Weasel: Difference between revisions

Weasel
	Least weasel in England
Scientific classification
:	[[Template:Taxonomy/Mustela]]; Linnaeus, 1758
Type species
	Mustela erminea; Linnaeus, 1758
Species
	Mustela aistoodonnivalis; Mustela altaica; Mustela erminea; Mustela eversmannii; Mustela frenata; Mustela furo; Mustela haidarum; Mustela itatsi; †Mustela jacksoni; Mustela kathiah; Mustela lutreola; Mustela lutreolina; †Mustela meltoni; Mustela mopbie; Mustela nigripes; Mustela nivalis; Mustela nudipes; †Mustela ogygia; †Mustela pachygnatha; †Mustela palaeattica; †Mustela palermina; †Mustela plioerminea; †Mustela praenivalis; Mustela putorius; †Mustela rexroadensis; Mustela richardsonii; Mustela sibirica; †Mustela spelaea; Mustela strigidorsa; Mustela tonkinensis;
	Combined Mustela and Neogale ranges

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Latest revision as of 01:27, 24 January 2026

Weasels /ˈwiːzəlz/ are mammals of the genus Mustela of the family Mustelidae. The genus Mustela includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets, and European mink. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slender bodies and short legs. The family Mustelidae, or mustelids (which also includes badgers, otters, and wolverines), is often referred to as the "weasel family". In Great Britain, the term "weasel" usually refers to the smallest species, the least weasel (M. nivalis),^[1] the smallest carnivoran species.^[2]

Least weasels vary in length from 173 to 217 mm (6+3⁄4 to 8+1⁄2 in),^[3] females being smaller than the males, and usually have red or brown upper coats and white bellies; some populations of some species moult to a wholly white coat in winter. They have long, slender bodies, which enable them to follow their prey into burrows. Their tails may be from 34 to 52 mm (1+1⁄4 to 2 in) long.^[3]

Weasels feed on small mammals and have from time to time been considered vermin because some species took poultry from farms or rabbits from commercial warrens. They do, on the other hand, eat large numbers of rodents. Their range spans Europe, North America, much of Asia, and small areas in North Africa.

Terminology[edit | edit source]

The English word "weasel" was originally applied to one species of the genus, the European form of the least weasel (Mustela nivalis). This usage is retained in British English, where the name is also extended to cover several other small species of the genus. However, in technical discourse and in American usage, the term "weasel" can refer to any member of the genus, the genus as a whole, and even to members of the related genus Neogale. Of the 16 extant species currently classified in the genus Mustela, 10 have "weasel" in their common names. Among those that do not are the three species of ermine,^{[* 1]} the polecats, the ferret, and the European mink.^[4]^:12

The American mink and the extinct sea mink were commonly included in this genus as Mustela vison and Mustela macrodon, respectively, but in 1999 they were moved to the genus Neovison.^[5] In 2021, both Neovison species, along with the long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata), Amazon weasel (Mustela africana) and Colombian weasel (Mustela felipei) were moved to the genus Neogale, as the clade containing these five species was found to be fully distinct from Mustela.^[6]

Taxonomy[edit | edit source]

The genus name Mustela comes from the Latin word for weasel combining the words mus meaning "mouse" and telum meaning "javelin" for its long body.^[4]^:3

Species[edit | edit source]

The following information is according to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System and MammalDiversity.

Subgenus	Scientific name	Common name	Distribution
Mustela	Mustela altaica Pallas, 1811	Mountain weasel	Northern and Southern Asia
	Mustela aistoodonnivalis Wu & Kao, 1991	Missing-toothed pygmy weasel	Shaanxi and Sichuan, China
	Mustela erminea Linnaeus, 1758	Stoat, Beringian ermine, Eurasian ermine, or short-tailed weasel	Europe and Northern Asia Arctic Canada and Alaska (United States) Southern Asia (non-native) New Zealand (non-native)
	Mustela haidarum Preble, 1898	Haida ermine	Haida Gwaii (British Columbia, Canada) and Alexander Archipelago (Alaska, United States)
	Mustela kathiah Hodgson, 1835	Yellow-bellied weasel	Southern Asia
	Mustela nivalis Linnaeus, 1766	Least weasel	Europe, North Africa and Northern Asia North America Southern Asia (non-native) New Zealand (non-native)
	Mustela richardsonii Bonaparte, 1838	American ermine	Most of North America south of Alaska and the Arctic Circle; eastern Nunavut and Baffin Island
Lutreola	Mustela itatsi Temminck, 1844	Japanese weasel	Japan and formerly Sakhalin Island, Russia
	Mustela lutreola (Linnaeus, 1761)	European mink	Europe
	Mustela lutreolina Robinson and Thomas, 1917	Indonesian mountain weasel	Southeastern Asia
	Mustela nudipes Desmarest, 1822	Malayan weasel	Southeastern Asia
	Mustela sibirica Pallas, 1773	Siberian weasel	Europe and Northern Asia Southern Asia
	Mustela strigidorsa Gray, 1855	Back-striped weasel	Southern Asia
Putorius	Mustela eversmanii (Lesson, 1827)	Steppe polecat	Southeast Europe and Northern Asia Southern Asia
	Mustela furo Linnaeus, 1758	Domestic ferret	Domestic Worldwide (domesticated); New Zealand (non-native)
	Mustela putorius Linnaeus, 1758	European polecat	Europe, North Africa and Northern Asia
	Mustela nigripes (Audubon and Bachman, 1851)	Black-footed ferret	North America

¹ Europe and Northern Asia division excludes China.

Cultural meanings[edit | edit source]

Weasels have been assigned a variety of cultural meanings.

