Least Weasel

The least weasel, also called the little weasel or common weasel, is the smallest member of the genus Mustela, family Mustelidae and order Carnivora. It is native to Eurasia, North America and North Africa and has been introduced to New Zealand, Malta, Crete, the Azores and Sao Tome. Eighteen subspecies are recognised (Wikipedia, general species account).

The body is slender, elongated and extremely flexible, with relatively short legs and tail and a small, blunt-muzzled head no thicker than the neck. Size, colour, coat type and tail length vary geographically. The back, flanks, limbs and tail are usually some shade of brown while the underparts are white, with a straight line between the two colours.