry during rainy seasons and winter months. This gives them an advantage over available prey items while their neighbors are hibernating or seeking shelter from the rain.
- Although they do have this well adapted fur, they do get cold. In order to stay warm weasels curl up in a ball to conserve body heat.
- Females’ territory may overlap with another female, but a male's territory is all his, he may even fight for it. The male's territory may consist of 40 acres.
- It has a slender body, which are 4 to 10 inches long. A male's weight ranges from 1.5 to 8.75 pounds. A female's weight ranges from 0.8 to 4.3 pounds.
- The least weasel's head is long and an oval shape, like a ferret. Their eyes are usually black and their ears are short and stubby even though they have very good hearing.
- Least weasels have very good sense of smell with their long nose. Their paws have 5 toes with sharp claws used as weapons in hunting.
- Their mating seasons are spring and summer with a gestation period lasting from 35-37 days. The least weasel has 3-10 babies, weighing 0.04 to 0.06 ounces, and are wrinkled, pink and naked.
- Weasels exhibit sexual dimorphism, which is when the male is larger than the female. This is believed because the male needs to hunt more and move more than the female who only has to hunt and give birth to its young.
- The weasel may be small but it is a good fighter and moves in a flash. It is a silent hunter and can approach without a sound, then rush upon its prey.
- The weasel's coat changes color. The brownish summer coat turns white for the winter. Just the tip of the tail stays black.
- Some people say that a weasel smells worse than the skunk (because of its musk glands).
- The slender (thin) body allows it to enter underground burrows.
- Molting allows for this adaptation. During molting the weasel sheds the current layer of fur and slowly changes to a color that fits the environment. This adaptation makes these organisms successful predators especially with their ability to blend into the pure white snow.
- Weasels do not hibernate like bears. This is not a survival adaptation because their hair has an outer shiny coat. This prevents wet substances (rain) from adhering to the fur.
- The short layer underneath the protective shiny layer, provides warmth. This advanced layer of fur provides warmth and keeps them dry during rainy seasons and winter months. This gives them an advantage over available prey items while their neighbors are hibernating or seeking shelter from the rain.
- Although they do have this well adapted fur, they do get cold. In order to stay warm weasels curl up in a ball to conserve body heat.
- Females’ territory may overlap with another female, but a male's territory is all his, he may even fight for it. The male's territory may consist of 40 acres.
- It has a slender body, which are 4 to 10 inches long. A male's weight ranges from 1.5 to 8.75 pounds. A female's weight ranges from 0.8 to 4.3 pounds.
- The least weasel's head is long and an oval shape, like a ferret. Their eyes are usually black and their ears are short and stubby even though they have very good hearing.
- Least weasels have very good sense of smell with their long nose. Their paws have 5 toes with sharp claws used as weapons in hunting.
- Their mating seasons are spring and summer with a gestation period lasting from 35-37 days. The least weasel has 3-10 babies, weighing 0.04 to 0.06 ounces, and are wrinkled, pink and naked.
- Weasels exhibit sexual dimorphism, which is when the male is larger than the female. This is believed because the male needs to hunt more and move more than the female who only has to hunt and give birth to its young.