In Greek culture, a weasel near one's house is a sign of bad luck, even evil, "especially if there is in the household a girl about to be married", since the animal (based on its Greek etymology) was thought to be an unhappy bride who was transformed into a weasel^[7] and consequently delights in destroying wedding dresses.^[8] In Macedonia, however, weasels are generally seen as an omen of good fortune.^[7]^[8]

In early-modern Mecklenburg, Germany, amulets from weasels were deemed to have strong magic; the period between 15 August and 8 September was specifically designated for the killing of weasels.^[9]^:255

In Montagne Noire (France), Ruthenia, and the early medieval culture of the Wends, weasels were not meant to be killed.^[9]

According to Daniel Defoe also, meeting a weasel is a bad omen.^[10] In English-speaking areas, weasel can be an insult, noun or verb, for someone regarded as sneaky, conniving or untrustworthy. Similarly, "weasel words" is a critical term for words or phrasing that are vague, misleading or equivocal.

Japanese superstitions[edit | edit source]

"Ten" from the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō by Sekien Toriyama

In Japan, weasels (鼬、鼬鼠, itachi) were seen as yōkai (causing strange occurrences). According to the encyclopedia Wakan Sansai Zue from the Edo period, a pack of weasels would cause conflagrations, and the cry of a weasel was considered a harbinger of misfortune. In the Niigata Prefecture, the sound of a pack of weasels making a rustle resembled six people hulling rice, so was called the "weasel's six-person mortar", and it was an omen for one's home to decline or flourish. It is said that when people chase after this sound, the sound stops.^[11]

They are also said to shapeshift like the fox (kitsune) or tanuki, and the nyūdō-bōzu told about in legends in the Tōhoku region and the Chūbu region are considered weasels in disguise, and they are also said to shapeshift into ōnyūdō and little monks.^[11]

In the collection of depictions Gazu Hyakki Yagyō by Sekien Toriyama, they were depicted under the title 鼬, but they were read not as "itachi", but rather as "ten",^[12] and "ten" were considered to be weasels that have reached one hundred years of age and became yōkai that possessed supernatural powers.^[13] Another theory is that when weasels reach several hundred years of age, they become mujina (Japanese badgers).^[14]

In Japanese, weasels are called iizuna or izuna (飯綱) and in the Tōhoku Region and Shinshu, it was believed that there were families that were able to use a certain practice to freely use kudagitsune as iizuna-tsukai or kitsune-mochi. It is said that Mount Iizuna, from the Nagano Prefecture, got its name due to how the gods gave people mastery of this technique from there.^[15]

According to the folklorist Mutō Tetsujō, "They are called izuna in the Senboku District,^{[* 2]} Akita Prefecture, and there are also the ichiko (itako) that use them."^[16] Also, in the Kitaakita District, they are called mōsuke (猛助), and they are feared as yōkai even more than foxes (kitsune).^[16]

In the Ainu language, ermines are called upas-čironnup or sáčiri, but since least weasels are also called sáčiri, Mashio Chiri surmised that the honorary title poy-sáčiri-kamuy (where poy means "small") refers to least weasels.^[17]

Kamaitachi[edit | edit source]

Kamaitachi is a phenomenon wherein one who is idle is suddenly injured as if his or her skin were cut by a scythe. In the past, this was thought to be "the deed of an invisible yōkai weasel". An alternate theory, asserts that kamaitachi is derived from kamae Tachi (構え太刀, "stance sword"), so were not originally related to weasels at all.^[18]

Notes[edit | edit source]

↑ These three species are Mustela erminea, (the Eurasian ermine or stoat); M. haidarum, (the Haida ermine); and M. richardsonii, (the American ermine).
↑ However, in the Senboku District, especially in Obonai village (生保内村), they are called okojo.^[16]

References[edit | edit source]

↑ Shorter Oxford English dictionary. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. 2007. p. 3804. ISBN 978-0199206872.
↑ Valkenburgh, Blaire Van; Wayne, Robert K. (9 November 2010). "Carnivores". Current Biology. 20 (21): R915–R919. Bibcode:2010CBio...20.R915V. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2010.09.013. ISSN 0960-9822. PMID 21056828. S2CID 235312150.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 "The Weasel". The Mammal Society. Archived from the original on 12 April 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 King, Carolyn M.; Powell, Roger A. (2006). The Natural History of Weasels and Stoats: Ecology, Behavior, and Management. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-804113-9.
↑ Abramov, A.V. 1999. A taxonomic review of the genus Mustela (Mammalia, Carnivora). Zoosystematica Rossica, 8(2): 357-364
↑ Patterson, Bruce D.; Ramírez-Chaves, Héctor E.; Vilela, Júlio F.; Soares, André E. R.; Grewe, Felix (2021). "On the nomenclature of the American clade of weasels (Carnivora: Mustelidae)". Journal of Animal Diversity. 3 (2): 1–8. doi:10.52547/JAD.2021.3.2.1. ISSN 2676-685X. S2CID 236299740.
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 Lawson, John Cuthbert (2012). Modern Greek Folklore and Ancient Greek Religion: A Study in Survivals. Cambridge UP. pp. 327–28. ISBN 978-1-107-67703-6.
↑ ^8.0 ^8.1 Abbott, George Frederick (1903). Macedonian folklore. Cambridge UP. pp. 108–109. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
↑ ^9.0 ^9.1 Thomas, N.W. (September 1900). "Animal Superstitions and Totemism". Folk-lore. 11 (3): 228–67. doi:10.1080/0015587X.1900.9719953. JSTOR 1253113.
↑ Hazlitt, William Carew; Brand, John (1905). Faiths and folklore: a dictionary of national beliefs, superstitions and popular customs, past and current, with their classical and foreign analogues, described and illustrated. Reeves and Turner. p. 622. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
↑ ^11.0 ^11.1 村上健司編著『妖怪事典』毎日新聞社、2000年、36頁。ISBN 978-4-6203-1428-0。
↑ 高田衛監修稲田篤信・田中直日編『鳥山石燕画図百鬼夜行』国書刊行会、1992年、50頁。ISBN 978-4-336-03386-4。
↑ 少年社・中村友紀夫・武田えり子編『妖怪の本異界の闇に蠢く百鬼夜行の伝説』学習研究社〈New sight mook〉、1999年、123頁。ISBN 978-4-05-602048-9。
↑ 草野巧『幻想動物事典』新紀元社、1997年、30頁。ISBN 978-4-88317-283-2。
↑ 『広辞苑第4版』(1991年)、岩波書店「いづなつかい【飯綱使・飯縄遣】」の項
↑ ^16.0 ^16.1 ^16.2 武藤, 鉄城 (1940), "秋田郡邑魚譚", アチックミユーゼアム彙報, 45: 41–42, 北秋田ではモウスケと称して狐より怖がられ、仙北地方ではイヅナと称し、それを使う巫女(エチコ)もある。学名コエゾイタチを、此の付近..〔生保内村〕では..オコジョと云ふ(田口耕之助氏)。
↑ 知里, 真志保 (Chiri, Mashiho) (30 March 1959), "アイヌ語獣名集 (On the names of the mammals of the Ainu language)" (PDF), 北海道大學文學部紀要 = The Annual Reports on Cultural Science: 141, ISSN 0437-6668, archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ 人文社編集部 (2005). 諸国怪談奇談集成江戸諸国百物語東日本編. ものしりシリーズ. 人文社. p. 104. ISBN 978-4-7959-1955-6.

