Mustelidae Author Don E. Wilson Author Russell A. Mittermeier text 2009 2009-01-31 Lynx Edicions Barcelona Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 1 Carnivores 564 656 book chapter http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5714044 df4b6a3c-ae64-4bcf-a990-77fc6599759c 978-84-96553-49-1 5714044 43. Colombian Weasel Mustela felipei French: Belette de Colombie / German: Kolumbien-Wiesel / Spanish: Comadreja de Don Felipe Taxonomy. Mustela felipei 1zor & de la Torre, 1978 , Colombia . Monotypic. Distribution. Colombia and Ecuador . Descriptive notes. Head-body 21.7-22.5 cm , tail 11.1-12.2 cm ; weight c. 138 g . The Columbian Weasel has a long body and short limbs. The pelage is long and soft, almost entirely dark brown on the back, with pale orange undersides. All the feet have extensive webbing, with naked plantar surfaces. Habitat. Most specimens were collected near riparian areas, at elevations between 1700-2700 m . Food and Feeding. Nothing known. Activity patterns. Nothing known. Movements, Home range and Social organization. Nothing known. Breeding. Nothing known. Status and Conservation. Classified as Vulnerable in The IUCN Red List. A very poorly known species, only recently described. Possibly the rarest carnivore in South America, it occurs in a limited area ofless than 10,000 km ? where deforestation is rampant. Since its discovery, only five specimens have been obtained from western Colombia (provinces of Huila and Cauca ) and northern Ecuador . The Columbian Weasel is a high priority for field research to learn more aboutits natural history, ecology, and conservation status. Bibliography. Alberico (1994), Fawcett et al. (1996), IUCN (2008), Izor & de la Torre (1978), Wozencraft (2005).