Doris Blake, age 13, of Grand Forks, N. D., for her question:
ARE THERE MANY KINDS OF WEASELS?
Weasel is the common name of a rather large number of small, fur bearing, meat sating animals that are native to every continent of the world except Australia and Antarctica. The largest number of varieties are found in North America and Europe.
The most common type living in North America is the long tailed weasel. It grows to be between 12 and 18 inches in length, including its tall, and it weighs up to about 12 ounces.
Another common variety is the short tailed weasel, which is considered the smallest of all flesh eating animals. This creature is a lightweight, topping the scale at only about two ounces. Tail and body only measure about six to eight inches in length.
In winter, the fur of one kind of American weasel, called the Arctic weasel, changes from brown to white. The white pelts of this animal are called ermine and are need to make expensive coats.
Weasels are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, but most often in areas that have cold winters. The varieties range in length from six inches to about two feet.
The name "weasel," meaning "musty smell," comes about because the animal and other members of its family give off unpleasant odors. The family includes skunks, otters, ferrets and badgers.
Weasels have a reputation of being courageous, cunning and often bloodthirsty. Some farmers report that they 3o not like weasels because even though they destroy many farm pests such as mice and rats, they have been known to kill chickens more chickens than they need for food.
A weasels slender body and short legs allow it to hunt in narrow openings of stone walls, slip through coop knotholes, go under logs and rocks and into rodent burrows. A weasel can follow a souse to the end of its burrow.
You'll find most weasels in woodlands and grasslands with trees. They make their assts in hollow trees, rock piles or in the burrows of other animals. The nests are made of fur, dried leaves and grass.
Both parents take care of the baby weasels, which can add up to 12 in a single litter, although the number is usually between four and eight. The babies are fed meat by the parents and early in life are taught how to hunt for their own food.
A weasel has excellent eyesight and hearing as well as a sharp sense of smell. These traits help it to track down its prey of mice, rats, squirrels, lizards, rabbits, shrews, snakes and some birds.
Sharp teeth let a weasel kill its catch quickly by biting its neck.
Weasels are more active at night than they are during the day and also stay active throughout the winter months.
The weasels main enemy is the great horned owl.