External links[edit | edit source]

Template:Weasels Template:Carnivora Template:Musteloidea

[4] These three species are Mustela erminea, (the Eurasian ermine or stoat); M. haidarum, (the Haida ermine); and M. richardsonii, (the American ermine).

[18] However, in the Senboku District, especially in Obonai village (生保内村), they are called okojo.^[16]

[SOED-1] Shorter Oxford English dictionary. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. 2007. p. 3804. ISBN 978-0199206872.

[2] Valkenburgh, Blaire Van; Wayne, Robert K. (9 November 2010). "Carnivores". Current Biology. 20 (21): R915–R919. Bibcode:2010CBio...20.R915V. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2010.09.013. ISSN 0960-9822. PMID 21056828. S2CID 235312150.

[WeaselSize-3] 3.0 ^3.1 "The Weasel". The Mammal Society. Archived from the original on 12 April 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2017.

[NHoWaS-5] 4.0 ^4.1 King, Carolyn M.; Powell, Roger A. (2006). The Natural History of Weasels and Stoats: Ecology, Behavior, and Management. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-804113-9.

[6] Abramov, A.V. 1999. A taxonomic review of the genus Mustela (Mammalia, Carnivora). Zoosystematica Rossica, 8(2): 357-364

[7] Patterson, Bruce D.; Ramírez-Chaves, Héctor E.; Vilela, Júlio F.; Soares, André E. R.; Grewe, Felix (2021). "On the nomenclature of the American clade of weasels (Carnivora: Mustelidae)". Journal of Animal Diversity. 3 (2): 1–8. doi:10.52547/JAD.2021.3.2.1. ISSN 2676-685X. S2CID 236299740.

[lawson-8] 7.0 ^7.1 Lawson, John Cuthbert (2012). Modern Greek Folklore and Ancient Greek Religion: A Study in Survivals. Cambridge UP. pp. 327–28. ISBN 978-1-107-67703-6.

[abbott-9] 8.0 ^8.1 Abbott, George Frederick (1903). Macedonian folklore. Cambridge UP. pp. 108–109. Retrieved 13 February 2012.

[Thomas1900-10] 9.0 ^9.1 Thomas, N.W. (September 1900). "Animal Superstitions and Totemism". Folk-lore. 11 (3): 228–67. doi:10.1080/0015587X.1900.9719953. JSTOR 1253113.

[11] Hazlitt, William Carew; Brand, John (1905). Faiths and folklore: a dictionary of national beliefs, superstitions and popular customs, past and current, with their classical and foreign analogues, described and illustrated. Reeves and Turner. p. 622. Retrieved 13 February 2012.

[yokaijiten-12] 11.0 ^11.1 村上健司編著『妖怪事典』毎日新聞社、2000年、36頁。ISBN 978-4-6203-1428-0。

[13] 高田衛監修稲田篤信・田中直日編『鳥山石燕画図百鬼夜行』国書刊行会、1992年、50頁。ISBN 978-4-336-03386-4。

[14] 少年社・中村友紀夫・武田えり子編『妖怪の本異界の闇に蠢く百鬼夜行の伝説』学習研究社〈New sight mook〉、1999年、123頁。ISBN 978-4-05-602048-9。

[15] 草野巧『幻想動物事典』新紀元社、1997年、30頁。ISBN 978-4-88317-283-2。

[koj2-16] 『広辞苑第4版』(1991年)、岩波書店「いづなつかい【飯綱使・飯縄遣】」の項

[muto-042-17] 16.0 ^16.1 ^16.2 武藤, 鉄城 (1940), "秋田郡邑魚譚", アチックミユーゼアム彙報, 45: 41–42, 北秋田ではモウスケと称して狐より怖がられ、仙北地方ではイヅナと称し、それを使う巫女(エチコ)もある。学名コエゾイタチを、此の付近..〔生保内村〕では..オコジョと云ふ(田口耕之助氏)。

