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 44. Long-tailed Weasel Mustela frenata French: Belette a longue queue / German: Langschwanzwiesel / Spanish: Comadreja colilarga Taxonomy. Mustela frenata Lichtenstein, 1831 , Ciudad Mexico , Mexico . Forty-two subspecies are recognized. Subspecies and Distribution. M. f. frenata Lichtenstein, 1831 — NE Mexico and S USA (S Texas ). M. f. affinis Gray, 1874 — Colombia . M. f. agilis Tschudi, 1844 — W Peru . M. f. alleni Merriam, 1896 — C USA ( South Dakota & Wyoming ). M. f. altifrontalis Hall, 1936 — SW Canada ( British Columbia ) and NW USA (coastal Oregon & Washington ). M. f. arizonensis Mearns, 1891 — SW USA ( Arizona ). M. f. arthuri Hall, 1927 — S USA ( Louisiana ). M. f. aureoventris Gray, 1865 — Ecuador . M. f. boliviensis Hall, 1938 — Bolivia . M. f. costaricensis Goldman, 1912 — CostaRica. M. f. effera Hall, 1936 — NW USA (NE Oregon & SE Washington ). M. f. goldmani Merriam, 1896 — El Salvador , Guatemala , and Mexico ( Chiapas ). M. f. helleri Hall, 1935 — E Peru . M. f. inyoensis Hall, 1936 — SW USA (Inyo County, California ). M. f. latirostra Hall, 1936 — NW Mexico (Baja California ) and SW USA (S California ). M. f. leucoparia Merriam, 1896 — SW Mexico . M. f. longicauda Bonaparte, 1838 — Great Plains of Canada and USA . M. f. macrophonius Elliot, 1905 — S Mexico ( Oaxaca & Veracruz ). M. f. macrura Taczanowski, 1874 — Peru ( Cajamarca ). M. f. meridana Hollister, 1914 — Venezuela . M. f. munda Bangs, 1899 — SW USA ( NC coastal California ). M. f. neomexicana Barber & Cockerell, 1898 — C & N Mexico and SW USA ( New Mexico ). M. f. nevadensis Hall, 1936 — W USA (Great Basin & Rocky Mts). M. f. nicaraguae]. A. Allen, 1916 — Honduras and Nicaragua . M. f. nigriauris Hall, 1936 — SW USA (SC coastal California ). M. f. noveboracensis Emmons, 1840 — SE Canada and E USA . M. f. occisor Bangs, 1899 — NE USA ( Maine ). M. f. olivacea Howell, 1913 — SE USA . M. f. oregonensis Merriam, 1896 — W USA (Cascade Mts of Oregon ). M. f. oribasus Bangs, 1899 — SW Canada ( British Columbia ) and NW USA ( Montana ). M. f. panamensis Hall, 1932 — Panama . M. f. peninsulae Rhoads, 1894 — SE USA (S Florida). M. f. perda Merriam, 1902 — Yucatan Peninsula, Belize and Mexico . M. f. perotae Hall, 1936 — C Mexico . M. f. primulina Jackson, 1913 — Midwestern USA . M. f. pulchra Hall, 1936 — SW USA (Kern County, California ). M. f. saturata Merriam, 1896 — W USA ( NC California & S Oregon ). M. f. spadix Bangs, 1896 — N USA ( Minnesota ). M. f. texensis Hall, 1936 — S USA (C Texas ). M. f. tropicalis Merriam, 1896 — E Mexico ( Tamaulipas & Veracruz ). M. f. washingtoni Merriam, 1896 — W USA ( NC Oregon & SC Washington ). M. f. xanthogenys Gray, 1843 — SW USA (C California ). Descriptive notes. Head-body length, 22-: 8-26 cm (males), 20.3-22.8 cm (females); tail 10.2-15.2 cm (males), 7.6-12.7 cm (females); weight 160-450 g (males), 80-250 g (females), adult males are almost twice the size of females. The Long-tailed Weasel has a long body and short limbs. In Canada and the northern United States , the pelage changes from early October to early December and from late February to late April. During the summer, the upperparts are brown, the underparts are buff, and the tip of the tail is black. In winter, the pelage is white except for the black-tipped tail. Subspecies from the southern USA , Mexico and Central America, have distinctive white or yellow facial markings. The plantar surfaces on the feet are furred. There are four pairs of mammae. The skull is long, with large tympanic bullae. Dental formula: 13/3, Cl/1,P%3/3,M1/2=34. Habitat. [Long-tailed Weasels are found in a wide range of habitats from forested areas to agricultural