They’re skilled climbers, swimmers and runners. In the Native American tradition, the weasel has the medicine for seeking out secrets. Weasels often kill more prey than they can eat, storing the overkill for later consumption. Weasels vary in length from 17 to 22 centimeters (6.8 to 8.5 in), females being smaller than the males. Weasels have brown to yellow-brown fur with paler fur on the belly. Weasels often prey on animals larger than themselves. The English word “weasel” was originally applied to one species of the genus, the European form of the least weasel. In the past century Japanese weasels have been introduced to many small Japanese islands to kill rats that were damaging crops. It lives in Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu of Japan. The Japanese weasel was native to three of Japan’s four larger islands: Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku. [2] Japanese weasels help in controlling rodent and other small animal populations. This usage is retained in British English, where the name is also extended to cover several other small species of the genus. Japanese weasels also sometimes hunt domestic birds, such as chickens and ducks. [2], The mating season is from early May to late June. It lives in Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu of Japan. When scared, weasels release musk to discourage predators. Litter size varies from 3 to 8 kittens. In Japan, weasels were seen as yōkai(ghost, phantom), from time immemorial, and they cause various strange occurrences. Their senses of sight, smell and hearing are acute, their hunting instinct is keen, and they are active, aggressive and quick. Both sexes are capable of creating a smelly excretion known as muskfrom an anal gland used to repel predators which is employed by rubbing this secretion on rocks, branches and other natural obstacles. Major habitats are plains, but in western Japan it mainly lives in mountainous areas. In Japan, weasels were seen as yōkai(ghost, phantom), from time immemorial, and they cause various strange occurrences. A group of weasels can be called a boogle, gang, pack, and confusion. In neighboring Macedonia, however, weasels are generally seen as an omen of good fortune. It takes 8 weeks to fully be weaned and live by themselves. Weasels are ferocious predators. Home range sizes vary with habitat, population density, season, sex, food availability, and species. The tip of the tail is often black. Their range now includes Hokkaido and the many of the Ryukyu Islands. Females in this species are smaller than males. Much like their skunk relatives, weasels release foul-smelling substance from their anal glands as a defense mechanism, and perhaps even to mark their territory. In neighboring Macedonia, however, weasels are generally seen as an omen of good fortune. Males like to eat more mammals and crustacean. They are both diurnal and nocturnal. Over the past century, they have been introduced to most other Japanese islands to control the population of rodents. Short-tailed weasels are excellent hunters and prey on other smaller mammals like rats, rabbits, and squirrels. They can be found all across the world except for Antarctica, Australia, and neighbouring islands. Depending on the climate and season, they may display nocturnal or diurnal behavior. They mostly eat coleoptera insects in spring, fruits in summer, orthoptera insects and crustaceans in autumn and fish and fruit in winter. In the Native American tradition, the weasel has the medicine for seeking out secrets. Weasels have long, slim bodies. From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Japanese_weasel&oldid=7095621, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. Trust your own senses in regard to other people, and you will come out all right, even if it means going alone. [2], Japanese weasels are found in a lot of ecosystems in Japan. After mating, gestation takes about 30 days. Most species have a single litter per year. This page was last changed on 3 September 2020, at 16:27. Breeding season is twice a year in Kyushu, once a year in Hokkaido. Weasels are active in both winter and summer; they do not hibernate. Japanese weasels are sexually mature at one year old.[2]. This is part of what weasel teaches. Trust your own senses in regard to other people, and you will come out all right, even if it means going alone. Females like to eat insects, fruits and earthworms.[2]. The least weasel is the world’s smallest mammalian carnivore. Despite this, there is no significant observable difference of tail-ratios between the sexes. Their necks are long, their heads small and triangular; eyes are small in relation to head size, and the ears, set low on the skull, are rounded and well-furred. The Japanese weasel (Mustela Itatsi) is a carnivorous mammal belonging to the family Mustelidae. Birds of Prey such as owls, hawks and eagles that are able to spot them from high in the sky are the most common predators of the weasel, along with foxes and snakes. Their long slender bodies enable them to follow their prey into burrows. [2], In winter, these slim weasels spend most of their time under the snow chasing small rodents through a maze of tunnels. Adult males of the Japanese weasel can reach 35 centimetres (14 inches) in body length with a tail length of up to 17 centimetres (6.7 inches). Together with the use of some rodenticide, the weasels helped reduce rat populations. Major habitats are plains, but in western Japan it mainly lives in mountainous areas. They do not like other Japanese weasels entering their home range and will defend their home range. They chase down prey by any means, including running down tunnels, climbing trees, or swimming. Interesting facts about common seadragons, Interesting facts about Lake of the Ozarks, Interesting facts about the Mojave Desert. Weasels are small, nimble mammals of the genus Mustela of the family Mustelidae. * Description: Japanese weasels are fairly small mammals in the mustelid family (a large family of animals that includes otters, badgers, stoats, polecats, martens and skunks). The fur on the throat is usually white in color. In Greek culture, a weasel near one’s house is a sign of bad luck, even evil, “especially if there is in the They are known to be territorial, defending their home ranges when invaded. They are sexually mature before they are a year old and give birth to four to five offspring. The offspring … The main threat to Japanese weasels is habitat loss because of residential and commercial development.