[19] 知里, 真志保 (Chiri, Mashiho) (30 March 1959), "アイヌ語獣名集 (On the names of the mammals of the Ainu language)" (PDF), 北海道大學文學部紀要 = The Annual Reports on Cultural Science: 141, ISSN 0437-6668, archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[shokoku-20] 人文社編集部 (2005). 諸国怪談奇談集成江戸諸国百物語東日本編. ものしりシリーズ. 人文社. p. 104. ISBN 978-4-7959-1955-6.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Short description|Mammal of the mustelid family}}
 {{about|the animal}}
+{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
 {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
 {{automatic taxobox
-| image = Weasels together.jpg
+ | image = Mustela nivalis -British Wildlife Centre-4.jpg
-| image_caption = Clockwise from top left: [[Least weasel]], [[stoat]], [[European polecat]], [[black-footed ferret]], [[ferret]] and [[steppe polecat]]
+ | image_caption = [[Least weasel]] in England
 | taxon = Mustela
 | authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]
@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 * ''[[Stoat|Mustela erminea]]''
 * ''[[Steppe polecat|Mustela eversmannii]]''
+* ''[[Mustela frenata]]''
 * ''[[Domestic ferret|Mustela furo]]''
 * ''[[Haida ermine|Mustela haidarum]]''
 * ''[[Japanese weasel|Mustela itatsi]]''
+* {{Extinct}}''[[Mustela jacksoni]]''
 * ''[[Yellow-bellied weasel|Mustela kathiah]]''
 * ''[[European mink|Mustela lutreola]]''
 * ''[[Indonesian mountain weasel|Mustela lutreolina]]''
+* {{Extinct}}''[[Mustela meltoni]]''
+* ''[[Mustela mopbie]]''
 * ''[[Black-footed ferret|Mustela nigripes]]''
 * ''[[Least weasel|Mustela nivalis]]''
 * ''[[Malayan weasel|Mustela nudipes]]''
+* {{Extinct}}''[[Mustela ogygia]]''
+* {{Extinct}}''[[Mustela pachygnatha]]''
+* {{Extinct}}''[[Mustela palaeattica]]''
+* {{Extinct}}''[[Mustela palermina]]''
+* {{Extinct}}''[[Mustela plioerminea]]''
+* {{Extinct}}''[[Mustela praenivalis]]''
 * ''[[European polecat|Mustela putorius]]''
+* {{Extinct}}''[[Mustela rexroadensis]]''
 * ''[[American ermine|Mustela richardsonii]]''
 * ''[[Siberian weasel|Mustela sibirica]]''
+* {{Extinct}}''[[Mustela spelaea]]''
 * ''[[Back-striped weasel|Mustela strigidorsa]]''
 * ''[[Tonkin weasel|Mustela tonkinensis]]''
 }}
 | range_map = Mustela range.png
-| range_map_caption = ''Mustela'' range
+| range_map_caption = Combined ''Mustela'' and ''[[Neogale]]'' ranges
 }}
-'''Weasels''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|iː|z|əl|z}} are [[mammal]]s of the [[genus]] '''''Mustela''''' of the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Mustelidae]]. The genus ''Mustela'' includes the [[least weasel]]s, [[polecat]]s, [[stoat]]s, [[ferret]]s, and [[European mink]]. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slender bodies and short legs. The family Mustelidae, or mustelids (which also includes [[badger]]s, [[otter]]s, and [[wolverine]]s), is often referred to as the "weasel family". In the UK, the term "weasel" usually refers to the smallest [[species]], the [[least weasel]] (''M.&nbsp;nivalis''),<ref name=SOED>{{cite book|title=Shorter Oxford English dictionary|year=2007|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=United Kingdom|isbn=978-0199206872|pages=3804}}</ref> the smallest [[carnivora]]n species.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Valkenburgh|first1=Blaire Van|last2=Wayne|first2=Robert K.|date=2010-11-09|title=Carnivores|journal=Current Biology|volume=20|issue=21|pages=R915–R919|doi=10.1016/j.cub.2010.09.013|pmid=21056828|s2cid=235312150|issn=0960-9822|doi-access=free}}</ref>
+'''Weasels''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|iː|z|əl|z}} are [[mammal]]s of the [[genus]] '''''Mustela''''' of the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Mustelidae]]. The genus ''Mustela'' includes the [[least weasel]]s, [[polecat]]s, [[stoat]]s, [[ferret]]s, and [[European mink]]. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slender bodies and short legs. The family Mustelidae, or mustelids (which also includes [[badger]]s, [[otter]]s, and [[wolverine]]s), is often referred to as the "weasel family". In Great Britain, the term "weasel" usually refers to the smallest [[species]], the [[least weasel]] (''M.&nbsp;nivalis''),<ref name=SOED>{{cite book|title=Shorter Oxford English dictionary|year=2007|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=United Kingdom|isbn=978-0199206872|pages=3804}}</ref> the smallest [[carnivora]]n species.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Valkenburgh|first1=Blaire Van|last2=Wayne|first2=Robert K.|date=2010-11-09|title=Carnivores|journal=Current Biology|volume=20|issue=21|pages=R915–R919|doi=10.1016/j.cub.2010.09.013|pmid=21056828|s2cid=235312150|issn=0960-9822|doi-access=free|bibcode=2010CBio...20.R915V }}</ref>
-Least weasels vary in length from {{convert|173|to|217|mm|in|frac=4|abbr=on}},<ref name="WeaselSize">{{cite web|url=http://www.mammal.org.uk/species-hub/full-species-hub/full-species-hub-list/species-weasel/|title=The Weasel|publisher=The Mammal Society| access-date=11 April 2017}}</ref> females being smaller than the males, and usually have red or brown upper coats and white bellies; some populations of some species [[moult]] to a wholly white coat in winter. They have long, slender bodies, which enable them to follow their prey into burrows. Their tails may be from {{convert|34|to|52|mm|in|frac=4|abbr=on}} long.<ref name="WeaselSize" />
