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See also: European See also: species of the See also: group of mammals of which the See also: polecat and stoat are well-known members (see See also: CARNIVORA)
.
The See also: weasel is an elegant little animal, with elongated slender See also: body, back much arched, See also: head small and flattened, ears See also: short and rounded, neck long and flexible, limbs short, five toes on each See also: foot, all with See also: sharp, compressed, curved claws, tail rather short, slender, cylindrical, and pointed at the tip, and fur short and close
.
The upper-parts, out-See also: side of limbs and tail, are See also: uniform reddish, See also: brown, the under-parts
See also: white
.
In cold regions the weasel turns white in winter, but less regularly and only at a
See also: lower temperature than the stoat or See also: ermine, from which it is distinguished by its smaller See also: size and the See also: absence of the black tail-tip
.
The length of the head and body of the male is usually about 8 in., that of the tail 2; in.; the See also: female is smaller
.
The weasel is generally distributed through-out See also: Europe and See also: Northern and Central See also: Asia; and is represented by a closely allied animal in See also: North See also: America
.
It possesses all the active, courageous and bloodthirsty disposition of the rest of the genus, but its diminutive size prevents it attacking and destroying any but the smaller mammals and birds
.
Mice, rats, See also: water-rats and moles, as well as frogs, constitute its See also: principal See also: food
.
It is generally found on or near the See also: surface of the ground, but it can not only pursue its prey through holes and crevices of rocks and under dense tangled herbage, but follow it up the
stems and branches of trees, or even into the water, swimming with perfect ease
.
It constructs a See also: nest of dried leaves and herbage, placed in a hole in the ground or a See also: bank or hollow See also: tree,
The Weasel (Putorius nivalis)
.
in which it brings up its litter of four to six (usually five) See also: young ones
.
The See also: mother will defend her young with the utmost desperation against any assailant, and has been known to sacrifice her own See also: life rather than See also: desert them
.
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