Leah Lowey, age 11, of Greenville, miss., for her question:

HOW LARGE IS A WEASEL?

A weasel is a furry animal with a long, slender body and short legs. Weasels are native to every continent except Australia and Antarctica. The common North American species, which is called the long tailed weasel, grows from 12 to 18 inches long, including its tail. It weighs about 12 ounces.

The largest weasel is the grison that lives in Central and South America. It grows to be 21 inches long.

Smallest of the weasels is the least weasel of North America. It is only about eight inches long and it weighs five ounces. It is the smallest flesh eating animal in the world.

The weasel family includes badgers, ferrets, otters and skunks.

In winter, the fur of weasels that live in cold climates changes to white. This valuable white fur is called ermine. Most other weasels have brown or red brown fur on the back and sides and white or yellow fur on the underside. Some weasels have black and white fur similar to that of skunks