+Least weasels vary in length from {{convert|173|to|217|mm|in|frac=4|abbr=on}},<ref name="WeaselSize">{{cite web|url=http://www.mammal.org.uk/species-hub/full-species-hub/full-species-hub-list/species-weasel/|title=The Weasel|publisher=The Mammal Society|access-date=11 April 2017|archive-date=12 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412061518/http://www.mammal.org.uk/species-hub/full-species-hub/full-species-hub-list/species-weasel/|url-status=dead}}</ref> females being smaller than the males, and usually have red or brown upper coats and white bellies; some populations of some species [[moult]] to a wholly white coat in winter. They have long, slender bodies, which enable them to follow their prey into burrows. Their tails may be from {{convert|34|to|52|mm|in|frac=4|abbr=on}} long.<ref name="WeaselSize" />
-Weasels feed on small mammals and have from time to time been considered [[vermin]] because some species took [[poultry]] from farms or [[rabbit]]s from commercial warrens. They do, on the other hand, eat large numbers of [[rodent]]s. Their range spans [[Europe]], [[North America]], much of [[Asia]] and [[South America]], and small areas in [[North Africa]].
+Weasels feed on small mammals and have from time to time been considered [[vermin]] because some species took [[poultry]] from farms or [[rabbit]]s from commercial warrens. They do, on the other hand, eat large numbers of [[rodent]]s. Their range spans [[Europe]], [[North America]], much of [[Asia]], and small areas in [[North Africa]].
 ==Terminology==
-The English word "weasel" was originally applied to one [[species]] of the [[genus]], the European form of the [[least weasel]] (''Mustela nivalis''). This usage is retained in [[British English]], where the name is also extended to cover several other small species of the genus. However, in technical discourse and in American usage, the term "weasel" can refer to any member of the genus, or to the genus as a whole. Of the 16 extant species currently classified in the genus ''Mustela'', 10 have "weasel" in their common names. Among those that do not are the three species of ermine,{{refn|group="*"|These three species are ''Mustela erminea'', (the  [[Eurasian ermine]] or stoat); ''M. haidarum'', (the [[Haida ermine]]); and ''M. richardsonii'', (the [[American ermine]]).}} the [[polecat]]s, the [[ferret]], and the [[European mink]].
+The English word "weasel" was originally applied to one [[species]] of the [[genus]], the European form of the [[least weasel]] (''Mustela nivalis''). This usage is retained in [[British English]], where the name is also extended to cover several other small species of the genus. However, in technical discourse and in American usage, the term "weasel" can refer to any member of the genus, the genus as a whole, and even to members of the related genus ''[[Neogale]]''. Of the 16 extant species currently classified in the genus ''Mustela'', 10 have "weasel" in their common names. Among those that do not are the three species of ermine,{{refn|group="*"|These three species are ''Mustela erminea'', (the  [[Eurasian ermine]] or stoat); ''M. haidarum'', (the [[Haida ermine]]); and ''M. richardsonii'', (the [[American ermine]]).}} the [[polecat]]s, the [[ferret]], and the [[European mink]].<ref name="NHoWaS"/>{{rp|12}}
 The [[American mink]] and the extinct [[sea mink]] were commonly included in this genus as ''Mustela vison'' and ''Mustela macrodon'', respectively, but in 1999 they were moved to the genus ''[[Neovison]]''.<ref>Abramov, A.V. 1999. A taxonomic review of the genus ''Mustela'' (Mammalia, Carnivora). ''Zoosystematica Rossica'', '''8'''(2): 357-364</ref> In 2021, both ''Neovison'' species, along with the [[long-tailed weasel]] (''Mustela frenata''), [[Amazon weasel]] (''Mustela africana'') and [[Colombian weasel]] (''Mustela felipei'') were moved to the genus ''[[Neogale]]'', as the clade containing these five species was found to be fully distinct from ''Mustela''.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Patterson|first1=Bruce D.|last2=Ramírez-Chaves|first2=Héctor E.|last3=Vilela|first3=Júlio F.|last4=Soares|first4=André E. R.|last5=Grewe|first5=Felix|year=2021|title=On the nomenclature of the American clade of weasels (Carnivora: Mustelidae)|journal=Journal of Animal Diversity|volume=3|issue=2|pages=1–8 |doi=10.52547/JAD.2021.3.2.1|s2cid=236299740 |issn=2676-685X|doi-access=free}}</ref>
+=== Taxonomy ===
+The genus name ''Mustela'' comes from the Latin word for weasel combining the words ''mus'' meaning "mouse" and ''telum'' meaning "javelin" for its long body.<ref name="NHoWaS">{{cite book |last1=King |first1=Carolyn M. |last2=Powell |first2=Roger A. |title=The Natural History of Weasels and Stoats: Ecology, Behavior, and Management |date=2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-804113-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5ae9c7GO_cUC |language=en}}</ref>{{rp|3}}