fields. They show a preference for open, brushy or grassy areas near water. Food and Feeding. The diet consists mainly of rodents (voles, mice, and rats) and other small mammals (such as lagomorphs and squirrels), but birds, eggs, snakes, grasshoppers, and poultry are also occasionally eaten. Because of their larger size, males generally consume larger prey than females. In North America, Long-tailed Weasels feed upon a wide variety of small vertebrates, but concentrate on rodents and rabbits of small to medium size. The diet of tropical Long-tailed Weasels, although not well known,is thought to consist mainly of small mammals, rabbits, and birds and their eggs. Small-sized prey, such as mice and voles, usually are subdued when the weasel throws its body into a tight coil around the prey; these are then killed by a bite to the nape of the neck. Long-tailed Weasels can kill animals larger than themselves, such as rabbits. Large prey is initially grabbed by the most convenient part of the animal before a killing bite is administered. Underground mediumsized prey is subdued by a ventral attack and killed by grasping the throat, which results in suffocation. Activity patterns. Primarily nocturnal, but frequently active during the day. Den/rest sites are in hollow logs or stumps, among rocks, or in a burrow taken over from a rodent. Long-tailed Weasels spend large amounts of time exploring holes, crevices, root systems, brush piles, thick vegetation, and under the snow in winter, in search of prey. Movements, Home range and Social organization. [Long-tailed Weasels are solitary and mainly terrestrial, but are also good swimmers and tree climbers. The home ranges of males average larger than those of females, and may include the home ranges of more than one female . During the breeding season, the home ranges of males increase in size, allowing more frequent contact with females. There is little overlap of the home ranges of males. In Kentucky , home ranges vary from 0-16 to 0-24 km * during summer, and 0-10 to 0-18 km ? during winter. In Indiana , the mean home range for males was 1-80 km * and for females 0-52 km *. The hourly rate of movement for males (130- 5 m ) was greater than that of females (79- 2 m ). Estimates of densities vary widely by habitat and prey availability. Reported population densities are: 0-004-0-008 /ha in western Colorado , 0-02-0-18/ha in Kentucky , 0-19-0-38/ha in chestnut-oak forest and 0-07-0-09/ha in scrub oak-pitch pine forest in Pennsylvania , and 0-2-0-3/ha in cattail marsh in Ontario . Breeding. Females are monoestrous. Mating occurs in July and August. Implantation of the fertilized eggs into the uterusis delayed until the following March; embryonic development is approximately 27 days. Births occur in April or May. Litter size is up to nine, but is usually around six. The young are born blind and weigh about 3 g at birth. They open their eyes after 35-37 days and are weaned at around 3% weeks. Females attain sexual maturity at three to four months, but males do not mate until the year following their birth. Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern in The IUCN Red List. The Long-tailed Weasel is considered to be common throughout most ofits distribution; however, several subspecies are considered uncommon. It is able to occupy a wide variety of habitats and can live in close proximity to humans. Long-tailed Weasels are more prone to raid henhouses that other species of Mustela , but they are generally beneficial because they prey on rats and mice. They are trapped in North America for their white winter fur. Bibliography. Gehring & Swihart (2004), King (1990), Sheffield & Thomas (1997), Svendsen (2003), Wozencraft (2005).