weasel, any of various small carnivores with very elongated slender bodies.

Most live in the Northern Hemisphere and belong to the genus Mustela,
which in addition to weasels proper includes
17 species of ferrets and polecats as well as the mink and the ermine. Along
with their tubelike bodies, weasels have small flattened heads, long flexible
necks, and short limbs. The fur is short but dense, and the slim tail is
pointed at the tip. Five toes on each foot end in sharp curved claws. The
species can be differentiated by size, colour, and relative length of the tail
weasel

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weasel, any of various small carnivores with very elongated slender bodies. Most
live in the Northern Hemisphere and belong to the genus Mustela, which in addition
to weasels proper includes 17 species of ferrets and polecats as well as the mink and
the ermine. Along with their tubelike bodies, weasels have small flattened heads,
long flexible necks, and short limbs. The fur is short but dense, and the slim tail is
pointed at the tip. Five toes on each foot end in sharp curved claws. The species can
be differentiated by size, colour, and relative length of the tail.
long-tailed weasel

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Related Topics:

ermine kolinsky tropical weasel African striped weasel least weasel

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Weasels are usually brown with white or yellowish underparts. In winter the coats of
weasels living in cold regions turn white. Their pelts, especially that of the stoat (M.
erminea), are known as ermine in the fur trade. The kolinsky (kolinski), also called
the Siberian weasel (M. sibirica), is also much valued for its fur. The tail hairs are
used to make artists’ paintbrushes