 ==Species==
@@ Line 50: / Line 65: @@
 {| class="wikitable"
 |-
+!Subgenus
 ! Image !! Scientific name !! Common name !! Distribution
 |-
+| rowspan="7" |''Mustela''
 |[[File:Mountain Weasel (Mustela altaica).jpg|120px]] ||''Mustela altaica'' {{small|Pallas, 1811}}   || [[Mountain weasel]] ||[[Northern Asia|Northern]] and [[South Asia|Southern Asia]]
 |-
-| ||''Mustela lutreolina'' {{small|Robinson and Thomas, 1917}}  || [[Indonesian mountain weasel]] || Southern Asia
+| ||''Mustela aistoodonnivalis'' {{small|Wu & Kao, 1991}}  || [[Missing-toothed pygmy weasel]] || [[Shaanxi]] and [[Sichuan]], [[China]]
 |-
 |[[File:Mustela erminea upright2.jpg|120px]] ||''Mustela erminea'' {{small|Linnaeus, 1758}}  || [[Stoat]], Beringian ermine, Eurasian ermine, or<br />short-tailed weasel || Europe and Northern Asia<br />Arctic [[Canada]] and [[Alaska]] (United States)<br />Southern Asia (non-native)<br />New Zealand (non-native)
+|-
+|[[File:Haida Ermine (Mustela haidarum).jpg|frameless|121x121px]]
+|''Mustela haidarum'' <small>Preble, 1898</small>
+|[[Haida ermine]]
+|[[Haida Gwaii]] ([[British Columbia]], Canada) and [[Alexander Archipelago]] (Alaska, United States)
+|-
+|[[File:Yellow bellied weasel, Shillong, India.jpg|120px]] ||''Mustela kathiah'' {{small|Hodgson, 1835}}  || [[Yellow-bellied weasel]] || Southern Asia
 |-
 |[[File:Mustela_nivalis_-British_Wildlife_Centre-4.jpg|120px]] ||''Mustela nivalis'' {{small|Linnaeus, 1766}}  || [[Least weasel]] || Europe, [[Barbary Coast|North Africa]] and Northern Asia <br />North America<br />Southern Asia (non-native)<br />New Zealand (non-native)
-|-
-| ||''Mustela aistoodonnivalis'' {{small|Wu & Kao, 1991}}  || [[Missing-toothed pygmy weasel]] || [[Shaanxi]] and [[Sichuan]], [[China]]
 |-
 |[[File:Ermine- Bacon Fiend (14083889879).jpg|frameless|124x124px]]
@@ Line 67: / Line 89: @@
 |Most of North America south of Alaska and the Arctic Circle; eastern Nunavut and Baffin Island
 |-
-|[[File:Haida Ermine (Mustela haidarum).jpg|frameless|121x121px]]
+| rowspan="6" |''Lutreola''
-|''Mustela haidarum'' <small>Preble, 1898</small>
+|[[File:Mustela itatsi on tree.JPG|120px]] ||''Mustela itatsi'' {{small|Temminck, 1844}}  || [[Japanese weasel]] ||Japan and formerly [[Sakhalin|Sakhalin Island]], Russia
-|[[Haida ermine]]
+|-
-|[[Haida Gwaii]] ([[British Columbia]], Canada) and [[Alexander Archipelago]] (Alaska, United States)
+|[[File:Mink1.jpg|120px]] ||''Mustela lutreola'' {{small|(Linnaeus, 1761)}}  || [[European mink]] || Europe
+|-
+| ||''Mustela lutreolina'' {{small|Robinson and Thomas, 1917}}  || [[Indonesian mountain weasel]] || Southeastern Asia
+|-
+| ||''Mustela nudipes'' {{small|Desmarest, 1822}}  || [[Malayan weasel]]|| Southeastern Asia
+|-
+|[[File:Siberian Weasel Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary East Sikkim India 14.05.2016.jpg|120px]] ||''Mustela sibirica'' {{small|Pallas, 1773}}  || [[Siberian weasel]] || Europe and Northern Asia<br />Southern Asia
+|-
+|[[File:Mustela strigidorsa.gif|120px]] ||''Mustela strigidorsa'' {{small|Gray, 1855}}  || [[Back-striped weasel]] || Southern Asia
 |-
+| rowspan="4" |''[[Putorius]]''
 |[[File:Wild steppe polecat.jpg|120px]] ||''Mustela eversmanii'' {{small|(Lesson, 1827)}}  || [[Steppe polecat]] || Southeast Europe and Northern Asia<br />Southern Asia
 |-
@@ Line 81: / Line 112: @@
 |-
 |[[File:Polecat in denmark.jpg|120px]] ||''Mustela putorius'' {{small|Linnaeus, 1758}}  || [[European polecat]]|| Europe, [[Atlas Mountains|North Africa]] and Northern Asia
-|-
-|[[File:Mustela itatsi on tree.JPG|120px]] ||''Mustela itatsi'' {{small|Temminck, 1844}}  || [[Japanese weasel]] ||Japan and formerly [[Sakhalin|Sakhalin Island]], Russia
-|-
-|[[File:Siberian Weasel Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary East Sikkim India 14.05.2016.jpg|120px]] ||''Mustela sibirica'' {{small|Pallas, 1773}}  || [[Siberian weasel]] || Europe and Northern Asia<br />Southern Asia
-|-
-|[[File:Yellow bellied weasel, Shillong, India.jpg|120px]] ||''Mustela kathiah'' {{small|Hodgson, 1835}}  || [[Yellow-bellied weasel]] || Southern Asia
-|-
-|[[File:Mink1.jpg|120px]] ||''Mustela lutreola'' {{small|(Linnaeus, 1761)}}  || [[European mink]] || Europe
 |-
 |[[File:Mustela nigripes 2.jpg|120px]] ||''Mustela nigripes'' {{small|(Audubon and Bachman, 1851)}}  ||[[Black-footed ferret]] || North America
-|-
-| ||''Mustela nudipes'' {{small|Desmarest, 1822}}  || [[Malayan weasel]]|| Southern Asia
-|-
-|[[File:Mustela strigidorsa.gif|120px]] ||''Mustela strigidorsa'' {{small|Gray, 1855}}  || [[Back-striped weasel]] || Southern Asia
-|-
 |}
 <sup>1</sup> Europe and Northern Asia division excludes China.
@@ Line 107: / Line 125: @@
 In [[Early modern Europe|early-modern]] [[Mecklenburg]], Germany, amulets from weasels were deemed to have strong magic; the period between 15 August and 8 September was specifically designated for the killing of weasels.<ref name=Thomas1900/>{{rp|255}}
