Long-tailed weasel

Long-tailed weasels are active, curious hunters that search every hole, crevice and burrow for prey. They kill with a bite to the back of the head, and can take animals larger than themselves, including rabbits.

They are restless and fast, bounding with their backs arched, and will stand up on their hind legs to look around. They often take over the burrows of animals they have eaten.

Weasels are among the most effective natural controls of mice, voles and rats. A single weasel eats a large number of rodents in a year, following them into their own tunnels where few other predators can reach.

They are also a sign of healthy, varied farmland and woodland with enough cover and prey.

Mating — midsummer
Delayed implantation — the embryos rest for most of the year before implanting in late winter
Pregnancy — about 27 days after implantation
Birth — April and May, usually four to eight young
Eyes open — at about five weeks old
Weaning — at about five to six weeks old
Independence — by late summer
Lifespan — a few years

• Weasels sometimes raid chicken coops; secure coops with fine mesh and a solid floor.
• Rodent poisons kill weasels that eat poisoned mice and rats.
• Stone walls, brush piles and field edges give them cover and prey.
• A weasel is unlikely to harm a person and will usually avoid people.

• Weasels are sneaky and cruel. They are hunters doing what their bodies are built for, and they remove many rodents.
• A weasel near the house is dangerous. It is there for the mice.

• American mink
• North American river otter
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