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Animals that belong to the family
Mustelidae are called mustelids. Native to all continents but Australia
and Antarctica, mustelids are the largest family of carnivores with about
sixty-five species, including weasels, martens, otters, and badgers (and,
until recently, skunks).
Except for the
wolverine and badgers, most mustelids are extremely long and slender. They
range in size from the least weasel (smallest of all carnivores) to the
sea otter and giant otter, both of which may approach 100 pounds.
Mustelids have
well-developed anal glands, which are particularly potent weapons in those
ex-mustelids, skunks.
Known for
their feistiness, mustelids are often described as fearless. Yet
ferrets are popular as pets. Some of the finest furs are worn by such
mustelids as the sea otter, sable, mink, marten, and ermine.
As you scroll
down the table below, think of the blue line in the middle as the Atlantic
or Pacific Ocean. Every species listed on the left lives in the Old World
(Eurasia or Africa), while those on the right are New World (North &
South America). The long, slender mustelids are listed first, followed by
badgers, skunks, and other stockier species.
The biggest group of
animals within the family Mustelidae are those whose scientific names
begin with Mustela, with eighteen species. These include the true
weasels, the smallest of carnivores. The ermine and least weasel are among
the few mammals that turn white in winter. Mink are a little larger than
weasels and are good swimmers. Polecats and ferrets are larger still and
are more fond of open country, most inhabiting grasslands.
ermine or stoat (Mustela erminea) Eurasia, North America, Greenland
least weasel (Mustela nivalis) Eurasia, North Africa, North America
mountain weasel (Mustela altaica) southern Siberia to
Himalayas and Korea
yellow-bellied weasel (Mustela kathiah) Himalayas to
southern China
Siberian weasel (Mustela sibirica) eastern Europe to Japan
and south to Java
back-striped weasel (Mustela strigidorsa) Nepal to Thailand
Malaysian weasel (Mustela nudipes) Malay Peninsula,
Sumatra, Borneo
Indonesian
mountain weasel; Java weasel (Mustela lutreolina) |
long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata) southern Canada to
Guyana and Bolivia
tropical weasel (Mustela africana) South America
Colombian weasel (Mustela felipei) known from only a few
specimens from Colombia |
A bit
larger than weasels, mink are semi-aquatic animals that
are commonly
trapped and raised for their fine fur. The
sea mink is now extinct.
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European mink (Mustela lutreola) France to western Siberia
and the Caucausus |
American mink (Mustela
vison) Canada and U.S. except parts of the Southwest
sea mink (Mustela macrodon) Atlantic coast from New
Brunswick to Massachusetts; extinct |
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steppe polecat (Mustela
eversmannii) Eurasian steppe from Austria to Manchuria and
Tibet
European polecat (Mustela putorius) western Europe to Ural
Mountains
marbled polecat (Vormela peregusna) steppe and subdesert
from the Balkans and Palestine to Inner Mongolia and Pakistan
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Polecats and ferrets are grassland animals. Ironically, the
domestic ferrets that are so popular as pets are descended from
Old World polecats, not the New World black-footed ferret. Preying
mostly on prairie dogs, the black-footed ferret is now among the
rarest of mammals.
black-footed ferret (Mustela
nigripes)
North American Great Plains
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Tree
Climbers: Martens
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Martens are larger than weasels and have
bushier tails. Many are tree climbers
sable (Martes zibellina) originally all of the Eurasian
taiga, from Scandinavia to Japan
yellow-throated marten (Martes flavigula) southern Siberia
to Malay Peninsula and nearby islands, east to Taiwan
beech or stone marten (Martes foina) Europe and Asia east
to Mongolia & Himalayas
European pine marten (Martes martes) Europe
Japanese marten (Martes melampus) Japan and Korea
Nilgiri marten (Martes gwatkinsii) Nilgiri Hills of extreme
southern India
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The sable (left) is among the most valuable of furbearers and
played a major role in Russian (and world) history. The American
pine marten (below) is also commonly trapped for its fine fur. The
largest member of this group, the fisher (below) frequently preys
on porcupines.