-In [[Montagne Noire]] (France), [[Ruthenia]], and the [[Early Middle Ages|early medieval]] culture of the [[Wends]], weasels were not meant to be killed.<ref name=Thomas1900>{{cite journal|last=Thomas|first=N.W.|date=September 1900|title=Animal Superstitions and Totemism|journal=[[Folklore Society|Folk-lore]]|volume=11|issue=3|pages=228–67|doi=10.1080/0015587X.1900.9719953|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5n0ZAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA255|jstor=1253113}}</ref>
+In [[Montagne Noire]] (France), [[Ruthenia]], and the [[Early Middle Ages|early medieval]] culture of the [[Wends]], weasels were not meant to be killed.<ref name=Thomas1900>{{cite journal|last=Thomas|first=N.W.|date=September 1900|title=Animal Superstitions and Totemism|journal=[[Folklore Society|Folk-lore]]|volume=11|issue=3|pages=228–67|doi=10.1080/0015587X.1900.9719953|url=https://zenodo.org/record/1810352|jstor=1253113}}</ref>
 According to [[Daniel Defoe]] also, meeting a weasel is a bad omen.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hazlitt|first1=William Carew|last2=Brand|first2=John|title=Faiths and folklore: a dictionary of national beliefs, superstitions and popular customs, past and current, with their classical and foreign analogues, described and illustrated|url=https://archive.org/details/faithsandfolklo00hazlgoog|access-date=13 February 2012|year=1905|publisher=Reeves and Turner|page=[https://archive.org/details/faithsandfolklo00hazlgoog/page/n296 622]}}</ref> In English-speaking areas, weasel can be an insult, noun or verb, for someone regarded as sneaky, conniving or untrustworthy. Similarly, "[[weasel words]]" is a critical term for words or phrasing that are vague, misleading or equivocal.
@@ Line 114: / Line 132: @@
 [[File:Ten-Japanese-Marten-from-Gazu-Hyakki-Yagyo-by-Sekien.png|right|thumb|180px|"Ten" from the [[Gazu Hyakki Yagyō]] by [[Sekien Toriyama]]]]
 [[File:Mustela sibirica201602-02.jpg|180px|thumb|Japanese weasel]]
 In Japan, {{nihongo|weasels|鼬、鼬鼠|itachi}} were seen as ''[[yōkai]]'' (causing strange occurrences). According to the encyclopedia ''[[Wakan Sansai Zue]]'' from the [[Edo period]], a pack of weasels would cause conflagrations, and the cry of a weasel was considered a harbinger of misfortune. In the [[Niigata Prefecture]], the sound of a pack of weasels making a rustle resembled six people hulling rice, so was called the "weasel's six-person mortar", and it was an omen for one's home to decline or flourish. It is said that when people chase after this sound, the sound stops.<ref name="yokaijiten">村上健司編著 『妖怪事典』 毎日新聞社、2000年、36頁。{{ISBN|978-4-6203-1428-0}}。</ref>
 They are also said to shapeshift like the fox (''[[kitsune]]'') or ''[[Japanese raccoon dog|tanuki]]'', and the ''[[nyūdō-bōzu]]'' told about in legends in the [[Tōhoku region]] and the [[Chūbu region]] are considered weasels in disguise, and they are also said to shapeshift into ''[[ōnyūdō]]'' and little monks.<ref name="yokaijiten" />
-In the collection of depictions, the ''[[Gazu Hyakki Yagyō]]'' by [[Sekien Toriyama]], they were depicted under the title 鼬, but they were read not as "''itachi''", but rather as "[[Japanese marten|''ten'']]",<ref>高田衛監修 稲田篤信・田中直日編 『鳥山石燕 画図百鬼夜行』 国書刊行会、1992年、50頁。{{ISBN|978-4-336-03386-4}}。</ref> and "ten" were considered to be weasels that have reached one hundred years of age and became yōkai that possessed supernatural powers.<ref>少年社・中村友紀夫・武田えり子編 『妖怪の本 異界の闇に蠢く百鬼夜行の伝説』 学習研究社〈New sight mook〉、1999年、123頁。{{ISBN|978-4-05-602048-9}}。</ref> Another theory is that when weasels reach several hundred years of age, they become ''[[mujina]]'' ([[Japanese badger]]s).<ref>草野巧 『幻想動物事典』 新紀元社、1997年、30頁。{{ISBN|978-4-88317-283-2}}。</ref>
+In the collection of depictions ''[[Gazu Hyakki Yagyō]]'' by [[Sekien Toriyama]], they were depicted under the title 鼬, but they were read not as "''itachi''", but rather as "[[Japanese marten|''ten'']]",<ref>高田衛監修 稲田篤信・田中直日編 『鳥山石燕 画図百鬼夜行』 国書刊行会、1992年、50頁。{{ISBN|978-4-336-03386-4}}。</ref> and "ten" were considered to be weasels that have reached one hundred years of age and became yōkai that possessed supernatural powers.<ref>少年社・中村友紀夫・武田えり子編 『妖怪の本 異界の闇に蠢く百鬼夜行の伝説』 学習研究社〈New sight mook〉、1999年、123頁。{{ISBN|978-4-05-602048-9}}。</ref> Another theory is that when weasels reach several hundred years of age, they become ''[[mujina]]'' ([[Japanese badger]]s).<ref>草野巧 『幻想動物事典』 新紀元社、1997年、30頁。{{ISBN|978-4-88317-283-2}}。</ref>
-In Japanese, weasels are called {{nihongo|''iizuna'' or ''izuna''|飯綱}} and in the [[Tōhoku Region]] and [[Shinano Province|Shinshu]], it was believed that there were families that were able to use a certain practice to freely use ''[[kudagitsune]]'' as ''iizuna-tsukai'' or ''kitsune-mochi''. It is said that [[Mount Iizuna]], from the [[Nagano Prefecture]], got its name due to how the gods gave people mastery of this technique from there.<ref name="koj2">『広辞苑 第4版』(1991年)、岩波書店「いづなつかい【飯綱使・飯縄遣】」の項</ref>
+In Japanese, weasels are called {{Nihongo|''iizuna'' or ''izuna''|飯綱}} and in the [[Tōhoku Region]] and [[Shinano Province|Shinshu]], it was believed that there were families that were able to use a certain practice to freely use ''[[kudagitsune]]'' as ''iizuna-tsukai'' or ''kitsune-mochi''. It is said that [[Mount Iizuna]], from the [[Nagano Prefecture]], got its name due to how the gods gave people mastery of this technique from there.<ref name="koj2">『広辞苑 第4版』(1991年)、岩波書店「いづなつかい【飯綱使・飯縄遣】」の項</ref>
