Mustela frenata

photo credit: Roger W. Barbour (Smithsonian)

ID

  • Long, slender body with long neck
  • Yellowish-white underparts with brown top parts
  • Black tail-tip (Burt)
  • Turn white in the winter, but maintain the black tail-tip (Audubon)

Distribution

 Credit: Smithsonian Institution

Reproduction

  • Young born in litters of 4-8 in April or May
  • Midsummer mating season
  • Gestation of 205-314 days (Audubon)

Behavior

  • Most widespread carnivore in the Western Hemisphere
  • Will sometimes go on killing sprees, instincts telling them to procure food when it is available and cache it for later (Audubon)
  • Both males and females maintain territories, and they make them with chemical secretions from their anal glands (Smithsonian)

Food Habits

  • Preys largely on moles and voles, but will also take rabbits, chipmunks, shrews, rats, birds, poultry, and occasionally insects or earthworms (Audubon)

Size/Life Cycle

  • Average Measurements: 330-420mm males, 280-350mm females (total length), 160-450g males, 80-250g females (total weight) (Smithsonian)

Predators

  • Hawks, owls, cats, foxes, and snakes (Audubon)
  • Domestic dogs (Smithsonian)

Habitat

  • Variable
  • Forested, brushy, and open areas, including farmland
  • Prefer areas near water (Audubon)