American pine marten (Martes americana) Alaska to
Newfoundland, south in mountainous areas to northern New Mexico
fisher or pekan (Martes pennanti) much of Canada and
northern U.S., farther south in U.S. in mountains areas of the
West and Appalachians
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Water
Weasels: Otters
The thirteen
species of otters are the most aquatic of mustelids; the sea otter is the
most aquatic of any mammal save whales, sirenians (manatees and dugongs),
and pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, and walrus). The sea otter and South
American giant otter are the largest of mustelids, approaching 100 pounds
in weight.
Old
World River Otters
European otter, Eurasian otter, common otter (Lutra lutra)
Eurasia and northwest Africa
spot-necked otter (Lutra maculicollis) Africa
hairy-nosed otter; Sumatran otter (Lutra sumatrana)
tropical Asia
spot-necked otter, smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata)
tropical Asia to southern Iraq
Clawless
Otters
Oriental small-clawed otter (Amblonyx cinereus, or Aonyx
cinerea) tropical Asia & islands
Cape clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) Africa
Congo clawless otter (Aonyx congicus [congica?])
Africa
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New
World River Otters
Canadian river otter (Lontra canadensis) Canada and U.S.
(Lontra longicaudis) northwestern Mexico to Uruguay
(Lontra provocax) Chile, southern Argentina
giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) tropical South America
marine otter, sea cat (Lontra felina) Pacific coast from
northern Peru to Tierra del Fuego; This species can be found in
the sea, but its not as adapted to an aquatic lifestyle as the
sea otter.
sea otter (Enhydra lutris)
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More
Long, Slender Mustelids
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African striped weasel (Poecilogale albinucha) Zaire and
Uganda to South Africa |
tayra (Eira barbara) central mexico to northern Argentina
and island of Trinidad
greater gris๓n (Galictis cuja) into Peru & Bolivia
little gris๓n (Galictis vittata) central and southern
South America
Patagonian weasel (Lyncodon patagonicus) Argentina and
southern Chile
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| The
African striped weasel (above) is extremely long and slender! At
right, the forest-dwelling tayra is a great tree climber, as are
gris๓ns, which live in both forests and open country. The
Patagonian weasel inhabits pampas (grasslands). |
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The Stockier Mustelids
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wolverine (Gulo gulo)
found mostly in northern forests and tundra areas of Eurasia and
North America; farther south in mountainous areas; The
wolverines reputation for
strength and fearlessness is extraordinaryand probably largely
exaggerated.
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Badgers
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European, Eurasian, or
Old World badger (Meles meles) Eurasia
hog badger (Arctonyx collaris) mostly in eastern Asia south
of the Himalayas
Ferret
Badgers
Everetts ferret badger (Melogale everetti) Borneo
Chinese ferret badger (Melogale moschata) Assam to Taiwan,
south to southern China and northern Indochina
Burmese ferret badger (Melogale personata) Nepal to
Indochina, Java
Javan ferret badger (Melogale orientalis)
Stink
Badgers
Indonesian stink badger (Mydaus javanensis) Sumatra, Java,
Borneo, Natuna Islands
Palawan stink badger (Mydaus marchei) Palawan &
Calamian Islands (Philippines)
honey badger, ratel (Mellivora capensis) Africa and Middle
East to eastern India
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American badger (Taxidea
taxus)
North American grasslands |
North African striped
weasel (Ictonyx libyca) Morocco and Senegal to the Red Sea
zorilla, striped polecat (Ictonyx striatus) Africa south of
the Sahara Desert |
Badgers are generally squat animals with long claws designed for
digging. The honey badger is famous for its partnership with a
bird called the honeyguide; the bird leads it to a beehive, then
shares in the spoils after the badger rips it open. Like skunks,
stink badgers can reward an enemy with a blast of a vile-smelling
liquid. At least one ferret badger (Melogale moschata) is
a good tree climber. Just one badger lives in North America. The
color pattern on its face is very similar to that of the Old World
badger |
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