-According to the [[folkloristics|folkloristician]] [[Mutō Tetsujō]], "They are called ''izuna'' in the [[Senboku District, Akita|Senboku District]],{{refn|group="*"|However, in the Senboku District, especially in {{nihongo|Obonai village|生保内村}}, they are called ''okojo''.<ref name="muto-042"/>}} [[Akita Prefecture]], and there are also the ichiko ([[itako]]) that use them."<ref name="muto-042">{{citation|last=武藤|first=鉄城|title=秋田郡邑魚譚|journal=アチックミユーゼアム彙報|volume=45|year=1940|url=http://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/1461537/189|pages=41–42|quote=北秋田ではモウスケと称して狐より怖がられ、仙北地方ではイヅナと称し、それを使う巫女(エチコ)もある。学名コエゾイタチを、此の付近..〔生保内村〕では..オコジョと云ふ(田口耕之助氏)}}。</ref> Also, in the [[Kitaakita District, Akita|Kitaakita District]], they are called'' mōsuke'' (猛助), and they are feared as ''yōkai'' even more than foxes (''[[kitsune]]'').<ref name="muto-042"/>
+According to the [[folklore studies|folklorist]] [[Mutō Tetsujō]], "They are called ''izuna'' in the [[Senboku District, Akita|Senboku District]],{{refn|group="*"|However, in the Senboku District, especially in {{nihongo|Obonai village|生保内村}}, they are called ''okojo''.<ref name="muto-042"/>}} [[Akita Prefecture]], and there are also the ichiko ([[itako]]) that use them."<ref name="muto-042">{{citation|last=武藤|first=鉄城|title=秋田郡邑魚譚|journal=アチックミユーゼアム彙報|volume=45|year=1940|url=http://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/1461537/189|pages=41–42|quote=北秋田ではモウスケと称して狐より怖がられ、仙北地方ではイヅナと称し、それを使う巫女(エチコ)もある。学名コエゾイタチを、此の付近..〔生保内村〕では..オコジョと云ふ(田口耕之助氏)}}。</ref> Also, in the [[Kitaakita District, Akita|Kitaakita District]], they are called'' mōsuke'' (猛助), and they are feared as ''yōkai'' even more than foxes (''[[kitsune]]'').<ref name="muto-042"/>
-In the [[Ainu language]], ermines are called ''upas-čironnup'' or ''sáčiri'', but since least weasels are also called ''sáčiri'', [[Mashio Chiri]] surmised that the honorary title ''poy-sáčiri-kamuy'' (where ''poy'' means "small") refers to least weasels.<ref>{{citation|last=知里|first=真志保 (Chiri, Mashiho)|title=アイヌ語獣名集 (On the names of the mammals of the Ainu language)|journal=北海道大學文學部紀要 = the Annual Reports on Cultural Science|date=30 March 1959|url=http://eprints.lib.hokudai.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2115/33244/1/7_PL150-121.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://eprints.lib.hokudai.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2115/33244/1/7_PL150-121.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|issn=0437-6668|page=141}}</ref>
+In the [[Ainu language]], ermines are called ''upas-čironnup'' or ''sáčiri'', but since least weasels are also called ''sáčiri'', [[Mashio Chiri]] surmised that the honorary title ''poy-sáčiri-kamuy'' (where ''poy'' means "small") refers to least weasels.<ref>{{citation|last=知里|first=真志保 (Chiri, Mashiho)|title=アイヌ語獣名集 (On the names of the mammals of the Ainu language)|journal=北海道大學文學部紀要 = The Annual Reports on Cultural Science|date=30 March 1959|url=http://eprints.lib.hokudai.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2115/33244/1/7_PL150-121.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://eprints.lib.hokudai.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2115/33244/1/7_PL150-121.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|issn=0437-6668|page=141}}</ref>
 ====''Kamaitachi''====
-{{main|Kamaitachi}}
+{{Main|Kamaitachi}}
-''[[Kamaitachi]]'' is a phenomenon wherein one who is idle is suddenly injured as if his or her skin were cut by a scythe. In the past, this was thought to be "the deed of an invisible ''yōkai'' weasel". An alternate theory, asserts that ''kamaitachi'' is derived from {{nihongo|''kamae Tachi''|構え太刀||"stance sword"}}, so were not originally related to weasels at all.<ref name="shokoku">{{Cite book|author=人文社編集部|title=諸国怪談奇談集成 江戸諸国百物語 東日本編|year=2005|publisher=人文社|series=ものしりシリーズ|isbn=978-4-7959-1955-6|page=104}}</ref>
+''[[Kamaitachi]]'' is a phenomenon wherein one who is idle is suddenly injured as if his or her skin were cut by a scythe. In the past, this was thought to be "the deed of an invisible ''yōkai'' weasel". An alternate theory, asserts that ''kamaitachi'' is derived from {{Nihongo|''kamae Tachi''|構え太刀||"stance sword"}}, so were not originally related to weasels at all.<ref name="shokoku">{{Cite book|author=人文社編集部|title=諸国怪談奇談集成 江戸諸国百物語 東日本編|year=2005|publisher=人文社|series=ものしりシリーズ|isbn=978-4-7959-1955-6|page=104}}</ref>
 == See also ==
@@ Line 157: / Line 176: @@
 [[Category:Weasels| ]]
-[[Category:Mammals of Asia]]
+[[Category:Carnivorans of Asia]]
-[[Category:Mammals of Europe]]
+[[Category:Carnivorans of Europe]]
-[[Category:Mammals of North America]]
+[[Category:Carnivorans of North America]]
-[[Category:Mammals of South America]]
+[[Category:Carnivorans of South America]]
-[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]
+[[Category:Animal taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]
 [[Category:Yōkai]]